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for Northern Europeans and for the other continents’ members. We are currently editing the 1991 Directory. This will be distributed in Amsterdam during the 4th Congress of the ESP and posted afterwards to those who were not present. This will assure a rapid, successful and less costly distribution.

ALESSANDRA ANDREONI

PHOTOBIOLOGY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

One of the aims of the Association Intemationale de Photobiologie (AIP) is the support and encouragement of science of photobiology in developing countries. The European Society for Photobiology has offered the forum of the Newsletter for the publication of ideas in this direction.

The problems to be surmounted in order for our colleagues in developing countries to perform research in any field, including photobiology, are enormous, ranging from financial, bureaucratic, literature (or the lack of it), communications, personal, etc. I received numerous letters answering the query about ways to help the scientists to better develop their research activities, including the possibility of helping to develop ph’otobiology groups or societies ln those countries where these groups do not yet exist.

We are aware of the fact that there seems to be no good, broad solution. However, many scientists believe that we have to start learning what is being done in those countries. In order to do so we intend to publish in this Newsletter reports about the activities on photobiology in various so-called developing countries. We hope to encourage colleagues working ln industrial countries to initiate or strengthen their contacts with their colleagues in the developing countries and to use the possibilities offered by the several international and national cooperation agencies in order to obtain grants, mobilize resources, help obtain fellowships, obtain books and/or subscriptions to journals, aid in the organization of local symposia, and the like. In my own experience all this ls better done by lab-to-lab contact based on common interest and personal communication. Therefore, it is very important to get to know what goes on in the various fields of photobiology ln the countries needing the support of the international photobiology community.

Within this frame a report on Photobiology in India follows. The very active Indian Photobiology Society has celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. All areas of photobiology are represented ln the Society.

We hope to activate international cooperation in our field and we encourage all our colleagues to send their opinions about these activities to our Newsletter Editor or to me. We hold high expectations about the response of photobiologlsts to these activities.

SILVIA E. BR.ASI.AVSKY, Vice-President Association Intemationale de Photobiologie.

Indian Photobiology Society

The Indian Photobiology Society (IPS) was established in February 1964 in Calcutta under the able guidance of Dr. B. Mukherjee, Director Chittaraqjan National Cancer Research Centre, with active encouragement from Dr. E. J. Bowen of Oxford University and Dr. Edna M. F. Roe of Chester Beatty Cancer Research Institute, London. Dr. Edna Roe was then the Secretaxy- General of the ComitC International de Photobiologie (CIP) which later changed its name to Association Intemationale de Photobiologie (AIP). Originally, IPS was named the Indian Photobiology group and obtained its affiliation to CIP at the 4th International Congress of Photobiology held ln Oxford ln 1964. The composition of the first committee was: President, Dr. B. Mukherjee (medicine); Vice-Presidents, Professors Sachmdra Nath Mukherjee (chemistry) and N. N. Das Gupta (blophysics); Members, Drs. P. De (physics), Sukumar Adltya (applied

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chemistry), B. B. Blswas (biochemistry and botany) and B. B. Roy (medicine); Secretary, Dr. K. K. Rohatgi-Mukherjee (physical photochemistry); Treasurer, Dr. K. L. Battacharya (biophysics). The Committee was truly interdisciplinary as encoded by philosophy ln the statutes of AIP. A Bulletin of the Indian Photobiology Group was started in the same year to disseminate the philosophy of such an interdisciplinary society. An exchange programme was initiated with the Bulletin of the British Photobiology Group and the l+mch Group.

At the first annual general meeting of the society ln December 1964, in his inaugural speech Col. Sir Ramnath Chopra stated “ . . . interesting and exciting areas of researches In the borderline field of sciences such as Photobiology are assuming importance everyday. It is necessary here to make coordinated efforts of more than one group of scientists who should be able to join hands and brains to arrive at satisfactory solutions of multifaceted lnterdlsciplinary programme and projects. The Indian Photobiology Group, I am glad to notice, ls keen on creating such a platform where medical scientists, botanists, agriculturists, physicists, etc., can get together and study the direct application of light and radiant energy on life processes in biological systems.. . Atomic energy has its hazards - radioactivity - and sunshine has its hazards - sunburn and cancer.. . “.

Since its inception, the IPS has received encouragement from the international scientlflc community. In 1966, the group had the opportunity to welcome CIP Secretary-General, Dr. Edna M. F. Roe. She gave two lectures: “Spectra-structure correlation in tumor inhibition by stilbene derivatives” and “Studies on the mode of growth inhibition of ascites tumour cells by polyelectrolytes and natural gums”. Dr. Roe showed keen interest ln the activities of the Indian Photobiology Group and offered to take students to work ln her laboratories. One of the members accepted this opportunity to go to London and learn the techniques of flash photolysls.

Within a few years of its formation the group came into contact with many scientists of established fame. Professor D. Shugar, University of Warsaw, Poland, gave two lectures (1967): “Some chemical and biological aspects of photochemistry of nucleic acids” and “Model polynucleotides for studies on structure and function of nucleic acids”. Other topics were presented by the following scientists: Professor G. S. Hammond, California Institute of Technology, U.S.A. (1960) “Reflection on photochemistry”; Professor E. Rablnowltch, University of Urbana, U.S.A. (1970) “Primary processes ln photosynthesis”; Sir G. Porter, Royal Institute of Great Britain and President of AIP, U.K. (1971) “Recent progress in the study of some primary photochemical processes”; Professor H. Mohr, University of Freiburg, F.R.G. (1975) “Control of plastid development and chlorophyll synthesis by phytochrome”; Professor K. Shlbata, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan (1977) “Termohunmescence as a tool for the study of development of photosynthetic apparatus”; Professor N. N. Lichtin, Boston University, U.S.A. (1979) “Photoelectrochemlcal conversion of solar energy”; Professor L. 0. Bjorn, University of Lund, Sweden, the Secretary-General of AIP (1981) “Effects of ultraviolet radiation on plants”; Professor P.-S. Song, Texas University, U.S.A. (1981) “An illustrated lecture on molecule mechanisms of transformation and interaction of phytochrome”.

Since 1972 the IPS has been holding symposia every three years on all aspects of photobiology in ditrerent parts of the country: Delhi (1972) Nainital (1975) Calcutta (1978), Mahabaleshwar (1981), Hyderabad (1985), Lucknow (1987). These symposia have brought the various groups together on the same platform for successful interaction. In the first few symposia AIP provided partial financial assistance.

The International Workshop on “The effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Plants” was organized by AIP jointly with IPS at the premises of Indian National Science Academy in Delhi (1982). The main driving force behind the Workshop was Professor L. 0. Bjom, the Secretary-General of AIP. About 20 scientists, mainly from the U.S.A. and Germany, specially invited for their studies on UV-B effects on plants and 30 scientist from India, participated ln the meeting. Because of the keen interest of Professor A.P. Mitra, then Director of the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, for the problems of stratospheric ozone depletion and its possible consequences, his group participated fully. This workshop was a landmark ln the activities of the IPS and far reaching recommendations were drafted giving directions to future research on the subject.

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The IPS has had a very positive impact on scientilic research in the country and had promoted interdisciplinary cooperation at national and international levels. The society celebrated its Silver Jubilee by holding a symposium on “Light and Lie” in Calcutta in 1989 where Dr. M. Pathak of Boston, U.S.A., was a very active participant. In continuation of the Silver Jubilee progranune, in February 1990, the Society organized a symposium on “Photophysiology and Photomedicine” with international participation. Dr. R. M. Tyrrell, Secretary-General of the AIP, Drs. J. Cadet, R. H. J. Davies, J. Wolfrum, Professors M. Shopova, G. N. H. Towers and many other participants made it a memorable event. The efforts of Dr. V. Jain in organizing this symposium was very commendable and appreciated. Another symposium on “Photochemistry, Laser Chemistry and Photobiology” was scheduled for January 1991, the third in the series of Silver Jubilee programme. We were looking forward to this session of fast kinetics initiated by photons in femtoseconds, which unfold multifaceted beauty of Nature as photobiological processes gradually manifest themselves. The Society now has four chapters in diierent parts of the country, and we hope for more to promote collaborative programmes for understanding photobiological phenomena.

K. K. ROHATGI-MUKHERJEE, Secretary, Indian Photobiology Society, Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700032, India.

PHOTOBIOLOGY MEETINGS

Information on forthcoming meetings can be found in Newsletter No. 30, J. Photo&em. Photobid. B: Bid., 9 (3-4) (1991) 411-416.

ERRATUM

Newsletter 27, J. Photo&em. Photobiol. B: Biol., 8 (1991) 447-452.

In the article by Robert Scheuerlein “Photobiological Research in the Federal Republic of Germany”, p. 449, the headings Light reactions and Dark reactions should be read as subdivisions of the section on Photosynthesis.