April 2003

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Before April 8th: Phone 215-898-4265; FAX 215-898-2084
After April 7th: Phone 941-953-1234 or FAX 941-952-1987 (Sarasota Hyatt, Sarasota, FL)

Association for Chemoreception Sciences

Fostering chemical senses research and understanding smell and taste in health and disease

Online Press Information Web Page at http://www.achems.org/03press.htm

Sarasota, FL - The Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) is celebrating its Silver Anniversary and is holding its 25th annual meeting in Sarasota, FL, April 9-13, 2003. AChemS consists of more than 800 members from 23 countries who are specialists in the chemical senses, smell, taste, and chemical irritation. In Sarasota, scientists are presenting their latest research findings on topics ranging from molecular biology to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of smell and taste disorders. The 2003 meeting is featuring presentations of original research findings, special symposia, and workshops (see Program at a Glance) sponsored by AChemS, corporations, and the National Institutes of Health. On Wednesday April 9th, at 8:00 P.M., the meeting opens with the annual Givaudan Lecture, presented by Dr. Bert Hoelldobler, from the Theodor Boveri-Institut, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany. His presentation is titled "Multicomponent Signals in Ant Societies." Dr. Hoelldobler is a member of the National Science Council of Germany and a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Science. He is renowned for his work on chemical ecology and communication in ant societies, and has won the Pulitizer Prize in 1991 for his book "The Ants" co-authored with E.O. Wilson.

Among the many presentations are six, special-subject symposia: "In Sync: Temporal Coding and Encoding Time in the Olfactory System" (Thursday, 10:00 AM), "Hanging by a Thread: Scaffolds in Signal Transduction" (Thursday, 8:30 PM), "Interplay of Olfaction & Emotion Systems" (Friday, 10:15 AM), "AChemS 25th Anniversary Symposium: Perspectives on the Chemical Senses" (Friday, 6:00 PM), "Patterning in Olfactory Systems: How Much is Pre-Specified?" (Saturday, 10:15 AM), and the annual Presidential Symposium, "Biology & Chemistry of Floral Scent" (Saturday, 8:15 PM). Throughout the five-day meeting there will be nearly 400 additional research presentations by AChemS scientists from around the world (for details see Program Listing). For more information about the AChemS 2003 meeting please visit the AChemS Online Press Information Web Page at http://www.achems.org/03press.htm, and read about some research conducted by AChemS members:

Smell and taste play essential roles in our daily lives. The chemical senses serve as important warning systems, alerting us to the presence of potentially harmful situations or substances, including gas leaks, smoke, and spoiled food. Flavors and fragrances are also important in determining what foods we eat and the commercial products we use. The pleasures derived from eating are mainly based on the chemical senses. Thousands of Americans experience loss of smell or taste each year resulting from head trauma, sinus disease, normal aging and neurological disorders, such as brain injury, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. By providing a better understanding of the function of chemosensory systems, research by AChemS scientists is leading to improvements in the diagnoses and treatment of smell and taste disorders.



This article comes from Science Blog. Copyright � 2004
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