IN THIS ISSUE:



INFORMATION UPDATE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF ASP


Our Society was established in 1925 by a dedicated group of parasitologists and I can assure you it continues today as a dynamic and proactive organization. While recently attending the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) meeting in Washington, D.C. to explore the possibility of membership for the ASP, it became obvious that our society is doing the right things to 1) ensure, to the best of our ability, the continuation of research and development in areas including biodiversity and the environment, 2) foster science education, and 3) increase the awareness of the lay public and fellow scientists alike of the growing importance of parasites and parasitism in today's world. After attending the CSSP, I am even more convinced of the importance of current ASP initiatives, such as the establishment of the Speaker's Bureau and the Political Advocacy Network (PAN). Speakers who were featured at the CSSP, including Neal Lane (Director of the National Science Foundation), Bruce Alberts (President of the National Academy of Sciences), and Phil Griffiths (Director of the Institute for Advanced Study), and several members of Congress, all emphasized the importance of constituents such as you and I taking time to influence our representatives in the United States House and Senate. At this time (early February), it is generally accepted that the funding for non-defense research and development will decrease by approximately 30% in the next seven years and the cuts to education in general will be even larger. It is critical that, in addition to influencing members of Congress, that we educate our fellow citizens to the importance of science and technology enterprise so that the citizenry will provide support for educational endeavors at this crucial time in the history of our country. If you care about and want to influence the future, don't use the excuse that "I am too busy with my research and teaching" to participate in such activities such as the PAN or Speaker's Bureau.
I have referred to the CSSP and am pleased the ASP has elected to join this coalition of 62 scientific organizations which includes among its members the American Society of Microbiology, the Geological Society of America, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. CSSP represents 1.3 million scientists concerned with the future of scientific research, development and education. Membership in the CSSP will aid our society in 1) increasing the activity of the PAN, 2) our efforts to support science education, 3) initiation of a Speaker's Bureau, 4) networking with other societies and providing new ideas for programs that we might consider establishing in the future, and 5) efforts to enhance the visibility of parasitology in the media. Of equal importance, however, is our support of the CSSP which is the premier leadership group whose mission is to create a national policy for the science community and assist in implementation of legislated policy changes. CSSP is an organization that is often consulted by the decision-makers of our nation for advice on national science policy. Most importantly, it is an organization of action. The existence of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the appointment of the Presidential Science Advisor resulted directly from CSSP actions. In addition, a recent initiative by the CSSP has been to champion the value and federal funding of university-based research.
As in my first message to the ASP membership, I would encourage all of you who want to make a difference to volunteer for the PAN or become a member of the Speaker's Bureau by contacting Larry Roberts [(305) 245-3310; lroberts@umiami.ir.miami.edu] or Bill Font [(504) 549-2901; wffont@selu.edu], respectively. I hope to see you all in Tucson at what promises to be a very exciting meeting and at the ASP Business Meeting which I hope will be interactive and at which you can voice your support for our society.



Lillian F. Mayberry, ASP President



**



OUTREACH TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATIONS SOLICITED BY ASP


The American Society of Parasitologists is accepting applications for Outreach Travel Grants. This program was established to provide limited grants to ASP members in support of activities external to the ASP, specifically for the presentation of invited lectures and symposia (including workshops, publications, video development and travel sponsorship) convened by peripheral societies or other scholarly forums whose primary function is not parasitology. The rationale is to support opportunities that might further the interests and public profile of the ASP and the science of parasitology.
In accordance with the action of ASP Council, the guidelines and rules for submission are as follows:



Applications should include ....



1. Evidence of both the scientific merit and the stature of the invitation. The following should be incorporated into the application to allow timely evaluation of the invitation:

a. The name of the Society, agency or group that has extended the invitation.
b. The title and focus of the presentation.
c. The significance of the meeting and the proposed contribution from parasitology (i.e., the nature and level of visibility received by ASP).
d. How will the presentation promote an interest in parasitology?
e. How will the presentation promote the careers of young scientists, particularly parasitologists?
2. Availability and source of matching funds.
3. A letter of support from the graduate supervisor should accompany graduate student applications.



Send applications to: Dr. Dan Brooks. ASP Secretary-Treasurer, Department of Zoology
University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
CANADA



**



WONDERWISE - PARASITOLOGY KIT NOW AVAILABLE FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS


The University of Nebraska State Museum is creating a series of kits, videos and CD-ROMS on the research of women and minority scientists. The kits will introduce upper elementary students to effective science role models at a time when girls and minorities have not yet dropped out of science courses. We expect that the use of this material will help motivate girls and minority students in particular, to pursue a career in science.
"Parasite Sleuth" is the title of the kit highlighting parasitologist Dr. Judy Sakanari. This kit focuses on elementary concepts studied in parasitology. Students are involved in five activities that range from an actual dissection of a worm to parasite mysteries. In an activity called the "Traveling Tapeworm," students create an accurate model of the human digestive system and then overlay the entire life cycle of Taenia saginata to discover how the worm develops inside the human body. An example of this activity and the video of Dr. Sakanari will be presented at the ASP meeting this year in Tucson, AZ. We hope you will stop by our exhibit and offer some feedback, and of course, enjoy the video.



Suzanne Gardner
Curriculum Developer
University of Nebraska State Museum
(402) 472-5241. Email: gardner@unLinfo.unL.edu



*

THE BOOK NOOK


Listed below are recent publications of possible interest to ASP members.



1. Mucosal Immunity and the Gut Epithelium: Interactions in Health and Disease, S. Auricchio, A. Ferguson and R. Troncone (eds), S. Karger Publishers, Inc., 1995, 186 pages-hard cover, $186.25 (recently distributed "special offer" at $99.50), ISBN 3-8055-6063-X.



2. Proteasomes: Multicatalytic Proteinase Complexes, S. Wilk (ed), S. Karger Publishers, Inc., 1994, 192 pages-soft cover, $54.50 (recently distributed "special offer" at $43.50), ISBN 3-8055-6081-8.
3. Biological Functions of Proteases and Inhibitors, N. Katunuma, K. Suzuki, J. Travis and H.
Fritz (eds), S. Karger Publishers, Inc., 1994, 274 pages-hard cover, $198.50 (recently distributed "special offer" at $99.50), ISBN 3-8055-5954-2.



4. Drug Delivery Systems, V. Ranade and M.A. Hollinger, CRC Press, Inc., 1996, 384 pages, $95.00, ISBN 0-8493-8542-3.



5. Toxicology, R.J.M. Niesink, J. de Vries and M. Hollinger (eds), CRC Press, Inc., 1996, 1,328 pages, $125.00, ISBN 0-8493-9232-2.



6. Methods in Gastrointestinal Pharmacology, T.S. Gaginella (ed), CRC Press, Inc., 1996, 464 pages, $136.95, ISBN 0-8493-8304-8.



FIRE SALE AT ALLEN PRESS


A "Fire Sale" of old back issues of the Journal of Parasitology is currently being held at Allen Press. Price per issue is $1 and price per year is $5. Please direct inquiries to Danette Knowlton at Allen Press Inc., 1041 New Hampshire Street, P.O. Box 368, Lawrence, Kansas 66044-0368. Telephone: (800) 627-0326; Fax (914) 843-1244.




THE ASSOCIATION OF SYSTEMATICS COLLECTIONS DEFINES ITSELF AND CHANGES LOCATIONS


ASC has recently moved to the following new address: Association of Systematics Collections, 1725 K Street NW, Suite 601, Washington, D.C. 20006-1401. Telephone: (202) 835-9050. Fax: (202) 835-7334. Email: acs@ascoll.org or on the World Wide Web at http://www.ascoll.org/
The Associations of Systematics Collections (ASC) is an association of North American institutions that house systematics collections. ASC exists to promote systematics collections, the institutions responsible for them, and the biosystematics community for which they are an essential resource. ASC works toward these goals by providing representation to governmental agencies and policymakers, serving as a clearing house of information affecting the systematics community, organizing meetings and workshops, producing and distributing two regular newsletters and special publications, and interacting with other societies and groups both in North America and around the world. To learn more about ASC, and its current activities and projects, please contact the staff at the address above.

DATABASE ON FOOD AND WATER BORNE PARASITIC ZOONOSES NOW AVAILABLE ON INTERNET


Arising from two conferences held in Thailand under the sponsorship of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, a large database on food and water borne parasitic zoonoses is now available as a text-only Internet database accessible via the World Wide Web. The reports from the 1990 and 1996 conferences contain considerable information on the status of these zoonoses in countries around the world, particularly in Asian countries including, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Nepal; much of this information is unpublished.
To access via WWW: http://www.jcu.edu.au, then select "JCU Campus Wide Information System "gopher" and follow the path - JCU Academic Departments/Australasian College of Tropical Medicine/ Zoonotic Diseases/ Food Borne Parasitic Zoonoses.
To access via Gopher: gopher://manta.jcu.edu.au/JCU Academic Departments/Australasian College of Tropical Medicine/ Zoonotic Diseases/Food Borne Parasitic Zoonoses.
Some files are also available in WordPerfect format via FTP. Details for accessing these files are given in the database. This database is organized and maintained by Dr. Rick Speare of the Department of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia (purs@jcu.edu.au). Submitted by Dr. Darwin Murrell.

ASP BIODIVERSITY COMMITTEE MOVES TO ESTABLISH DATABASE ON TAXONOMIC AND OTHER EXPERTISE IN PARASITOLOGY


The following questionnaire, compiled by the ASP Biodiversity Committee, requests information from ASP members that will form the basis for a computer database on taxonomic and other expertise in parasitology. This information will be listed on the WEB site for ASP at the Harold Manter Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and will also be available at some point in the future on the WEB site at the Biosystematics Lab and U.S. National Parasite Collection in Beltsville, MD. The purpose of the list is to make available the names of parasitologists who are interested in collaborating with other zoologists in biodiversity assessment/inventory and other aspects of our field that are loosely under the biodiversity umbrella. This will be part of the Biodiversity Page, which will eventually include the mission statement and other pertinent information such as literature references. The completed form (see below) should be forwarded to: Dr. Scott Gardner, University of Nebraska State Museum, W-529 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0514. Fax: (402) 472-8949. Email: sLg@unL.edu.



*



EXPERTS LIST FOR PARASITE DIVERSITY ASSESSMENT


NAME:                                                                                                 
      ADDRESS:                                                                                          
                                                                                                              
                                                                                                              
      PHONE:                                                      
            FAX:                                                      
       EMAIL:                                                      

                      AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
            Field of Interest                                                           
               Parasite Taxa                                                           
                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                                          Host Taxa                                                             
                                                                                                 
                                                                                            
                                                                                       
                  Biogeographic Region(s)                                                              
                                                                                       
                                                                                       
                                                                                                                             
      Habitat(s)  [Check those that apply]
            Terrestrial[ ]: Forest[ ]: Desert[ ]: Steppe[ ]: Tundra[ ] 
                         Other:                                                   
                 Freshwater[ ] : Lake[ ]: River[ ] 
                          Other:                                                  
                   Marine[ ]: Pelagic[ ]: Neritic[ ]: Littoral[ ]: Benthic[ ]  
                          Other:                                                  
AVAILABILITY FOR PROJECTS:          YES   NO   
            General survey/inventory..................                                                                                  
        Systematics.....................................                                                                            
            comparative morphology                                            
            molecular approaches                                                 
            taxonomy                                                                   
            phylogeny                                                                  
            cospeciation                                                               
            biogeography                                                             
       Community ecology.........................                                                             
            structure                                                                    
            ecological indicators                                                  
       Population biology...........................                                                               
       Population genetics .........................                                                                                                                                        
                         Other

ANNOUNCEMENT OF A JOINT
MEETING OF



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
PARASITOLOGISTS
&
THE SOCIETY OF PROTOZOOLOGISTS



JUNE 11-15, 1996
TUCSON, ARIZONA


The 71st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists and the 49th Annual Meeting of the Society of Protozoologists will be held jointly at the Holiday Inn City Center in Tucson, Arizona, from Tuesday, June 11th, through Saturday, June 15th, 1996. Dr. Donald W. Duszynski is serving as Scientific Program Officer for both the ASP and the SOP.
Tucson is a beautiful, charming, historic and diverse city with a population of around 725,000; 350 days of sunshine each year; a strong appreciation for the arts and the city's heritage; and an outstanding selection of first-class restaurants (Mexican, Southwestern, Italian, Greek, casual gourmet, nouvelle gourmet, continental, Spanish, French, seafood, etc.,).
The meeting will start with an opening evening reception on Tuesday, 11 June, at which heavy hors d'oeuvres, sufficient to serve as supper, and beverages will be provided. The theme will be southwestern, but we will have some pleasant entertainment surprises in store.
On Wednesday evening, 12 June, the annual ASP Auction to benefit students will be held. Once again, light food and beverages will be provided. Start saving those valuable momentos for a truly outstanding auction. Bring lots of money because local merchants will be contributing some unique Southwestern items.
On Thursday evening, 13 June, there are two choices. A once-in-lifetime dining experience for a three-course meal at the national award-winning restaurant, Janos ($62.50/person, tax and gratuity included); or one may attend "Movie Night," a traditional SOP event, where attendees bring their favorite VHS, 16mm movie clips or 2X2 slide sequences to share.
On Friday evening, 14 June, there will be an annual student mixer. Light food and beverages, and some outstanding entertainment will be provided.
There are many interesting cultural and outdoor attractions in and around Tucson. The internationally renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; the Mission San Xavier del Bac; Pima Air and Space Museum; Sabino Canyon; Colossal Cave; Kitt Peak National Observatory; The Amerind Foundation; Mount Lemon; and the historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee among others. For the shoppers in the crowd, there are many fine art galleries and shops specializing in Southwestern art.
SEE YOU IN TUCSON, PARDNER!!

LINEUP FOR TUCSON MEETING



Presidents of the American Society of Parasitologists and the Society of Protozoologists Offer Powerhouse Back-to-back Symposia

The Plenary Session, "Molecules, Organelles, and Protozoa,"scheduled to be held on June 12 at the joint meeting of the Society of Protozoologists (SOP) and the American Society of Parasitologists in Tucson will consist of two symposia - one to honor the President of ASP and one to honor the SOP President. The topic of the ASP Presidential Symposium will be "Dueling with the Mucosa: An Update on Mucosal Parasites." The speakers will present current research on amebiasis, giardiasis, and trichomoniasis. Dr. John Oaks, Vice President of the ASP, will introduce the three speakers for the symposium: Dr. Sharon Reed and Dr. Frances Gillin (Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego Medical Center), and Dr. Patricia Johnson (Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine). The SOP Presidential Symposium will feature Dr. Jeffrey L. Salisbury (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic) who will speak on Centrins and Dr. Hiroshi Asai (Department of Physics, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan) who will address the topic of Spasmins. The President of SOP, Dr. Howard Buhse, will serve as moderator of this second symposium.



Eighth Annual ASP Auction Scheduled for Tucson Meeting

The Annual ASP Auction to raise funds to support student travel and research will be held on Wednesday evening, 12 June. Complementary wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served at 6:00 p.m.. Members of both ASP and SOP are encouraged to participate. This event has a long history of extreme fun! This year's auctioneers will be the inimitable Four Muskrateers (Dr. Bristol, Kemp, Kuhn and Oaks). The Auction's success depends on the generosity and creativity of ASP members. Contributions, which are tax deductible, should be brought to the registration desk or sent to the Local Committee. Donated items should be accompanied by a short description on a 3X5 card. For additional information contact: Dr. Charles Sterling by telephone at (520) 621-4580 or Christina Guido-Felix at (520) 621-4466.



Highly Successful "Late Breakers in Parasitology" Session Continued at Tucson

Late Breakers in Parasitology is a session specifically designed for brief presentations of important, new data obtained long after the date for abstract submission. A room will be scheduled for "Late Breakers" on Friday, 14 June, and presentations are restricted to five minutes with five minutes for discussion. Submit abstracts of 200 words or less prior to the Annual Meeting or at the Meeting, but no later than Wednesday, 12 June. The list of speakers and titles will be posted on Friday morning. For more information contact: Dr. Alan A. Marchiondo: telephone - (919) 549-2878; fax - (919) 549-3946.



Fourth International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists Integrated into Tucson Meeting

The Fourth International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP) will be held concurrently with the Joint ASP/SOP meeting in Tucson. The focus of these workshops will be on the AIDS-related opportunistic infectious protists, Pneumocystis, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, and the microsporidia. These workshops, sponsored by SOP, are open to ASP members wishing to participate. If you wish to present your work in one of the IWOP sessions, provisions were made in the abstract forms in the "Call for Papers" mailed out earlier in the year. Additional information may be obtained on the IWOP Workshops from: Dr. Edna Kaneshiro at (513) 556-9712 (Telephone); (513) 556-5280 (Fax).



Joint ASP/SOP Student Workshop Planned for Tucson

A Joint ASP/SOP Student Workshop will be held on Tuesday, 11 June. A Joint ASP/SOP Student Mixer is scheduled for Friday night, 14 June. Any questions or comments on the Student Workshop should be directed to one of the following: Scott Snyder, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0188. Tel: (402) 472-2215; Fax (402) 472-2083. Donna Naumovitz or Becky Langer, Pathobiology Graduate Program, Bldg. 90, Rm. 201, Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. Tele: (520) 621-2355; or Mike Adl, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A9, Canada. Tele: (604) 822-3369; Fax: (604) 822-2416.



Training Course on Methods of Detecting, Identifying and Enumerating Giardia and Cryptosporidium in Clinical and Water Samples Scheduled for Tucson Meeting
Time: Monday and Tuesday, 10-11 June 1996
Place:The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Sponsor: USEPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH
Registration Fee: $500.00, includes course materials. Make checks or money orders

payable, in U.S. dollars, to The Society of Protozoologists. Mail Payment to The Society of Protozoologists, c/o Dr. Edna Kaneshiro, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
Moderator: Frank W. Shaefer, III
Instructors: Frank W. Shaefer, II; Carrie Hancock; Jay Vasconcelos; Susan Boutros;
Michele Eisenstein; and Stephanie Harris.
Course Description: The two-day course will consist of discussions of the history and
status of methods for detecting Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in clinical and water samples. The hands-on laboratory work will teach participants how to collect large volume samples, extract and purify concentrates, and perform fluorescent immunoassay for detecting, identifying and enumerating Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. Enrollment is limited to 25. Participants must be familiar with the use of common laboratory equipment (centrifuge, pH meters, balances, etc.) and with the operation of microscopes.

THE JOB MART



Postdoctoral position in Vector Biology.

A postdoctoral position is immediately available to study the mosquito midgut antigens in relation to Plasmodium (malaria parasite) development in the vector. Research will utilize immunological and molecular biological techniques (polyclonal and monoclonal antibody production, protein purification, recombinant DNA methods, etc.,).
A suitable candidate must have a Ph.D. in one of the biological sciences and basic understanding of biochemistry, immunology and molecular biology. Knowledge of entomology or parasitology would be helpful but not essential. The initial appointment is for two years. U.S. citizenship is not required for this position.
Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, a letter describing experience
and research interests, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Mohammed Shahabuddin, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases/NIAD/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-0425. Telephone: (301) 496-9389. Fax: (301) 402-8536. Email: mohammed_shahabuddin@d4.niad.pc.niad.nih.gov
The National Institutes of Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.



Predoctoral Teaching Assistantship

Predoctoral microbiology or immunology teaching assistantship available in Purdue University's Veterinary Pathobiology Department. DVM preferred, but not required. To request application or additional information contact: Linda Hudson at (317) 494-7543 or email: hudsonL@vet.vet.purdue.edu. Purdue is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer/educator.

MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT WOODS HOLE OFFERS SUMMER COURSE ON MODERN APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF PARASITISM


The Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole is offering a course entitled "Biology of Parasitism: Modern Approaches" for the summer of 1996. The course tuition is $3,500, but MBL has in the past provided substantial financial assistance for most students. The course runs between June 13 and August 16, 1996 and is structured for advanced graduate students, postdocs and independent investigators. The course focuses on the molecular basis of parasite function and host-parasite interaction, and is divided into four major two-week sections addressing cell biology, immunology, molecular biology and biochemistry of parasites. For application forms and further information, contact: Admissions Coordinator, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015. Telephone: (508) 289-7401. Internet: admissions@mbl.edu or World wide web: http://www.mbl.edu
**

GORGAS MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OFFERS COURSE IN CLINICAL TROPICAL MEDICINE IN LIMA, PERU


The Gorgas Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine is given in Lima, Peru. It is a unique tropical medicine training initiative combining an international faculty with an informal bedside teaching on-sight in the tropics. An intensive nine-week diploma course will be offered in September-October 1996 and February-March 1997. The course includes three-hundred and twenty contact hours (in English) and 160 formal lecture hours, plus diagnostic laboratory, daily ward rounds on a 36-bed tropical disease unit or daily out-patient clinic, and case conferences; and two 4-day teaching trips to field clinics in the Andes and Amazon. A newly built on-site Education Resource Facility has PC's, a complete collection of reference texts, teaching slides, and World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization videos. Targeted to physicians, nurses, medical students and public health professionals. PhD scientists desiring hands-on exposure to tropical diseases and emerging pathogens are welcome. CME and graduate credit hours are available. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are also available.
In addition to the complete range of commonly encountered tropical enteric, respiratory, and viral exanthematous diseases, a wide spectrum of traditional and emerging tropical infectious diseases are routinely seen at the Tropical Medicine Institute, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and its field clinics. These include malaria, yellow fever, leishmaniasis, American trypanosomiasis, cyclosporiasis, brucellosis, leprosy, plague, free-living amoebae, HIV-1, HTLV-1, strongyloidiasis, chancroid, viral hepatitis (A,B,C & D), oropuche virus, bartonellosis, leptospirosis, cholera, anthrax, cysticercosis, diphyllobothriasis, paragonimiasis, fascioliasis, typhus, diphtheria, paracoccidiomycosis, rabies, echinococcosis, and chromomycosis. For further information please contact: David O. Freeman, MD, The Gorgas Memorial Institute, UAB Station, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170. Telephone: (800) UAB-MIST in the U.S. or (205) 934-2687 from overseas. Fax: (205) 933-5671. Email: gorgas@geomed.dom.uab.edu or via the World Wide Web: htpp:/medinfo.dom.uab.edu/Gorgas/Course.html (full curriculum and logistical information available at this site).
*

DIAGNOSTIC PARASITOLOGY COURSE OFFERED BY UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES


A "Diagnostic Parasitology Course" is being offered August 5-August 16, 1996, at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799. This course will consist of a series of lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions covering the diagnosis of parasitic infections of humans. In addition to examination of specimens, participants will be able to practice various methods used in the diagnosis of intestinal, blood and tissue parasitic diseases. Parasitic diseases encountered throughout the world will be included. Slide presentations and video tapes will be available for study. The course will be held on the University's campus, utilizing up-to-date lecture rooms and laboratory facilities. Microscopes will be available on a loan basis and laboratory supplies will be provided. Certain reference specimens will also be available for personal use.
The registration fee for the two-week course is $1,000. U.S. Government and Military personnel may take the course at a reduced rate. Those interested should register as soon as possible as the number of students will be limited. CME credits will be available for this course. Previous laboratory experience is recommended. For further information contact: Dr. John Cross at (301) 295-3139 or Ms. Ellen Goldman (301) 295-3129. Fax: (301) 295-1971.

BELTSVILLE SYMPOSIUM XXI AND THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SYSTEMATICS COLLECTIONS TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL GENETIC RESOURCES: ACCESS, OWNERSHIP AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS



The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Symposium XXI and the annual Meeting of the Association of Systematics Collections will explore issues related to ownership of and access to genetic resources and biological specimens as they affect the ability of scientists to do the job of providing knowledge to benefit people of the world. While scientists desire free, international distribution of germplasm and scientific information on biodiversity, current forces and trends are leading away from this position. A mutually-beneficial compromise is needed and this meeting will explore these possibilities.
Twenty-four international, national and local speakers will participate in this symposium with emphasis placed on the value of specimen-based research to the global community. Speakers include: Eric Hoberg, USDA-Agricultural Research Service; Robert Rausch, University of Washington; Peter Day, Rutgers University; John Barton, Stanford University; Quentin Wheeler, Cornell University; Shirley Pomponi, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; Wolfgang Siebeck, World Bank; Barbara Timmerman, University of Arizona; Marie Ferar, National Institutes of Health; and Walt Reid, World Resources Institute. Models and potential solutions for equitable use of genetic resources will be explored.
Registration is $195.00 if received by April 1, 1996 and includes meetings, two receptions, a banquet and the Proceedings. Posters may be presented. For a registration form, contact: Virginia Hupfer, Rm. 200, Bldg. 003, BARC-West, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 [Phone: (301) 504-6108; Fax: (301) 504-6357; email: mbohning@ars-grin.gov].
*

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY AND TROPICAL DISEASES BULLETIN EXTENDED TO ASP MEMBERS AT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED RATES


CAB International, publishers of the Journal of Helminthology and the Tropical Diseases Bulletin, has extended substantially reduced subscription rates for these two journals to all ASP members. The Journal of Helminthology, published since 1923, which normally runs $225.00 for a one year subscription for U.S. subscribers, is being offered to ASP members for $95.00. The Tropical Diseases Bulletin, published since 1912, which usually carries a price tag of $244.00 for a one year subscription, has been reduced to $145.00 for ASP members. Payment may be by check, invoice or credit card. Contact: CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DE, UK. Telephone: +44 (0) 1491 832111. Fax: +44 (0) 1491 826090. Email: c.gilman@cabi.org

PIONEER PAPERS


Pioneer Paper No. 5, published in the December issue of the Newsletter, dealt with George L. Graham's studies on Strongyloides ratti and was written by Dr. Frank F. Katz. The Christmas illustration following that article was printed over the lines giving Dr. Katz credit for the paper. The Editor includes below the missing information for Dr. Katz, extends sincere thanks to Dr. Katz for writing this fine article on Graham's research and apologizes for this oversight.



Frank F. Katz, Ph.D.
67 Lawrence Ave.
West Orange, New Jersey 07052-3707
(201) 736-2587
Email: fkatz@piLot.njin.edu




6. Carini, 1911 - Mucosal Leishmaniasis

In 1911 both Carini and Escomel published initial clinical reports of mucosal leishmaniasis from South America. Carini has priority for this discovery since his report appeared earlier in the Bulletin de la Societˇ Pathologie Exotique. Carini's paper contains detailed documentation on one patient, with an illustration -- an example of how a single clinical case description can give rise to a spate of parasitological research (Marsden, 1986).
This report concerns a 45 year-old male agricultural worker from S‰o Paulo State, Brazil, who five years before consultation had experienced ulceration of the leg. At the time he was seen he had two acute ulcers of cutaneous leishmaniasis. A year after the initial leg ulceration he noticed a painless soft palate granuloma which spread to involve the entire palate. The findings on examination are illustrated: palatal granulomata, uvular destruction and a granuloma in the left nostril. Scrapings of the palatal lesion revealed a few Leishmania amastigotes and a biopsy showed a chronic granulomatous reaction.
Carini noted that mucosal involvement appeared after skin ulceration and that contiguous spread can occur from a facial ulcer to the mucous membrane. He considered autoinoculation improbable. Carini even gave a limited differential diagnosis of mucosal leishmaniasis which correctly included syphilis, yaws, tuberculosis and blastomycosis. He concluded that there must be a form of leishmaniasis which localizes in the mucosa of the nose and mouth, has a characteristic clinical appearance and is much more serious than cutaneous disease. Excellent as Carini's report is, certain points can be elaborated. The leg scars of old cutaneous leishmaniasis are not emphasized probably because the patient had two active leg ulcers. Yet the scar is often characteristic since it is puckered and dyspigmented due to the depth of ulceration. It resembles most closely the scar of a mother yaw or a burn and it is present in the great majority of cases of mucosal disease and a search for it should always be made.
Carini's case also fell into the relatively small group of patients who have both active skin and mucosal lesions at the time of presentation. Mucosal disease developing decades after the healing of skin lesions is well documented. It appears that amastigotes may remain dormant in the nasal vasculature for long periods. Carini concentrated in his report on the palatal lesions but actually mucosal leishmaniasis commences on the nasal septum and granuloma formation is frequently restricted to this area. Multiple mucosal surface involvement, as in Carini's case, occurs in only a third of cases (Marsden, 1986). Progression is usually through the floor of the nose to involve hard and soft palates then back to the pharynx and larynx. Death is usually from inspirited bacterial infection or airway obstruction. However, on rare occasion mucosal lesions are confined to single sites , such as the upper lip or larynx.
Today we know that in Brazil the vast majority of mucosal disease is caused by the subspecies Leishmania viannia braziliensis(Lvb). This is the most difficult of the Leishmania to detect and isolate, and Carini was fortunate to see amastigotes in scrapings from the patient's palate. Although few parasites are generally present, granuloma necrosis is marked and ulceration is common.
Although not stated in Carini's report, his patient, an agricultural worker, was probably involved in forest clearing to establish coffee plantations for which Brazil became famous. Bitten by Lutzomyia intermedia infected with Lvb, he developed the syndrome Carini described.



By Philip D. Marsden, Mucleo Tropical, University of Bras’lia, Brasil
References:
Carini, A. 1911. Leishmanioses de la muqueuse rhino-bucca-phryngˇe. Bull. Soc. Path. Exot. 4: 289-291.
Escomel, E. 1911. La espundia. Bull. Soc. Path. Exot. 4: 489-492.
Marsden, P.D. 1986. Mucosal leishmaniasis (Esoundia/Escomel, 1911). Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med.Hyg. 80: 859-876.

OBITUARIES



Stephen C. Merritt

Dr. Stephen C. Merritt passed away in Canada over the Christmas holidays. Steve graduated in 1980 from Texas A&M with a Ph.D. in Microbiology. He was a postdoc at Yale with Dr. Frank Richards and was a faculty member for several years at the University of North Carolina. His primary research was on African trypanosomes, but later branched out into malaria. Submitted by Dr. Mike Kemp.



Aurel O. Foster

Dr. Aurel O. Foster (ASP member since 1972) died Sunday, February 25, 1996.



IN MEMORIAM



Dr. Leon Jacobs (member of ASP since 1941), a medical parasitologist best known for his research on toxoplasmosis-related blindness and as a public health administrator, dies at his home in Washington, D.C. on October 3, 1995. He was born in 1915 in Brooklyn, New York; graduated from Brooklyn College; and received both his MS and PhD degrees from George Washington University. Dr. Jacobs was also a Fulbright Researcher in New Zealand and received a Guggenheim Fellowship.

During World War II he served as an army malaria control officer in Brazil with responsibilities in the South Atlantic theater. Dr. Jacobs was associated with NIH and the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) for a total of 41 years. He began his USPHS career as a nematologist in the zoology division of the National Microbiological Institute, the predecessor of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD/NIH). He subsequently was Chief of the NIAD Laboratory of Parasitic Disease, Scientific Director of NIH's Division of Biological Sciences; NIH Associate Director for Collaborative Research and Assistant Secretary for Science in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW). At the time of his USPHS retirement in 1979, Dr. Jacobs was Director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC/NIH), which coordinates NIH-wide international activities. While at NIH, Dr. Jacobs pursued collaborative research activities throughout the world, including Egypt, Japan and Panama.
After leaving NIH, Dr. Jacobs was Scientific Director, National Society for Medical Research (1980-1984) and Chairman of the Board and President of the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Tropical and Preventive Medicine (GMI), a U.S. corporation, which was responsible for the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory for Tropical and Preventive Medicine (GML) in Panama City, Panama (1983-1991). After 1992 changes in the GMI corporate by-laws and transfer of GMI operations to the University of Alabama/Birmingham, Dr. Jacobs continued to serve as an ex officio GMI Director. Following the reversion of GML to the Government of Panama, Dr. Jacobs was instrumental in establishing an endowment to fund the GMI Fellowship Program which provides short-term travel grants to young investigators from the U.S.A., Central America and Panama and the Caribbean to conduct collaborative research projects. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene administers this Program through the Gorgas Memorial Fellowship Sub-Committee. Dr. Jacobs was also responsible for establishing the annual Gorgas Lectureship at NIH and was the inaugural Gorgas Lecturer in 1992.
During his distinguished career, he was President of the American Society of Parasitologists (1978), Editor of the Journal of Parasitology (1956-1958), was recipient of the ASP Henry Baldwin Ward Medal in 1963, was elected to Distinguished Member Emeritus in the American Society of Parasitologists in 1992, received the USPHS distinguished Service Award, the DHEW Superior Service Award and alumni achievement awards from both Brooklyn College and George Washington University. In retirement, he was a Visiting Professor at several medical schools, including the University of Arizona, Case Western Reserve University and the University of South Florida. He also remained active in the history committee of the NIH Alumni Association. He is survived by Eva, his wife of 49 years; three children, Jonathan A. of Washington, Alice E. Jacobs of Chevy Chase, MD, Abby M. of Boston; and a brother, George M. of Albany, NY. Reprinted form the Tropical Medicine and Hygiene News, a publication of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
*

DICK SEED SUBMITS ARTICLE STRESSING IMPORTANCE OF POLITICALLY ACTIVE POSTURE FOR ALL SCIENTISTS


Dick Seed, Acting Chair for Public Responsibility, Federation of Societies for Parasitology, submitted the following article for publication in the ASP Newsletter. The article was originally published in The Journal of NIH Research (February 1996, Vol 8) and was written by Bruce Agnew, News Editor for the Journal. It is entitled "A Do-It-Yourself Funding Strategy" and it stresses the extreme importance of the involvement of all members of the scientific community in promoting science and science funding.



The annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) in Washington, D.C. two months ago was the scene of an astonishing display of scientific short-sightedness.
On the evening of Sunday, Dec. 10, the grand ballroom of the Renaissance Washington Hotel was packed for one of ASCB's highlighted lectures, a presentation on chromosomes in mitosis. When the talk was over, all but a few of the researchers in the audience rushed out the doors - many of them, judging from overheard snatches of conversation, heading for beer and pizza, over which they probably traded complaints about the shortage of grant funds.
Back in ballroom, 15 minutes later, ASCB officers presented the society's public service award to Rep. John Porter, Rill,. chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that controls NIH's budget and one of biomedical research's best friends in Congress. More than any other individual lawmaker, Porter is responsible for the surprisingly healthy budget increase that NIH won last month.
Only a handful of people had hung around to hear what Porter had to say.
It's a shame that more scientists didn't stay to listen, because Porter was asking for their help and suggesting some things that they could do to further their own cause. "Only you have the power to move [Congress and the President]," Porter said. "You have to move them"."
"I'm always amazed that people in this country don't understand that this is a terribly responsive government," he said. "If only you will participate, they will listen."
Why is it so important for individual researchers to weigh in? For one thing, members of Congress need to be educated, because most are surprisingly ignorant about how biomedical research is organized in this country - almost as ignorant, apparently, as a lot of scientists are about how Congress operates and who their congressional friends are.
For example, Porter says one of the House Republican leadership told him last year, "Why do we need NIH? There's plenty of research being done in colleges and universities all over America." A lot of Porter's congressional colleagues "think NIH hires a lot of people and does the research itself," he says.
"There's a well of good will among members of Congress about NIH and biomedical research generally." he says. "But I don't think they have a lot of knowledge about what it means to the country, about what it means to their district, how the process works, and they need to be educated."
What can one individual do to "educate" Congress? "Get the message out to the people [you] live among," Porter says. Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. Talk to community organizations. Seize any chance to speak at public schools. (Schoolchildren don't vote, but their parents do.) And although this may sound daunting, speak to your own congressman or congresswoman. Most lawmakers will see anyone who asks, back home in their district offices, Porter says.
"The best way to lobby anyone is to go in and see them," he says. "Sit down with [your] congressman. Talk about what biomedical research means, the importance of it. That's the best message of all." Former President Bush's White House science advisor, D. Allan Bromley, used to offer the same advise. It's much more effective than sitting around complaining about success rates.
And one more thing: The next time you're at a scientific conference and one of NIH's poilitical benefactors is giving a speech - don't walk out on him.
*

WASHINGTON UPDATE



Bill to create Environmental Science Institute Introduced

On Dec. 21, 1995, legislation (H.R. 2827), to improve the scientific basis for environmental decision-making through creation of a National Institute for the Environment (NIE) was introduced by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ), chair on the Congressional subcommittee on fisheries, wildlife and oceans. H.R. 2827 has more than 30 bipartisan cosponsors.
The NIE will provide information that the nation needs to anticipate, respond to and prevent complex environmental problems. The NIE would assess knowledge of environmental issues, fund problem-focused research, establish a national electronic environmental information system, and support education and training. It is designed to fund long-term, multidisciplinary science that falls between the basic science that is funded by NSF and the short-term research of the regulatory and management agencies.
The American Society of Parasitologists is one of more than 70 scientific societies that have endorsed the NIE proposal, as have more than 125 universities, 40 environmental groups, and leading business and government organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and three former EPA Administrators. The non-profit Committee for the NIE (CNIE) includes more than 9,000 scientists, environmentalists and other concerned citizens.
Despite Congressional cutbacks on science funding, supporters of the NIE believe that an independent non-regulatory institute for the environment will increase public confidence in environmental research and ultimately result in increased funding.
In introducing the legislation, Rep. Saxton remarked, "The NIE will make government work better, cheaper and more efficiently with smarter regulations and sound science. It's time to move environmental policy out of the moody political spectrum where it is now, and get it based on science where it belongs."
For additional information or to receive regular updates, contact: Dr. David Blockstein, Committee for the NIE, 1725 K Street, N.W., Suite 212, Washington, D.C. 20006-1401. Telephone: (202) 628-4303. Fax: (202) 628-4311. CNIE@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET; http://www.inhs.uisc.edu/niewww/cnie.html



R&D Spending Appears on Decline in 1995.

While the final tallies are not yet in, according to an article in Frontiers, the newsletter of the National Science Foundation (January 1996), researchers predict that U.S. research and development (R&D) expenditures declined in 1995.
The total is expected to reach $171 billion, according to a report form the Division of Science Resources Studies. "After adjusting for expected inflation, this 1995 figure represents a 2% decrease in spending," writes John Jankowski, Jr., Program Director, who used surveys conducted by NSF and others in making his predictions.
The expected decline is due to decreased industrial and federal support, he writes. In 1995, industry accounted for $102 billion, or 59% of total R&D expenditures, while the Federal government spent $61 billion, or 36% of the total. After adjusting for inflation, funding from these two groups declined by 1% and 2% respectively.
The remaining 5%, or $9 billion, was spent by State governments, universities and colleges, and other nonprofit organizations. "Academia is the only sector in which inflation-adjusted R&D performance is expected to increase in 1995, although by a mere 0.4%," writes Jankowski.
The decline in R&D spending is a continuation of a trend that began in the early part of this decade. After a period of fast growth in the early 1980s, R&D expenditures slowed. By 1992, the tide had turned, and both the Federal government and industry were spending less on R&D in real terms.
International R&D spending is also in decline, Jankowski writes. Due to governmental budgetary constraints, R&D spending has dropped in both Germany and Japan, the two largest investors in R&D after the United States.



Projections on Science Funding for the Next Seven Years Show Dramatic Downturn

According to an article written by Steve Sternberg for The Scientist: The Newspaper for the Life Sciences Professional. Ominous trends are seen in the future of science funding when the effects of the Congressional budget resolution on nondefense R&D are factored in over the next seven years. The following estimates of differences between funding in 1995 and images paint an incredibly dismal picture for most nondefense science funding for the near future. Funding for all nondefense funding will decline: total HHS R&D will decline by 22.7%; total NASA R&D by 35.9%; total DOE nondefense R&D by 47.4%; total NSF R&D by 18.1%; total USDA R&D by 35.4%; total Interior R&D by 44.4%; total Department of Transportation R&D by 41.7%; total Commerce R&D by 50%; total EPA R&D by 27.9%; total education R&D by 97.8%; total AID R&D by 100%; total TVA R&D by 100%; total Labor R&D by 66%; and total other R&D by 19.5%.
Eugene Skolnickoff, a professor of political science at MIT and a veteran of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the administrations of three presidents, had this to say on these trends, "This [1996] looks like the first step in what looks like a long-term decline in funding,......We are intentionally trying to dismantle an enterprise that is accepted as the leading one of its kind in the world, and without any apparent understanding of the consequences. I am appalled."
Mary Good, the Department of Commerce undersecretary who heads the threatened Office of Technology Policy, points out that these budget-cutting trends may ultimately affect the nation's fiscal well-being, by cutting off research into areas that promise to build new strengths in the economy. Denise Graveline, a spokeswoman for DOE, asserts that the cuts will likely impact on the quality of life in communities around the nation. "One of the bigger cuts in the House is for research into the safety of the nation's drinking water - and this at a time when water poses a growing microbial threat."
*

ANIMAL RIGHTS FRONT



In Defense of Animals Sues Oregon Health Sciences University for Failure to Disclose Scientific Data.

In Defense of Animals (IDA), a national animal activists organization, has filed suit in Marion County Circuit Court for the State of Oregon against Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) for its refusal to disclose videotapes made by OHSU researcher Martha Neuringer. The Oregon Attorney General's office denied an IDA petition for disclosure of the videotapes, because Dr. Neuringer's research, although partially disclosed in a scientific journal, is still in progress, and it is expected that her research will yield continuing publications based on the same videotapes. The Oregon Public Records Law exempts any writings connected with research and prepared by faculty of public education institutions until those writings are publically released, copyrighted or patented.
The Attorney General's office also found unpersuasive the IDA contention that public interest favors disclosure of the Neuringer videotapes. According to that office the public interest in the humane treatment of animals is already served by federal law and standards.
Dr. Neuringer, who conducts her research at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, an affiliate of OHSU, studies nutrients in breast milk that promote healthy infant development. Work in her laboratory has led to major improvements in human infant formulas. Her current investigations are central to attempts to determine if and how omega-3 fatty acid supplements should be added to infant milk formulas. National Association for Biomedical Research Update (January 24, 1996, Vol. XVII, No. 2).



Big Bucks Flow in Support of Animal Rights Organizations

According to an article in FBR Facts, a publication of the Foundation for Biomedical Research (Vol. III, No. 1), animal protection groups have perfected the art of soliciting money from animal lovers, usually through direct-mail campaigns that appeal to donor's love of their own pets. Many well-meaning contributors are unaware of how their donations are used, assuming they go for animal care when often they are applied toward more fund-raising, high salaries and overhead costs. While some of these groups devote a significant amount of funds toward hands-on animal care and control, many others do not.
The combined 1994 budgets of 15 animal protection groups discussed in this article exceeded $115 million. In comparison, the Foundation for Biomedical Research and the National Association for Biomedical Research had a combined annual budget of slightly over $2 million. Compensation to leaders of animal rights organizations was as high as $248,000 and in no case, from among 17 of these organizations, was less than $100,000.



Mink Release Popular Pastime Among Extremists

Activists released about one hundred mink from their cages and vandalized property by painting fences with "mink liberation" and "release mink now" at a mink farm in Olympia, Washington. Most of the mink were recovered; some were killed by traffic or drowned in a nearby stream. National Association for Biomedical Research Update (Vol. XVI, No. 25).
In an apparently related incident (the Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the above and the following criminal activities), over 7,400 mink were released from cages in two farms in Canada with the loss of years of breeding data. Many of the mink were recovered, but a large number had died. Since these mink are domestic animals, there is little chance that they will survive in the wild. (NABR Update, Vol. XVI, No. 23).



Researchers Urged to Speak Out to Counter Misinformation Spread by Animal Rights Advocates.

According to an article published in the National Association for Biomedical Research Update (Vol. XVI. No. 22), The California-based group SUPRESS has sent out its "first nationwide, systematic search for supporters from within the animal movement." In a letter accompanying the direct mail piece, SUPRESS founder Javier Burgos says that unlike other groups that 15 years ago "started building massive nationwide mailing lists (often put together by large professional firms)," his group did not have the funds to do so.
He thought that "the power of the truth alone", rather than the " Marketing angle" would win public support. Having now jumped on the fund-raising bandwagon, the "truth" as he sees it is underlined boldly in red on the cover of the 4-page fold-out, "Animal experimentation doesn't work. It is medically and scientifically invalid."
In similar fashion, the International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) Report (Summer 1995) describes "How Human Health Is Endangered by Animal Experiments" in a "fact-filled 31-page booklet" published by People for Reason in Science and Medicine (PRISM). With a forward by Emil Levin, M.D., the booklet "explains animal testing and why the results cannot be accurately applied to humans." "Vivisection is not discussed as an animal rights issue but as a human health issue," ISAR tells the reader. "The facts are clearly presented and vivisection is exposed as the horrendous practice which it is."



*

CALENDAR OF EVENTS



National and International Meetings
American Society of Parasitologists Meeting Schedule:


June 11-15, 1996: Joint meeting with the Society of Protozoologists, Tucson, AZ.
1997, dates TBA: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
1998, dates TBA: Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH.
1999, dates TBA: Joint meeting with the Society of Nematologists, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
2000, dates TBA: Joint meeting with the Society of Protozoologists, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR.
Contact: Dr. Dan Brooks, Secretary-Treasurer, American Society of Parasitologists, Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada. Fax: (416) 971-2381.

Annual Meeting of the Association of Systematics Collections in conjunction with the Beltsville Symposium.
May 19-22, 1996: Agricultural Research Center at Beltsville, MD.
Contact: Amy Y. Rossman. Email: amy@fungi.ars-grin.gov or by telephone, (301) 504-5364, or Fax, (301) 504-5810.



*
9th International Conference on Trichinellosis (ICT9)
August 19-22, 1996: Mexico City
Contact: Dr. Guadalupe Ortega-Pierres
Departmento de Genetica y Biologia Molecular, Centro de Investigacion y Estudios Avanzados, Av. Politecnico Nacional 2508, CP 07360, Mexico, D.F. Telephone: 52 5 747-7000 or 747-7001, exts. 5328, 5349. Fax: 52 5 747-7100 or 747-7002. Email: gortega@gene.cinvestav.mx



Malaria Meeting of the British Society for Parasitology.
September 9-11, 1996: University of Glasgow
Contact: Prof. R.S. Phillips, Wellcome Labs for Experimental Parasitology, The University, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH. Telephone: 0141 3304235. Fax: 0141 3304600. Email: gvwaLL@udcf.gla.ac.uk



Pasean*1996: A Regional Conference Sponsored by The Australian Society for Parasitology and The Indonesian Parasite Control Association.
September 15-20, 1996: Bali, Indonesia.
Contact: Conference Secretariat, P.O. Box 1321, Crows Nest, New South Wales 2065 Australia. Telephone: (02) 426 0533. Toll Free: (008) 226 059. Fax: (02) 429 8762.



Special Symposium on Molecular Biochemistry and Physiology of Helminth Neuromusculature Systems, British Society for Parasitology.
September 18-19, 1996: The City University, London.
Contact: Prof. D.W. Halton, School of Biology and Biochemistry, The Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Center, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland. Telephone: 10232 335792. Fax: 01232 236505. Email d.haLton@v2.qub.ac.uk



Autumn Symposium of the British Society for Parasitology: Molecular Basis of Drug Design and Resistance.
September 20, 1996: The City University, London.
Contact: Dr. Hilary Hurd, Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Biology, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG. Telephone: 01782 583035. Fax: 01782 630007. Email: bia37@keele.ac.uk
4th International Congress on Medical and Applied Malacology
October 7-11, 1996: Santiago, Chile.
Contact: Prof. Laura Huaquin, Congress Secretary, Departamento Technico de Investigacion, Universidad de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 265, Office 1603, Santiago, Chile. Telephone: (56 2) 678 55 49. Fax: (56 2) 635 39 51.



XIVth International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria: New Goals for the 21st Century.
November 17-22, 1996: Nagasaki, Japan.
Contact: Professor Hideyo Itakura, Congress Secretariat, c/o Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Nagasaki 852, Japan.



45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
December 1-5, 1996: Baltimore , MD
Contact: ASTMH, 60 Revere Dr., Suite 500, Northbrook, IL 60062. Fax (847-480-9282.



13th Seminar on Amebiasis.
January 29-31, 1997: El Colegio Nacional, Mexico City
Contact: Dr. Adolfo Martinez-Palomo, CINESTAV-IPN, Aptdo. Postal 14-740, 07000 Mexico, D.F. Fax: 525-747-7107; or Dr. C. Graham Clark, Department of Medical Parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, England. Fax: 0171-636-8739.

ASP NEWSLETTER DEADLINES



   TO EDITOR BY                   FOR                                


   JAN 20                                   MAR. #1                
   APR 20                                   JUN.  #2                     
   JUL 20                                    SEP.  #3                       
   OCT 20                                   DEC. #4