Following the Pichia 2009 Conference in Tucson, Arizona (USA), the next Pichia 2012 Conference (http://www.pichia2012.com/) will take place from February 29 – March 3, 2012 in Alpbach/Tyrol (Austria). The latest exciting research into and applications for Pichia will be presented in an inspiring and relaxed alpine atmosphere in the home village of Nobel Laureate, Erwin Schrödinger.

Immediately preceding the conference, a Hands-on Pichia laboratory course “From Idea to Protein Products” (http://www.hands-on.pichia2012.com/) will be held from February 26 to 29 in Graz, Styria (Austria).

EMB2012 aims to explore the major advances, frontiers and applications of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology in the modern area of the knowledge-based bio and green economy.

In particular, the conference will focus on the sustainable decontamination of polluted habitats, water resource purification and reuse, biofixation of climate change-inducing gases and the production of biobased chemicals, materials and fuels from biowaste or/and via the exploitation and management of novel microbes from non conventional or impacted habitats.

These are aspects of modern Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology which should enable this forum to address several of the major “Agenda Europe 2020” priorities and to contribute to build up a more sustainable and competitive knowledge-based economy in Europe and in the Partner Countries.

Main Topics

• Advances on biodegradation of organics and inorganics, phytoremediation, mycoremediation
• Biomonitoring and bioremediation of emerging pollutants
• Research & Innovation on in-situ and ex-situ biotreatments and on aquifer, sediment, seawater and wastewater bioremediation and reuse
• Biotransformation and impacts of nanomaterials and biopolymers in the environment
• Organic waste multipurpose biorefineries
• Biofixation of CO2  in soils and via bioprocessing
• Exploitation of microbes from non-conventional, stressed or contaminated environments

For more information please click here.

Conference Chair:


Prof Fabio Fava, University of Bologna, EFB, SusChem Italy
fabio.fava@unibo.it

Following the tradition of the previous International Conferences on Protein Stabilisation we would like to welcome you to participate in the 9th International Conference on Protein Stabilisation – ProStab2012 – which will be held from the 2 to 4 May 2012, in Lisbon, Portugal.

ProStab2012 is being jointly organised by the Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering at Instituto Superior Técnico and the Section on Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB) of the European Federation of Biotechnology.

The congress is intended to highlight the recent advances in protein folding, denaturation and stabilisation. Particular focus will be given to stabilisation procedures in terms of thermodynamic principles, methods to preserve structure and understanding interactions with its environment, damping the molecular motions of the proteins, and their use in industrial applications, biocatalysis, incorporation into bioreactive coatings, biosensors and medicine namely of therapeutic proteins among others relevant use.

For information please visit: http://prostab2012.ist.utl.pt/

Region:

The Gent RBO is located at FlandersBio and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Belgium.

Mission:

FlandersBio is the umbrella organisation for the Life Sciences sector in Flanders, a dynamic non-profit, fee based organisation with 210 members. Our mission is to support and facilitate the sector’s sustained development. Our objective is to ensure that it remains a strong driver of economic growth in the region.

Contact:

EFB RBO Belgium
Ann Van Gysel, Ph.D.
Managing Director FlandersBio
FlandersBio vzw
Jean-Baptiste de Ghellincklaan 13 bus 0102
9051 Gent
Belgium
Phone: +32 9 241 80 41
Fax: +32 9 241 80 40
E-mail: info@vib.be
http://www.vib.be

The European Congress on Biotechnology (ECB) is one of the most relevant events of Biotechnology in Europe. Unique in bringing together international researchers, young scientists, executives, entrepreneurs and policy makers from all disciplines of biotechnology, the European Congress on Biotechnology offers a platform to present and discuss the recent developments of Biotechnology.

The next ECB will be held in Istanbul - Turkey from the 23^th to 26^th September 2012, hosted by the Turkish Biotechnology Association. We invite you to visit the official website www.ecb15.org.

The European Association of Pharma Biotechnology (EAPB) is the representative of pharmaceutical biotechnology in Europe. EAPB, as the Associated Section on Pharma Medical Biotechnology of the EFB, is dedicated to the advancement of biotechnology in pharmaceutical sciences, specifically as applied to industrial materials, processes, products and their associated issues.

As a non-profit organization EAPB provides a central network linking academia, industry and regulatory bodies. Accordingly its members are professionals from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, governmental authorities, academia and scientific organizations.

Events organized by EAPB promote collaborations between science and industry in the sector of pharmaceutical biotechnology. Specifically the technology transfer focused Science to Market Conferences intent to enhance the economical output of scientific research and direct them into marketable technologies and biopharmaceutical products.

For further information regarding this Associated Section, please visit EAPB website or contact:

The EFB section on Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB) is active in the field of Industrial Biotechnology. Industrial Biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for the industrial production and processing of chemical substances, materials and bio-energy. Industrial Biotechnology exploits the synthetic capabilities of the natural world for human needs and typically leads to greener production processes. This technology is mainly based on biocatalysis (the use of enzymes to catalyse chemical reactions) and fermentation technology (directed use of microbial metabolism). Industrial biotechnology (also referred to as white biotechnology) stands apart from the red biotechnology (directed towards health care) and green biotechnology (genetically modified agricultural crops).

Industrial Biotechnology is a technology with a particularly broad application potential in a variety of industries such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, the food and feed industry, agro-industry, textile industry, energy sector, etc. These industries increasingly rely on biocatalytic processes to perform a wide range of reactions, improve the cost-effectiveness of existing processes and develop new products and applications. The use of biocatalysis can have significant performance benefits compared to conventional chemical technology, such as a high reaction selectivity, higher reaction rate, increased conversion efficiency, improved product purity, lowered energy consumption and a significant decrease in waste generation. The processes of industrial biotechnology will often rely on renewable resources as a raw material and typically lead to significant ecological and economical benefits.
The former working party on Applied Biocatalysis transformed itself into an EFB Section in September 2000. ESAB is led by a scientific committee consisting of about 40 members from all European countries. Individual scientists with an interest in Industrial Biotechnology are requested to become a member so that they can actively participate in the activities of ESAB and support the development of Industrial Biotechnology in Europe.

he mission of ESAB can be summarized as follows:

• To promote the industrial application of useful biocatalysts
• To develop the science and engineering aspects of industrial biotechnology
• To promote industrial biotechnology in European and national science policies
• To identify key topics which may be rate-limiting for the development of industrial biotechnology and to take steps to stimulate these areas, particularly through the organisation of scientific meetings and conferences

Contact Info:

Dr. Roland Wohlgemuth
Sigma-Aldrich, Research Specialties, Buchs, Switzerland
E-mail:roland.wohlgemuth@sial.com
http://www.esabweb.org/

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Public Engagement and Communication

Section on Public Engagement and Communication

Biotechnology has a key impact on an incredible number of things in our daily life.
Scientific discoveries force society to face new questions on the development and the applications of research. Therefore, it is necessary to give impulse and to develop a new culture of knowledge, which is able to bring together the opportunities of life science and the demands of safety, health issues and quality of life, of the economy and the sustainable development.
In order to achieve this, it is essential to make decisional and scientific processes transparent to the public and to communicate effectively with citizens.
It is also fundamental that scientists do not forget to be citizens in the first place.
A more participatory scientific development requires new ways of interaction, new tools for communication, new decisional processes, a new scientific culture and a better engagement with the public, as well as training in communication.

The EFB Section on Public Engagement and Communication aims at bridging together the so many experiences in Europe and network those active in public engagement and communication in the field of biotechnology, from every sector, and from many disciplines.
The Section is engaged in creating new partnerships for European projects, in exchanging best practices, in training scientists and new professionals and engaging with schools.

Contact Info:

Contact info:

Professor Lanfranco Masotti (Chairman)
email: lanfranco.masotti@unibo.it

Secretariat:
Pier Francesco Bellomaria
Marino Golinelli Foundation
via Ragazzi del ’99 no.5
40133 Bologna Italy
Tel. 0039. 051.310681
Fax 0039. 051.389929
email: bellomariapier@gmail.com

EFB Home > Bioprocess Engineering Course

Bioprocess Engineering Course

Bioprocess Engineering Course

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO San Juan, CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

EFB RBO San Juan, CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

Region:

The San Juan RBO is located at the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Central America and the Caribbean.

Contact:

EFB RBO Central America and the Caribbean, PUERTO RICO
Mr. Thomas F. Farb
Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust
P.O. Box 363475
Postal Code 00936-3475
Phone: +1 787 523 1592
Fax: +1 787 523 1599
E-mail:info@prsciencetrust.org
http://www.prsciencetrust.org

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Olomouc, CZECH REPUBLIC

EFB RBO Olomouc, CZECH REPUBLIC

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EFB Home > Interview with Dr. Eduardo Trigo

Interview with Dr. Eduardo Trigo

Dr. Eduardo Trigo, Director of Grupo CEO, a consulting firm specializing in agricultural organization and technology policy issues, and Scientific Adviser to the International Directorate of the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation of the Argentine Government

“Since the introduction of the new soybean technology, Argentina has more than doubled its grain and oilseed production”

01/03/2007

Dr. Eduardo Trigo is author of the report “Ten Years of Genetically Modified Crops in Argentine Agriculture”, a study that draws attention to the effect that GM crops have had in Argentine Agriculture during the past decade and how this new technology has transformed the country’s agricultural sector and economy. The study has been financed by the Argentine Council for Information and Development of Biotechnology, a non-profit organization whose mission is to make available information on biotechnology, contributing to its understanding through education and promoting its development.

EFB: Dr. Trigo, what is the background to the report “Ten Years of Genetically Modified Crops in Argentine Agriculture” and why did you decide to carry it out?  Where there specific issues you wanted to draw attention to or was this intended to highlight the overall experiences and lessons of 10 years of GM crops in Argentina?
Dr. Eduardo Trigo: “The report is intended to document the Argentinean experience with this type of technology. Back in 2002, we published a similar report looking into the initial five years since the introduction and we already found signs of a very powerful process that was starting to reshape the country’s agriculture. We thought that a decade was a long enough period to look at established trends and we also wanted to highlight what were the drivers shaping this process, particularly as a basis for domestic policy-making. The “soybean era” is gradually reaching its ceiling – land for further expansion is becoming a limiting factor, etc. – and we think that for the country to continue to benefit from the new technologies there is the need for a renewed policy effort and we also wanted to provide support for that process.”

EFB: What have been the most significant impacts in Argentine agriculture after the introduction of genetically modified crops 10 years ago?
ET: “Since the introduction of the new soybean technology, Argentina has more than doubled its grain and oilseed production and it has not only been soybeans; maize has also increased and so have other activities such as beef and dairy. In economic terms, that has amounted to about USD 20 billion in cumulative terms. That in itself is quite impressive but the indirect benefits on employment and other variables should also be taken into account.”

EFB: What has been the overall economic impact on Argentina?
ET: “A conservative estimate, included in the paper, sets global impact at around USD 40 billion and the total number of jobs created at 1 million (over the ten year period under analysis). Regarding the importance of the latter figure, one has to consider that this increase took place during a period when the Argentine labour market went through one of its worst crises, with unemployment going from one digit figures to 23% (only this past month it has gone back to one digit again).”

EFB: What lessons are there for other countries, both developed and developing?
ET: “When tackling this particular issue, one has to be careful. Although Argentina is a developing country, its agricultural sector resembles more that of the developed countries, both in product mix as well as farm structure, and this has been a critical issue in the success of this story. The country foresaw the potential of the new technologies and undertook the necessary policy measures for gaining access to them, but it is also true that the technologies were a perfect fit for the country’s agroecological conditions. Beyond that, one has to highlight a number of issues. First, that of readiness.  By the time the first GM varieties became available, the regulatory system was already in place, and most importantly there existed a suitable germplasm base to which the new genes could be attached, otherwise diffusion would have been highly unlikely. This latter aspect is a key but frequently overlooked aspect in the success of biotechnological innovations. Biotechnological innovations are not a substitute for conventional breeding, on the contrary they go hand-in-hand as farmers would not buy seeds that are not well suited to their particular agro-ecological conditions and for that you need breeding programs and a seed industry that is able to deliver the innovations to the farms. Argentina had all that already in place and any other country that wants to benefit from these technologies – as well from non-GMO biotech, such as marker assisted selections, etc. – needs to have it as well.”
A second point to make is that of the existence a thorough policy oversight along the process so that commercial releases are granted only after considering their possible market implications. In hindsight this may have been less important than thought at the time, but nevertheless it was an element that certainly contributed to building confidence in the technology with the country’s stakeholders.

EFB: What can neighbouring countries learn from the Argentine example?
ET: “The lesson to be learned is: The sooner, the better. In the case of Brazil, it has become evident that due to delays in the decision-making process, farmers were not able to make use of the full potential of these technologies.”

EFB: According to the study, Argentina ranks second place, behind the US, in total planted area with GM crops. What are the main reasons of this swift growth?
ET: “Essentially, the fact that the products available during this first cycle of the technology, as I already mentioned, were a perfect fit with the profile of our agricultural sector and the other set of conditions – policies, international markets, etc. – came together and made it feasible for the country to take full advantage of this situation.”

EFB: How are farmers responding to this new technology and how is the government supporting it?
ET: “Farmers have been key players and the government provided the appropriate regulatory tools and was always supportive in terms of sending the signal that it was going do the right things in terms of assuring market access: “managing” commercial releases so as to not to put at risk access to our main export market – the EU – in the case of corn, siding with the USA in the WTO panel demand, etc.”

EFB: Can you comment on the general public perception of biotechnology in Argentina and agricultural biotechnology and GM crops specifically?
We do not have specific surveys to quote, but all available evidence suggests that for Argentine consumers this is a non-issue, and the farmers’ behaviour in terms of adoption speaks for itself.

What message would you like to leave with members of the European Federation of Biotechnology as they read the report?
ET: “That their continued support for a more proactive Europe in the development of the new technologies is the right position and it will become even more important as biotechnology moves beyond GMOs. The Argentine story is a powerful one, showing quite clearly the potential of the new technologies; not only for improving the country’s economic and social conditions, but also in terms of what they could contribute globally to produce the food the world will need in the coming years. It is also a safe technology and under the right conditions – as the ones existing in Argentina at the time, because of the interphase with no-till practices – a win-win situation in terms of its environmental and economic impacts. However, this experience is not easy to extrapolate to other conditions, because of the particular nature of Argentine agriculture and also because of the fact that most of today’s advances are present in crops suited for temperate environments, which are the basis of international commodities trade. There is very little done for the semi-tropical / tropical and small farmers’ conditions, which accounts for the largest share of the world’s poorer farmers. This is the next frontier and it could become the most relevant source of biotech’s social and environmental benefits. But for that to occur, greater involvement of the research capacities of regions such as Europe will be needed and in this the EFB has a key role to play.”

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Plant Biotechnology

Section on Plant Biotechnology

Dear friends:

We have drafted a letter to Indian Agricultural Minister Hon. Sharad Pawar asking him to please explore ways to reverse the moratorium on Bt brinjal. We are calling on global scientific community to sign on, and thus send a strong message that India should move forward with technology and make critical policy decisions on sound science.

Please sign and also forward to as many scientists in India and elsewhere that you may know.

http://www.petitiononline.com/brinjal1/petition.html 

Please be assured that your email address will never be made public and also I will take this petition down after a week.

Contact Info:

Dr. Valerie Frankard
Email: valerie.frankard@cropdesign.com

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EFB Home > EAGLES address members of the European Parliament

EAGLES address members of the European Parliament

EAGLES address members of the European Parliament

European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES) is an initiative of the European Federation of Biotechnology supported by the European Commission.

Brussels, 11/10/2006 – On October 11, the European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES) organised a dinner debate in Brussels with about 40 participants from the European Parliament, the European Commission and EAGLES. The background for the meeting was the lack of clear dedication and focus in the 7th Framework Programme on the great humanitarian challenges of hunger, illness and environmental degradation which plague the developing countries.

A better dialogue is needed, and EAGLES –an initiative of the European Federation of Biotechnology supported by the European Commission- is a platform for achieving this dialogue between scientists from the developing countries and European politicians, policy makers, members of the media and other leaders of public opinion. The meeting was initiated by MEP Britta Thomsen, who also introduced the three speakers and chaired the discussion. 

EAGLES Chair Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, gave an enlightening vision of the role of research in the fight against poverty, fundamentalism and isolationism, backed by a historical review of the trends in life sciences over the last 50 years. As an example on how important research and know-how can be, he mentioned India which in the early 1960s was deemed by many economists and development experts not to be able to feed its population of then less than 300 million people. Today the size of the Indian population has increased three times and India is a major food exporter in Asia. Dr. Serageldin suggested that knowledge was a key factor in development and knowledge should be considered a global public good – a human right. With knowledge, research and education we can abolish hunger and poverty related disease and Europe has an obligation to share its knowledge with the developing world.
EAGLES Co-Vice Chairman Prof. Huanming Yang, Director of the Beijing Genome Institute, who contributed to the Human Genome Project and led the Chinese rice genome initiative, referred to his own early experience with European scientists in Denmark where he spent several years pursuing his PhD.  He advocated for assistance to emerging and developing countries not in the form of food aid, but by supporting knowledge and technology generation. He underscored that all life sciences are related, and that life sciences are, literally speaking, vital for the future and stability of the
world. Trust built on research collaboration is the key which will also lead to mutual benefits. He advised Europe to place much more emphasis on its status as a continent of many countries in harmony, and as a society built on knowledge and partnership. 
World Health representative Dr. Gojka Roglic was the last speaker. Her presentation was a follow up from the recent EAGLES Symposium in Alexandria (April 2006), on the emerging epidemics of diabetes and other chronic diseases in the developing world. Dr. Roglic demonstrated that diabetes is exploding in the developing world, and she went through the ten most common misconceptions about diabetes and its complications: Diabetes is not a disease of the wealthy - 80% is in the low or middle income countries.  It mainly affects poor people.  It is not a disease of the old.  It affects men and women equally. It is not only a problem of choice of life style. It can be prevented, and prevention does not need to be expensive.  You have to die from something, but it does not have to be premature after a slow, painful and chronic disease like diabetes.
After each presentation and during the final debate a number of prominent MEP’s and officers from the European Commission commented on the presentations and discussed the main issue: that the draft of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) is not taking sufficient account of the problems of the developing world and there lacks a dedicated programme or framework for collaboration with the developing world. The final discussion had a very positive atmosphere with many interventions from parliamentarians who are playing a key role in the development of the research budget of FP7. 
It was suggested by EAGLES that there should be a 5% budget target for research relevant to the developing world. MEP Theresa Riera had already suggested a target in the Parliament but did not get sufficient support. 
If the Commission developed a mechanism in FP7 for measuring research and research training and collaboration with the developing world this mechanism could give an important indication on how the coming policy of “open collaboration but no dedicated budget would go”. Such an indicator could be important for the decision makers and could be used for putting more focus on the development issue. 
A hearing in the Parliament or a Parliament Global Science Day, which would focus attention on the role of European science in the developing world, was suggested.  Both MEP’s and members of the European Commission asked for more active debate and more lobby activities on this issue organised
by the research community.
EAGLES Co-Vice Chairman Prof. David McConnell summed up the meeting and promised to follow up on the different comments and suggestions. Britta Thomsen thanked the participants for a very fruitful debate.

For additional information about EAGLES, please contact:
Jens Degett, Executive Director of EAGLES
jdegett@jubii.dk
Hernani 68, 6B
28020 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: +34 91 220 3157
Skype Name: jensdegett
EAGLES Website: http://www.efb-central.org/eagles/

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About the EFB	Members	Sections	Task Groups	Events	Your account	Contact

Registration is now open: registration closes on 30th January; and Abstracts must be submitted by 20th January. Applied Synthetic Biology in Europe combines science and engineering to design and construct artificial biological functions and systems not found in nature to solve specific scientific problems. It is increasingly relevant to the European Biotechnology industries: current challenges range from the design of new pharmaceuticals to environmental biotechnology, biofuels, novel biocatalysts and sustainable sources of food. For more information please click on the following link: Synthetic Biology. We would like to thank the following organizations for their support:

Registration is now open. For more information please click here.

EMB2012 aims to explore the major advances, frontiers and applications of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology in the modern area of the knowledge-based bio and green economy. In particular, the conference will focus on the sustainable decontamination of polluted habitats, water resource purification and reuse, biofixation of climate change-inducing gases and the production of biobased chemicals, materials and fuels from biowaste or/and via the exploitation and management of novel microbes from non conventional or impacted habitats. For more information, please click here.

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Activities > European Focus on Biotechnology in China (EFBIC)

European Focus on Biotechnology in China (EFBIC)

The European Focus on Biotechnology in China (EFBIC) is a collaborative project between the China National Centre for Biotechnology Development and the European Federation of Biotechnology. EFBIC is funded by the European Commission, and supported by the Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology through CNCBD.

The Mission
EFBIC aims to establish strategic relations between high-level decision makers in Europe and China in the field of biotechnology and biological science. With government, science, industry and public interest organisations, EFBIC works to encourage, develop and facilitate collaborations in research, training and innovation between European and Chinese scientists.

Activities
The European Focus on Biotechnology in China is one of the activities of the Task Group on International Relations. The main activities of EFBIC are to:
   

     
• Organise China-EU Workshops on key topics of mutual scientific and commercial interests      
• Arrange and fund exchanges, visits and fellowships for European and Chinese officials, decision makers, regulators, industrialists and scientists      
• Produce briefings on opportunities for joint scientific and commercial development      

Contact Info:

EFBIC Contact Forum
     
All Chinese and European scientists, officials, and industrialists interested in joining EFBIC workshops, participating in other EFBIC activities, or contributing to the expansion of the Sino-European network in biotechnology are welcome to register as members of EFBIC Contact Forum with:

Prof. Brian Clark
Chairman of the EFB Task Group on International Relations
Tel: +45 8942 5055
Fax: +45 8619 1959
E-mail: bfcc@mb.au.dk

About the EFB > The Executive Board

The Executive Board

The Executive Board consists of all Chairmen of the different EFB Sections and Task Groups, the EFB Secretary General, and the Treasurer.

Three representatives of EFB-Academia (Learned Societies, universities, institutes or other science based public institutions), three representatives of EFB-Industry (companies and National Bioindustry Associations) and three members from the Regional Branch Office managers are elected by the General Assembly and belong to the ExBo. Up to two co-opted ExBo members may be proposed by the President.

The Executive Board has the authority to decide on all activities and operations of EFB except those that explicitly require approval by the General Council. The ExBo elects the EFB President and two to four Vice-Presidents.

Prof. Marc van Montagu EFB President	Prof. Brian Clark Vice President, Chairman Task Group on Education & Mobility	Prof. Jeff Cole Vice President, Chairman Section on Microbial Physiology	Jens Sundbye Treasurer
Dr. Roland Wohlgemuth Chairman, Section on Applied Biocatalysis	Prof. Klaus Ammann Chairman, Section on Biodiversity	Prof. Dr. Fabio Fava Chairman, Section on Environmental Biotechnology	Dr. Andreani Odysseos Chairman, Section on Medicines Development
Dr. Guilherme N.M. Ferreira Chairman, Section on Biochemical Engineering Science	Dr. Mike Taussig Chairman, Section on Applied Functional Genomics	Dr. Wieland Wolf Chairman, Associated Section on Pharma Medical Biotechnology (EAPB)	Natalia Borkowska Chairman, Associated Section Young European Biotech Network (YEBN)
Dr. Bo Heiden Chairman, Task Group on Innovation (TG INN)	Dr. Patrick Rudelsheim Chairman, Task Group on Safety in Biotechnology	Dr. Diethard Mattanovich Elected Member, Academia	Prof. Joost Teixeira de Mattos Elected Member, Academia
Dr. Carmen Vela Elected Member, Industry	Prof. Pierre Monsan Elected Member, Academia	Dr. Valerie Frankard Chair, Section on Plant Biotechnology	Dr. Willi Meier Elected Representative, RBO
Prof. Francesc Gòdia Elected Representative, RBO	Francesco Lescai Elected Member, RBO Bologna.	Prof. Wilf Mitchell Co-opted, Academia	Prof. Mathias Uhlen Co-opted, Academia

Membership > Join Us

Join Us

Apply for Institutional and/or Personal membership:

• EFB Institutional Membership Form 2012
  
  
• Online Application Form for Personal Membership (Free of charge)

Membership Categories & Fees:

EFB Home > EFB Regional Branch Office Applications

EFB Regional Branch Office Applications

The general tasks proposed to all approved applicants fall into two categories:

A: Standard Regional Tasks
B: Support and cooperation with selected EFB Sections and Task Groups (optional).

A: Standard Regional Tasks

• Representation to national government and regional authorities
• Coordination of regional and selected projects
• Coordination of or cooperation on selected EC (and other) applications
• Various contacts (ministries, universities, organisations, media)
• Arrange regional meetings, workshops, conferences etc
• Arrange meetings and workshops in the region for EFB Sections and Task Groups
• Regional membership campaigns
• Distribute info about EFB and EFB events in the region
• Ensure EFB presence at relevant events in region
• Establish data base on institutions and contacts in the region
• Disseminate info about EU (and other) funding opportunities in the region
• Facilitate EFB media contacts in the region
• Deliver regional information and data for EFB website, data base, EFB Central Office (ECO) and EFB Executive Board (ExBo).

B: Support and cooperation with selected EFB Sections and Task Groups

Regional Branch Offices which have an interest in doing so are encouraged to work with EFB Sections or Task Groups, and to consider playing an active role in these such as by hosting activities or providing the Secretariat.

Region
Region typically means country or region within a country, although in exceptional circumstances may include neighbouring countries or regions, to be specified in the agreement. Regional Branch Offices (RBOs) are named according to city or country of residence.

Income
Some of the above regional activities may generate income for the RBO subject to agreement with EFB Sections, Task Groups or EFB Central Office (ECO).

Sections and Task Groups
RBOs may support and collaborate with selected Sections or Task Groups according to individual agreements with their chairmen. To ensure proper coordination, new collaborations of this kind need to be approved by the President. The Executive Board may decide to discontinue selected collaborations if in the overall interest of EFB.

Duration
The agreement should be valid for minimum of 2 years and maximum 5 years, automatically renewable upon agreement of both parties.

RBO Fee
The annual EFB membership fee for a Regional Branch Office is €1,500

Important Comment
Please consider the above as guidelines describing EFB’s suggestions for specifications of a collaboration which builds on shared interests and mutual trust. The goal is to develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

Please note that RBOs report to the EFB Executive Board either directly at Executive Board meetings or through the Secretary General and Central Office. RBO delegates will be invited to each Executive Board meeting.  All parties are expected to work in a collaborative, flexible and open-minded manner.

Application
To be considered for Regional Branch Office status, a formal application must be submitted to the Secretary General. This will then be discussed at the next Executive Board meeting, to which the candidate will be invited, and approval will be made by simple majority vote of the Executive Board. The application should include

• Formal letter of application
• Description of the applicant & overview of activities
• Description of how the RBO’s activities will support or be of value to the EFB

Guidelines for Regional Branch Offices

Activities
RBOs carry out activities serving interests in the various areas of research and technology and across the sectors of biotechnology covered by the whole EFB (e.g. innovation, education, public perceptions, international relations, biosafety), in close co-operation with Central Office and under the guidance of the Executive Board.

Organisation and operation
RBOs decide their own manner of organisation and operation as long as they adhere to the Mission and Objectives of EFB, are consistent with EFB Statutes and follow the guidance that occasionally may be issued by Executive Board. All activities carried out in the name of the EFB must be approved in advance and must conform to the general principles of EFB. 

Status and agreement
Official status as an EFB RBO will be granted and publicized in all appropriate EFB materials, website and at appropriate EFB events. The specific rights and obligations of Branch Offices will be specified in a formal agreement between the Branch Office and EFB.

Funding and financial arrangements
From successful experience, funding for activities at the RBO can be from:

• conferences, symposia, workshops, etc
• contracts for European Commission-funded projects
• industry, as long as EFB interests and independence are not compromised
• national funding bodies, foundations, etc
• collaborations and partnerships with other non-profit and commercial organisations for specific activities as long as EFB interests and independence are not compromised
• journals and other publications

Activities must not deprive the EFB Central Fund, Central Office, Sections or Task Groups of any significant financial income unless agreed upon by the Executive Board. RBO managers are requested to attend the Executive Board meetings of the EFB. Travel expenses for these meetings should be covered by the RBO.

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Aarhus, DENMARK

EFB RBO Aarhus, DENMARK

Region:

The Aarhus RBO is located at BioMedico Forum and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Denmark.

EFB Activities:

Besides their regional tasks, the EFB RBO Aarhus is interested in supporting the work of the EFB Task Group on EAGLES - European Action on Global Life Sciences.

Contact:

EFB RBO Aarhus
Dr. Jens Sundbye
BioMedico Forum
Forskerparken
Gustav Wieds Vej 10
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Phone: +45 8620 1222  
E-mail:js@ebiomedicoforum.dk

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Turku, FINLAND

EFB RBO Turku, FINLAND

Region:

The Turku RBO is located at Turku Science Park Ltd and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Finland and St. Petersburg.

Contact:

EFB RBO Turku
Mr. Tero Piispanen
Turku Science Park Ltd
Itainen Pitkakatu 4 B
20520 Turku
Phone. +358 2 880 3100
Fax: +358 2 4101610
E-mail: tero.piispanen@turkusciencepark.com
http://www.turkusciencepark.com

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Paris, FRANCE

EFB RBO Paris, FRANCE

Region:

The Paris RBO is located at the Comité Adebiotech and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for France.

More Information:

Contact:

EFB RBO Paris
Prof. Pierre Monsan
Comité Adebiotech
135 Avenue de Rangueil
F-310077 Toulouse
Phone +33 05 61 55 94 15
Fax +33 5 61 55 94 00
E-mail:Pierre.Monsan@insa-toulouse.fr
http://www.adebiotech.org/

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Frankfurt, GERMANY

EFB RBO Frankfurt, GERMANY

Region:

The Frankfurt RBO is located at Dechema and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Germany.

Contact:

EFB RBO Frankfurt
Dr. Willi Meier
DECHEMA e.V.
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25
D-60486 Frankfurt, Germany
Phone +49 69 7564 143
Fax +49 69 7564 418
E-mail: meier@dechema.de
http://www.dechema.de

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Athens, GREECE

EFB RBO Athens, GREECE

Region:

The Athens RBO is located at BioProsperity Ltd. and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Greece.

Contact:

EFB RBO Greece
Dr. Alex Pavlou
BioProsperity Ltd
Polemiston 5
16452 Athens
Tel. : +30 6977714861
Fax : +30 2109957356
E-mail: apavlou@bioprosperity.com
http://www.bioprosperity.com

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Bologna, ITALY

EFB RBO Bologna, ITALY

Region:

The Bologna RBO is located at the Fondazione Marino Golinelli, and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Italy.

EFB Activities:

Besides their regional tasks, the EFB RBO Bologna is interested in supporting the EFB Associated Section YEBN (Young European Biotech Network), the Section on Public Engagement and Communication, and participating in the work of the Task Group on Education and Mobility.

Contact:

EFB RBO Bologna
Dr. Marino Golinelli
Fondazione Marino Golinelli
Via Ragazzi del 99 Nº 5
40133 Bologna
Italy
Phone: +39 051 6489 501
Fax: +39 051 389 929
E-mail: info@golinellifondazione.org
http://www.golinellifondazione.org

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Warsaw, POLAND

EFB RBO Warsaw, POLAND

Region:

The Warsaw RBO is located at the Polish Academy of Sciences and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Poland.

More Information:

• Homepage

Contact:

EFB RBO Warsaw
Prof. Dr. Tomasz Twardowski
Polish Academy of Sciences
Palac Kultury i Nauki. Plac Defilad 1
00901 Warsaw
Phone: +48 61 8528503
E-mail:Anna.Pokrzywnicka@pan.pl

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Ljubljana, SLOVENIA

EFB RBO Ljubljana, SLOVENIA

Region:

The Ljubljana RBO is located at the National Institute of Chemistry and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Slovenia.

Contact:

EFB RBO Ljubljana
Dr. Vladka Gaberc Porekar
National Institute of Chemistry
Hajdrihova 19
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Phone: +386 1 4760 241
E-mail:vladka.gaberc.porekar@ki.si
http://www.ki.si/

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Madrid, SPAIN

EFB RBO Madrid, SPAIN

Region:

The Madrid RBO is located at the Spanish Society of Biotechnology (SEBiot) and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Spain.

Contact:

EFB RBO Madrid
Dra. Carmen Vela
Sociedad Española de Biotecnologia (SEBIOT)
Vitubrio 8
E-28006 Madrid
Phone: +34 91 561 3464
E-mail: cvela@ingenasa.es
http://www.sebiot.org

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO Waedenswill, SWITZERLAND

EFB RBO Waedenswill, SWITZERLAND

Region:
The Zwitzerland RBO is located at the Swiss Coordination Committee for Biotechnology SCCB and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for Switzerland.

Contact:

EFB RBO Switzerland
EFB RBO Switzerland
Dr. Roland Wohlgemuth
Sigma-Aldrich Chemie GmbH
Industriestrasse 25
9470 BUCHS
E-mail: roland.wohlgemuth@sial.com
Phone: +41 81 755 2640
Fax: +41 81 756 5449

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Sonnleitner
Swiss Coordination Committee for Biotechnology SCCB
Campus Reidbach, Einsiedlerstrasse 29
CH-8820 Waedenswill
Phone:+41 58 934 5492
E-mail:bernhard.sonnleitner@zhaw.ch
http://www.sk-biotechnologie.ch/

Regional Branch Offices > EFB RBO London, UNITED KINGDOM

EFB RBO London, UNITED KINGDOM

Region:

The London RBO is located at the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) and serves as EFB Regional Branch Office for United Kingdom.

Contact:

EFB RBO UK
Ms. Joanne Lyall
Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
14 - 15 Belgrave Square
London, SW1X 8PS
E-mail:secretariat@soci.org
www.soci.org

About the EFB > General Council and General Assembly

General Council and General Assembly

The General Council (GeCo) consists of one representative of each Institutional Member of EFB. The members of the EFB Executive Board , all chairmen of the EFB Sections and Task Groups also belong to the GeCo. The General Council decides on all fundamental matters connected with the work of the Federation. The members of the GeCo meet at the General Assembly (GeAs).

Download: Extraordinary General Assembly 7 June 2008

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Phyto-Pharmaceuticals

Section on Phyto-Pharmaceuticals

Currently there is intense interest worldwide for studying medical treatment derived from traditional medicine sources. The EFB therefore deems it appropriate to start a section on phyto-pharmaceutical science which will network with European scientific experts in the field from various countries which have source material based on natural plant materials from in particular China, Latin America, India and Russia. This section will aim to encourage via its members the establishment of scientific procedures and norms for enabling new biomedical health treatments in prevention of and intervention in the course of human diseases. The section will aim to be a channel for high level research investigation and global co operations to enable new drug discoveries.

In contrast to target oriented Western medicine, traditional use of herbal medicines such as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) uses a holistic, synergetic and personalized approach for diagnosis and treatment. Although products like those from TCM are sold in many countries, there is an insufficient post-market surveillance system, lack of control over quality and safety, no integration of existing knowledge on adverse effects, uncertainty over IPR issues and regulatory requirements, and in general a large need for more advanced knowledge and new approaches to R&D. At the scientific level at the present time there is little understanding about the mechanisms of action of many such therapies, which would be immediately valuable for evidence-based evaluation and improved regulation. Given the complexity of both the human body plus the often complex compositions of the herbal extracts, this requires multidisciplinary research applying advanced tools, in conjunction with holistic approaches, to decipher the scientific fundamentals of the medication.

As the EFB has established Regional Branch Offices (RBO) in Europe and via its task group on international relation, RBOs outside Europe, these can be natural elements for interacting with particular national requirements and national granting bodies including the European Commission and also be available to stimulate networking and high level scientific cooperation between our European members and important interested bodies such as the Chinese Ministeries, responsible for regulating and overseeing the proper use of phyto-pharmaceuticals.
The Board of the new Section will contain representatives of interested parties. To start, the Chairman has been nominated to be Professor Brian Clark and the Executive Director Mr. Jens Sundbye, both at the Danish RBO of the European Federation of Biotechnology.

All Section Members are welcome to become an active participant in this EFB Section.

For further information about the Section activities, please contact:

Prof. Brian F.C. Clark (Chairman)
Institute of Molecular Biology
Gustav Wieds Vej 10
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
E-mail: bfcc@mb.au.dk

Jens Sundbye (Executive Director)
BioMedico Forum
Forskerparken
Gustav Wieds Vej 10
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Tel +45 - 8620 5080
Fax +45 - 8620 1222
E-mail: js@biomedicoforum.dk

About the EFB > The EFB Fora

The EFB Fora

The main fora of the EFB are Sections and Task Groups. They accomodate all European scientists interested in biotechnology. Sections are devoted to a particular field of biotechnology (vertical topics) and are open to all personal members. Task Groups cover topics which are of interest to all or most biotechnologists (horizontal topics); you can become a member of a Task Group by invitation only.

Sections may decide to establish Working Groups to address selected issues. Working Groups are operating under the guidance of the Section Board.

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Environmental Biotechnology

Section on Environmental Biotechnology

Prof. Dr. Fabio Fava (Chairman)
Full Professor of “Industrial & Environmental Biotechnology”
DICAM, Faculty of Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna
Via Terracini, 28.
I-40131 Bologna. Italy
Phone:+39 051 2090330
Fax:+39 051 2090348
E-mail: fabio.fava@unibo.it
Web page: http://fabiofava.people.ing.unibo.it

Prof. Dr. Spyros Agathos (Vice Chairman)
Full Professor of Biochemical Engineering
University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Place Croix du Sud 2/19,
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve. Belgium
E-mail:spiros.agathos@uclouvain.be
Web page: http://www.uclouvain.be/en-gebi.html

SECRETARIAT:
CNR - Water Research Institute (http://www.irsa.cnr.it/)
Area della Ricerca Roma 1
Montelibretti, Via Salaria km. 29,300
00015 Monterotondo (RM). Italy
Contact Person: Dr. Valter Tandoi
E-mail: environ.biotech.EFB@irsa.cnr.it
Phone: +39 06 90672782; +39 06 90672769
Fax: +39 06 90672787

Important Links:
Erasmus Mundus - Doctorate on Environmental Technologies for Contaminated Solids, Soils and Sediments. http://www.internationaldoctorate.unicas.it/

Task Groups > Task Group on International Relations (TGIR)

Task Group on International Relations (TGIR)

The EFB Task Group TGIR aims at the promotion of international (global) interactions and cooperation between governments, industries and academics in the field of biotechnology. Specifically, TGIR formulates proposals to the European Commission and implements EC programmes to establish strategic relations.

One of the main activities of the Task Group is European Focus on Biotechnology in China (EFBIC). EFBIC’s purpose is to establish strategic relations in biotechnology between decision makers in Europe and China and facilitate collaborations in research, training and innovation among European and Chinese scientists.
 
For further information on the activities of this Task Group please contact:
       
Prof. Dr. Brian Clark (Chairman)
Department of Molecular and Structural Biology
University of Aarhus
Gustav Wieds Vej 10C
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Tel: +45 - 8942 5055
Fax: +45 - 8619 1959
E-mail: bfcc@mb.au.dk

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Biodiversity

Section on Biodiversity

The Section on Biodiversity, an initiative of the European Federation of Biotechnology, was founded on 27 February 2003. The main task of this section is to investigate and debate the impact of Biotechnology on Biodiversity.

Priority topics of the EFB Section on Biodiversity are:

• Benefits and threats from GMO’s
• How can the view on Biodiversity help in research and development?
• Enhance the knowledge about soil microbiology and agricultural biodiversity
• Biodiversity and Population Genetics: A wide field of research
• Active participation in the development and outlining of research programmes on an European level.

For an overview of the topic Biodiversity related to Biotechnology see:

Contact Info:

Klaus Ammann
Prof. hon. emeritus, former Director Botanic Garden, University of Bern
Rue de Monruz 20
CH - 2000 NEUCHATEL, Switzerland
Website: www.efb-central.org/Biodiversity/homepage.html
E-mail: klaus.ammann@ips.unibe.ch
Tel.: +41 79 429 70 62, skypeIn +41 33 534 91 52
klaus.ammann@ips.unibe.ch
http://www.efb-central.org/Biodiversity/homepage.html
http://www.efb-central.org/index.php/forums/
http://www.pubresreg.org

About the EFB > EFB Statutes

EFB Statutes

EFB Statutes 2004 (PDF document)

As the legal seat of the EFB is in Belgium, the official Statutes of the European Federation of Biotechnology as filed with the Ministry of Justice are in French.  An English translation of the statutes is available to EFB members upon request to the Central Office, but the French version available for download here is the definitive one.

Sections & Workgroups > Section on Medicines Development

Section on Medicines Development

With the mapping of the human genome, biotechnology is of increasing importance for development of new and targeted medicines and will impact future medical practice. This calls for an optimising of the current medicines R&D process and a re-thinking of the process. It is for this reason that the Section on Medicines Development was established in 2003. This Section covers all aspects of Medicines Development (which today all will involve biotech in one way or other) as well as all processes within the R&D cycle from idea through research, applied research, preclinical, clinical, regulatory and post-marketing follow-up.         
         
The EFB Section on Medicines Development is a platform for all stakeholders and sciences related to development of medicines. NSMF follows two tracks:

Streamlining:
Activities to optimise and reengineer the current drug research & development processes utilising contemporary scientific knowledge by removing bottlenecks and developing new tools.

Fresh approach:
To re-evaluate the entire drug development process and create a new efficient flow of knowledge generation and management without compromising safety based on recent scientific and technological advances including genome research.

NSMF enjoys strong support from EC DG Research as well as from EUREKA. A steadily increase in members of the section is reflecting that also universities, hospitals, medicines agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and SMEs from most countries in Europe are interested in engaging in this major and strategic initiative. NSMF webpage (www.nsmf.org) provides information about NSMF including an overview of NSMF, reports from workshops, and NSMF relevant events and activities.

         
For information about the activities of this Section please contact:

Dr. Adreani Odysseos (Chairman)
Organisations: EPSO-Iasis, R&D and University of Cyprus
University of Cyprus
Dept. of Chemistry
75, Kallipoleos Street, Nicosia 1678
Tel: +357-22-892218
Fax: +357-22- 894501
E-mail: odysseos@ucy.ac.cy, andreani@epos-iasis.com 

Sections & Workgroups > Associated Section YEBN (Young European Biotech Network)

Associated Section YEBN (Young European Biotech Network)

“Biotechnology and young people’s networks are both essential components of Europe’s scientific and technological futures. Accordingly, I strongly endorse the goals and activities of the YEBN.” - Philip Campbell, Ph.D. Editor-in-chief, Nature

Biotechnology is a key factor for sustainable development of our future. The Young European Biotech Network (YEBN) is a non-profit organisation that aims to strengthen the co-operation among European Countries in order to promote a responsible and dynamic community of young scientists and increase the competitiveness of the European Life Science sector worldwide. YEBN was founded in December 2002 in Bertinoro, Italy, by four student organisations active in several European countries. Today, YEBN consists of several hundred members in 15 European countries.

Linking people together has proven to be vital for businesses. A successful scientist has to seek out contacts at conferences as well. Networking is a crucial aspect, not only for career, but for information and also sometimes for fun. YEBN links people within its network and to the outside world, either through its member database or through specific networking events, such as conferences, meetings or workshops. In doing this, YEBN achieves an internal and a vertical integration of its members, for example with academia, other organisations (such as the European Federation of Biotechnology) and companies.

Young Life Scientists are often concerned with their future career. YEBN has built specific career services, such information on job matching databases and its internal networking database to help YEBN members in critical questions, i.e. on getting information of research groups in other countries.
Young people most often have great ideas, as well as the courage and motivation to realize them. Yet, sometimes the space is missing for the creativity to be put into reality.

YEBN helps you to realize your own ideas by helping to find human resource to fill your team, helps you to find financial aid, management skills and most importantly provides its name to leverage your endeavour. Genetic engineering, cloning and other issues have caused widespread anxiety and debates in society. YEBN is dedicated to provide society with unbiased and objective knowledge and information on Life Science, from young involved scientists. YEBN aims for these objectives by representing a young generation of open-minded scientists who can be regarded as trustworthy. Specific projects and Task Groups within YEBN are focused on science and society, public perception and communication of science. A project called BioPop of a new model for science communication and sociology of science under the FP6 program of the European Commission” was accepted and run from 2004.
Everyone is welcome to join and initiate projects in YEBN, membership is for free. We encourage persons with different backgrounds but strong interest in biotechnology to join, in order to create a fruitful interdisciplinary forum.

For further information regarding this Associated Section, please visit the YEBN website or contact the Chairman:

Natalia Borkowska
YEBN Chairman of the Executive Board
E-Mail
http://yebn.eu/

Task Groups > Task Group on European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES)

Task Group on European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES)

EAGLES was set up through the initiative of members of the European Federation of Biotechnology. It was established as a Task Group, which provides advice and support, as well as an administrative structure and its large network.

EAGLES designs and implements projects to be carried out mostly by life scientists from developing countries that will stimulate and facilitate activities for the European life sciences to respond to the needs of developing countries.

The members of EAGLES believe:

• That the greatest humanitarian challenges for the life sciences lie in the problems of illness, starvation and environmental degradation which are faced by hundreds of millions of people in our world today, and will be faced by millions more in the coming decades.
• That life scientists everywhere have a responsibility to address these global challenges.
• That European life scientists could and should make a much greater contribution to meet these challenges.
• That European policies should facilitate the life sciences in meeting these challenges.
• In addressing these challenges that the people of Europe and their leaders should pay careful attention to the knowledge and advice of distinguished life scientists and humanists from the developing and emerging countries.

For information on the activities of this Task Group please visit the EAGLES website or contact:

European Federation of Biotechnology
Passeig Lluis Companys, 23
08010 Barcelona
Tel. +93 268 7703
Fax. +93 268 4500
efb@efb-central.org