NEWSLETTER

•         From the Editor
•         Report from the Annual Business Meeting
•         President's Message
•         Secretary's Message
•         Treasurer's Report
•         17th Annual Meeting Report, Poços de Caldas
•         May Berenbaum, 2000 Silverstein-Simeone Award Winner
•         William Bowers, 2000 Silver Medal Winner
•         Student Travel Awards
•         Upcoming Meeting in Lake Tahoe
•         Winners of the 2001 Silverstein-Simeone and Silver Medal Awards
•         2002 Silverstein/Simeone and Silver Medal Nominations
•         Honors to Society Members
•         Positions available
•         2000-01 Executive Committee
•         Councilors
•         Upcoming Meetings of Interest

The ISCE Newsletter is published triannually, in October, February, and June.  It is financed through member contributions.  None of the material contained herein may be reprinted without the proper written acknowledgment of the editor.  Address all correspondence and newsletter submissions to the editor.  Deadline for the next issue is January 15, 2001.

Editor: Jocelyn G. Millar
Department of Entomology
University of California
Riverside CA 92521 USA
Email: jocelyn.millar@ucr.edu

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Your 2001 Membership Renewal Form is enclosed.  Please return this form with your dues to Treasurer Steve Teale.  For renewing members, please note that it is only necessary to fill out your mailing address if your address has changed.  PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOU SUPPLY YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE OVER THE NEXT YEAR, THE SOCIETY WILL BEGIN CONDUCTING MOST OF ITS BUSINESS ELECTRONICALLY.  Thus, we will begin the transition to sending out the Newsletters and most routine correspondence by electronic mail rather than by regular mail, and the Society officers are in the process of creating a new ISCE webmaster position so that this can be accomplished.  There are more details further on in this Newsletter.  If you do not have access to electronic mail, please clearly indicate this so that we can make alternate arrangements for mailings to you.  Credit card payments can be made with VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card.

            I have received requests to include more announcements of available student and postdoctoral positions in the Newsletter.  Such announcements will be accepted free of charge from any ISCE member.  Please simply send them to me by email at the address below.  Please also send announcements of upcoming meetings that might be of interest to members.  In particular, because my interests focus on insect semiochemistry, I may not be aware of meetings that stress other aspects of chemical ecology, or regional meetings. Other items, such as announcements of new books and honors and awards to Society members, are also most welcome.

            Thanks to members who have sent me photos and other items over the past year; keep them coming.  In particular, as we move to an electronic format for the Newsletter, it will be both cheaper to produce, and I can include many more photos.  If you are sending me photos or text, if possible, please send them in electronic format, for example please send photos as jpg files, as these are easiest to handle.  However, if you only have prints or slides, I can work with those as well. 

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The annual business meeting was held in Poços de Caldas at the Urca Conference Center, on the afternoon of Friday, August 18, 2000, President Hartmann presiding.  President Hartmann reported on the results of the elections, with Murray Isman confirmed as the new vice-president, and the newly elected councilors being Wilhelm Boland (Germany), Nelida Gomez (Panama), Ann Hagermann (USA), and Steve Seybold (USA).  Treasurer Steve Teale then gave his report and the Secretary’s report (Secretary Millar was unable to attend); see their reports elsewhere in this issue.  Jim Nation gave the report from the editors of the Journal of Chemical Ecology.  The Journal is receiving about 22-24 manuscripts per month, with a rejection rate of about 25%.  The editors have been very successful in speeding up the review process by sending some manuscripts out for review via email, and by emailing reviewers asking if they could review manuscripts within 2 weeks; the review process now averages 4-5 weeks.  The impact factor has also increased significantly, from 1.40 in 1998 to 1.65 in 1999.  The Journal is ranked 29^th out of 90 journals in the subject area of ecology, and 154^th out of 293 in the subject area of biochemistry and molecular biology.  In the near future, Jim Nation and David Jones will  step down as editors, and John Romeo will take over as Chief Editor, with several associate editors (see article elsewhere in the Newsletter).

            Evaldo Vilela presented a summary of the meeting.  The meeting should break even, or have a small surplus, which will be returned to the Society.  Gary Blomquist gave a brief summary of the preparations underway for the 2001 meeting in Lake Tahoe. 

            President Hartmann described the new position of ISCE webmaster that will be created to aid the transition of the Society to primarily electronic communications, including the Newsletter.  Over the next year, the new webmaster, Allard Cossé, will revise the ISCE website, and coordinate with the Treasurer and Secretary on updating, maintaining, and coordinating the membership database.  Nelida Gomez suggested linking member names/addresses on the membership web page to their homepages. 

            In other business, Jeff Aldrich encouraged members to give school presentations to build interest at an early age.  Aldrich also suggested that we should establish stronger connections to the organic food industry because chemical ecology provides alternative methods of pest control that can be used by organic growers.  President Hartmann then gave updates on some miscellaneous items, including naming Prof. Wittko Francke as the ISCE archivist, the officers’ efforts to maintain and increase the ISCE membership database, and Hartmann requested that members put forward suggestions for symposium topics to the Executive committee.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by President Hartmann.

Stephen Teale, for Jocelyn Millar, ISCE Secretary

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At the 17^th Annual Meeting of the ISCE in Poços de Caldas, I was absolutely delighted to receive the symbols of the Society and have the honour to become the ISCE President for 2000-2001. As I mentioned in my inauguration speech, I will do my best to continue the high standard of administration set by Thomas Hartmann and his predecessors.  Ever since joining the ISCE, I intended to become highly involved in the Society’s affairs, but I must confess that the opportunity to run for this office happened a bit earlier than I expected.  I would like to thank the officers, in particular, John Hildebrand and Jim Tumlinson, for their nomination and support.  Due to the international nature of the Society, they might have thought of a President to represent two countries. I ended up representing three, given my Brazilian citizenship, my education and scientific career in Japan and my current position in the US!

            The ISCE plays a vital role in the very existence of modern chemical ecology.  In the previous President’s Message, Thomas Hartmann pointed out that the importance of chemistry in insect-plant interactions was “rediscovered” in the beginning of the second half of last century.  However, it was the ISCE that created the momentum for chemical ecology to achieve its present status.  In the 17 years of its existence, the Society has promoted “the understanding of interactions between organisms and their environment that are mediated by naturally occurring chemicals,” probably far beyond the expectation of our founders.  The annual meetings provide the perfect forum for natural products chemists, chemists, biologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, naturalists, neurobiologists, etc., to speak a common language, chemical ecology, in a friendly, but critical environment.  On the other hand, the Journal of Chemical Ecology, as the official “voice” of the Society, publishes over 250 research papers annually and stretches our boundaries. The ISCE is also at the forefront of promoting the conservation of a treasure of inestimable value, the wealth of natural products generated by living organisms (The Goteborg Resolution, JCE 16, 643, 1990).  This is the legacy we inherited from the first generation of chemical ecologists.  Despite the fact that institutions that finance scientific research, be they governmental or private, are not generous in their support to chemical ecology-related research programs, we will strive to build on the remarkable scientific legacy bequeathed to us by the pioneers of chemical ecology.  I urge you, as members of the Society, to work together for the promotion of chemical ecology.  Among others, there is a simply way you can do that: be active in the Society.  Participate in the nominations for the Silverstein-Simeone Award and the Silver Medal, make the effort to attend and participate in the oral and poster sessions of the annual meetings on a regular basis, suggest topics for symposia at meetings, let us know if you would like to serve as a Councilor, and do not forget to renew your membership.  The ISCE database has over 900 names, and yet a significant proportion of these neglected to renew their memberships.  The increasing rate of non-renewed membership per year is alarming (see figure below), and may be due in part to changes in the renewal process.  Should you know colleagues who have not renewed their memberships, please download a membership form for them (http://chemecol.org/forms/application.htm), or ask our Treasurer, Steve Teale (sateale@mailbox.syr.edu) to contact them. Help us bring these and other chemical ecologists to where they belong: the ISCE.  See you in Lake Tahoe in 2001!

Walter S. Leal, President, ISCE

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I have been working with our new Treasurer, Steve Teale, to resolve problems with the membership database.  As some of you have discovered, the online database had some bugs in it, as did the mailing list database used for sending out Newsletters and correspondence.  These problems are being resolved, but please check your entry in the newly revised membership database at http://www.esf.edu/ISCE/ to make sure it is correct.  Also, if you see any other mistakes, or entries that you know are outdated, please inform the Treasurer Steve Teale at sateale@syr.edu.  Overall, the membership renewal form is sent out once a year, in the October Newsletter, and many people forget to renew, including officers of the Society and long-time members!  As we move to electronic correspondence, it should become easier and cheaper to send out reminders and forms.  However, it is obviously imperative that we have your up to date Email addresses.  Please note that the Society membership database is not sold or made available to any other organization, so providing your email address will not expose you to spamming.

            The ISCE Webpage has been functioning well, thanks to a lot of hard work by Adam Trickett.  Over the next few months, Allard Cossé, as the new ISCE webmaster, will take over responsibility for maintaining and updating the webpage.  Once the transition has occurred, Allard’s address will be on the webpage so that you can send him feedback and suggestions for improvements.

            The Newsletter is running smoothly, with nice quality in the layout and printing.  In the coming year, because the membership voted decisively in favor of switching to an electronic version, we will begin the transition.  The Society should reap considerable savings because we will no longer have to bear the costs of printing and first class mailing of about 2,000 Newsletters per year.  However, before starting the transition to the electronic format, the membership database must be updated and the problems resolved.  What we have planned is that an email message will be sent out when a new Newsletter has been posted on the ISCE website, so that members can then access the Newsletter at their leisure.  Most or all of the ISCE forms for membership updates and renewals, and the registration forms for meetings, already are posted on the ISCE website at http://chemecol.org/.

            To aid in the orderly functioning of the Society, particularly as the officers change, protocols for most Society functions and awards have been compiled for inclusion in an ISCE officers handbook.  This continuously updateable handbook will be sent to all new officers and councilors as they assume their duties.

            I still have lots of ISCE pamphlets, which are intended as  tools to introduce potential new members to the Society and its philosophy and functions.  The brochure is also intended as a fundraising aid, so that potential donors can get a quick overview of the Society, and the types of research and activities that their donations would be supporting.  If you need some ISCE pamphlets, please contact me at my address listed on the masthead

Jocelyn G. Millar, ISCE Secretary

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The Society started the 1999 fiscal year with a total of US $98,623 of which $18,423 was in a checking account with Chase Manhattan and $80,200 was in a Merrill Lynch investment account.  The Society began the 2000 fiscal year with $107,664 of which $23,827 was in the checking account and $83,837 was in the Merrill Lynch account.  As of August, 2000 the Society has $120,155 of which $31,553 is in the Chase Manhattan checking account and $88,602 is in the Merrill Lynch investment account.

            For the 1999 fiscal year, income to the Society was $3,637 from investments, and $27,626 from dues, Journal subscriptions, and industry-sponsored awards (Silverstein-Simeone, Silver Medal, and student travel awards), and the surplus from the Ithaca meeting.  The Society spent $22,222 from the checking account, as follows.  Members' subscriptions to the Journal of Chemical Ecology totaled $8,331, paid to Plenum Publishing Corp.  The Society spent $3,734 on the Newsletter, published by Jocelyn Millar at UC Riverside.  In order to reserve the meeting place for the 2001 Annual Meeting at Lake Tahoe, a deposit of $4,500 was paid to Granlibakken Resort.  This sum will be returned to the Society from registration fees for that meeting.  Student Travel to the 1999 Annual Meeting in Marseilles totaled $5,400 (other payments for the 1999 meeting were made in the 2000 fiscal year because the meeting was held in November).  Administrative costs for determining the Silverstein-Simeone winner were paid to John Hildebrand totaling $145.  Administrative costs for the credit card reader, bank fees, and other minor expenses totaled $112.

            Thus far for fiscal year 2000, income to the Society has been $4,725 from investments, and $36,011 into the checking account (dues, Journal subscriptions, and sponsored awards).  Costs so far to the Society have totaled $14,890.  Travel costs for the Executive Committee and Award winners for the 1999 Annual Meeting in Marseilles totaled $5,552.  Costs for the Newsletter have been $7,392.  Members' subscriptions to the Journal totaled $7,508.  Administrative costs for the credit card reader, bank fees, and other miscellaneous expenses have run $343 to date.

Stephen Teal, ISCE Treasurer

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Professor May Berenbaum is probably most well-known to the scientific community for her work on furanocoumarins and their importance in mediating interactions between the source plant, wild parsnip, and its insect herbivores, particularly the parsnip webworm.  Her work, extending back into the 1970’s, has highlighted the ecological roles of phytochemicals in shaping plant and insect communities.  She provided some of the first hard evidence for the coevolution of plants and their herbivores, as proposed in Ehrlich and Raven’s classic paper in 1980.  A followup study used a quantitative genetics approach to probe the mechanisms involved in coevolution.  In her more recent research, Dr. Berenbaum has tackled difficult problems in a variety of fields related to chemical ecology, including the effects of ultraviolet radiation on plant-herbivore interactions, the evolution of cytochrome P450’s and their role in detoxification of phytochemicals by herbivores, and the costs of chemical defenses in plants.  Her contributions to science were recognized by her election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1994.  She has also received numerous other honors and awards, including being named a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

            However, Professor Berenbaum is equally well known because of her efforts to demystify science by lecturing and writing for the general public.  She began and continues to organize the now classic “Insect Fear Film Festival” at the University of Illinois, and she has written four highly entertaining books geared towards bringing the fascinating and arcane details of interesting biological systems to the public in a readable and amusing way.  As an example of their success and popular appeal, one of her books, “Bugs in the System”, was named Science Book of the Year in 1997.

            On behalf of the ISCE, I would like to express our thanks for her impressive Silverstein-Simeone lecture entitled “Chemical Ecology of DNA”, particularly as Dr. Berenbaum had spent many hours travelling the day that she gave her lecture, and our congratulations for being selected as the recipient of the award for 2000.

Jocelyn G. Millar, ISCE Secretary

Dr. Bowers’ contributions to the world-wide impact of Chemical Ecology studies, and in particular to the Society itself, should be well known to all.  These include his tremendous personal impact in promoting the role of Chemical Ecology in identifying new bioactive compounds of value in crop protection and beyond, and the innovativeness of his own studies in the area.  It was, therefore, greatly appreciated that for the first time, a Silver Medallist was called upon to make a scientific presentation and ISCE President Hartmann and the organizing committee are to be complimented on this decision.

               Dr. Bowers’ presentation entitled “Biorational Pesticides: Evolving Frontiers” included his pioneering studies on insect juvenile hormones and the creation of more active analogues, when such structure-activity developments were in their infancy in the area of Chemical Ecology.  His subsequent work on the identification of potent juvenoids from plants and the development of the anti-juvenile hormone concept for pest control represents a major scientific milestone.  The characterisation of the precocenes alone stimulated a vast effort throughout industry and academe into the search for novel crop protection agents.  The isolation and identification of aphid alarm pheromones was an important development in transferring pheromone studies into insect taxa other than the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera.  Dr. Bowers  concluded his lecture with his most recent work, which continues to generate many new ideas, particularly in providing insights into plant secondary metabolism induced by feeding stress, with a final forecast that organic synthesis with new molecular techniques will drive a new biorational revolution.  Indeed, a spin-off from these studies may possibly be termed the “Bowers litmus test for jasmonate activity”, in which chenopodiaceous plants show stem reddening during this type of induced stress.  Throughout his presentation, Dr. Bowers made kind reference to the many scientists with whom he has interrelated world-wide.

               Although Dr. Bowers’ presentation covered most aspects of his scientific contributions to Chemical Ecology, he modestly played down wider impacts from his work.  For example, he was one of those who pioneered the view, now accepted world-wide, that the natural kingdoms hold vast resources that can underpin the generation of new biologically active molecular structures for many other areas of potential human benefit.  This concept is now proving of immense value in advancing the need for preserving species diversity in the interests of both wealth creation and improving the quality of life throughout the world.

               It was personally a great privilege and honor to chair Dr. Bowers presentation in Poços de Caldas, since his work and his larger than life personality had a considerable impact on my own career in science.  It also gave me an opportunity for further socialisation with Bill and his wife, Patricia, at what turned out to be an excellent and extremely busy meeting.

John A. Pickett, ISCE Past-President

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Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Student Travel Awards, used to assist with attendance at the meeting.  20 applications were received, split evenly between males and females, with 7 from the US, 3 each from Brazil and Germany, 2 from Sweden, and one each from Belgium, France, Holland, South Korea, and Austria.  Applicants were ranked according to number of publications in relation to career level, quality of abstract and research, and need of financial support. The award winners are listed below, along with their countries and the titles of their presentations.  Their abstracts can be found on the ISCE webpage.  This year, for the first time, the Student Award Winners all made their presentations in one excellent session, and this concept will probably be continued at future meetings.

Miryam Coracini, Sweden.  Sex pheromone of the Brazilian apple leafroller, Bonagota cranaodes.

Falko Drijhout, The Netherlands.  Close-range sex pheromone of Lygocoris pabulinus.  Identification of female-specific compounds as possible attractants

Thomas Koch, Germany.  Ion-channel forming alamethicin as a potent elicitor of volatiles biosynthesis and tendril coiling: cross-talk between jasmonate and salicylate signaling in the lima bean.

Monica Puyana, USA.  Secondary metabolite chemistry of Caribbean Aplysina sponges.

Bruno Digiusto, France.  Chemical ecology of an opportunistic protection mutualism and an ant-adapted herbivore: wild yams, ants, and Chrysomelid beetles.

Caroline Mueller, USA.  Phagostimulants in potato- different for Manduca sexta and Leptinotarsa decemlineata?

Florian Schiestl, Germany/Australia.  Biologically active volatiles in Australian sexually deceptive orchids. 

            In addition, an award was made to Aurelia Reckziegel (Germany/Brazil), but she was unable to attend the meeting.

The 2000-2001 Student Travel Award Committee consists of Judith Reinhard, Evaldo Vilela, and Gary Blomquist.  The call for 2001 awards will appear in the February ISCE Newsletter and on the Website.

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• Murray Isman (Dept. of Botany, University of British Columbia, Canada) has been elected as the new ISCE Vice-President.  Four new councilors were also elected:
• Wilhelm Boland, Max Planck Inst. fur Organische Chemie und Biochem., Jena, Germany
• Nelida Gomez, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
• Ann Hagermann, Dept. of Chemistry, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
• Steve Seybold, Dept. of Entomology, U. of Minnesota, USA
  

            Councilors serve 3 year terms and are appointed from various geographical and disciplinary areas, and advise the ISCE Executive Committee.  Further details can be found in the Society's bylaws.

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            Planning is underway for the 2002 meeting, to be hosted by Wittko Francke, and with a Scientific Committee composed of Francke, Ian Baldwin, Monica Hilker, and Thomas Hartmann.  Sessions will be held at the University of Hamburg, with participants staying at local hotels, and taking meals at local restaurants.  Likely dates include early August, with 4 days of sessions and possibly one day for sightseeing.  Symposia topics are being discussed, with 4-5 half-day symposia likely.

            Other planned meeting sites include: 2003: South Korea/Asia (K.S. Boo), possibly with the new Asia-Pacific Association for Chemical Ecology; 2004, Ottawa (B. Philogene and Thor Arnasson); 2005, Maryland, USA (Jeffrey Aldrich); 2006: Barcelona (Angel Guerrero).

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With the retirement of James Nation and David Jones as co-editors of the Journal of Chemical Ecology, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, the owner of the Journal, asked John Romeo to continue as Chief Editor.   He was directed to find Associate Editors to assist with coverage of the broad subject areas covered by the journal.  After consultation with the Editorial Board and others, the following new team has been assembled to cover the major sub-disciplines of chemical ecology. The current editorial board will remain in place until the next series of rotations, scheduled for 2001.

Kelsey R. Downum is Professor of Biological Sciences and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida International University in Miami.  The major thrust of his research involves developing an understanding of the significance of endogenous plant photosensitizers (chemicals that can be activated to a highly reactive state by exposure to light).  These biologically active compounds are believed to mediate a variety of interactions between plants and herbivores.  The current research is focused on tropical/subtropical systems.  He is a long-term member of the International Society of Chemical Ecology and is Past-President of the Phytochemical Society of North America.  Kelsey lives just outside of the Everglades National Park, with his wife Julie.  He raises parrots and  conures, and endures the occasional hurricane.

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Walter S. Leal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of California Davis. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil and graduate degrees in Agricultural Chemistry (MSc.) and Applied Biochemistry (PhD) from Mie University and Tsukuba University in Japan.  He worked for 10 years at the National Institute of Sericulture and Entomological Science as Senior Scientist, Head of Laboratory and Team Leader before moving to UC Davis this year.  Walter has taken a comprehensive approach to better understand insect chemical communication.  He works on isolation, identification, synthesis and biosynthesis of pheromones and other semiochemicals, as well as on the molecular basis of the highly selective and sensitive olfactory system in insects. He has published about 100 scientific articles and holds about 30 patents. Walter was awarded a Medal of Honor by the Entomological Society of Brazil, the Gakkaisho  (equivalent to ESA Fellow) by the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology, and the Gjitsusho (Technology Prize) by the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry.   Walter is married and has 3 sons.  His major hobby is to talk at international symposia to which he is often invited.

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Nancy M. Targett is Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Delaware, Graduate College of Marine Studies, where she has been for 17 years.  Her research focuses on marine chemical ecology, particularly plant-herbivore interactions mediated by secondary metabolites, the effect of abiotic and biotic factors on the production of plant secondary metabolites, and ontogenetic shifts in the production of secondary metabolites.  She is a lifetime member of ISCE, and has served the Society as Secretary and Editor of the Newsletter, and as a Councilor.  She is a longtime member of the JCE editorial board.   In 1999 she was named asan Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow.   She served 6 years (1994-2000) as a federal appointee to the Mid- Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, chairing several committees.  She is also on the  Editorial Board for the journal Biofouling.    Within her home community, Nancy has chaired the boards of The Jefferson School, an independent elementary school that she helped start 9 yearsago, and The Sussex Academy of Arts and Science, a charter middle school that she recently helped launch.  She lives in Lewes with her husband Tim and their twelve year old daughter Katharine.

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John T. Romeo is a Professor of Biology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he has been for 20 years.   He served first as  Graduate Director and then as Chairman of his department for 8 years.  His research interests have centered on the chemistry of nitrogenous natural products, particularly the isolation and characterization of nonprotein amino acids and alkaloids.   His biological focus has been on plant/insect and plant/plant interactions.  He is a life member of the ISCE, and served for 7 years as Secretary and Newsletter editor. He is a Past President of the Phytochemical Society of North America.  Since 1994 he has been Editor-in-Chief of Recent Advances in Phytochemistry, an annual symposium volume now in its 34^th year of publication.  In 1996 he was appointed as Co-editor of the Journal of Chemical Ecology.   John  has received several awards for teaching excellence and is actively involved with educational reform K-16.  He  is an avid sports fan and he serves as his university’s representative to the NCAA.   His son is a forensics expert.  He lives with two cats and miscellaneous collections that range from air sickness bags to vintage movie posters.

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In an effort to involve the entire ISCE membership in the selection process for candidates for the 4 new ISCE Councilors that are required every year, the Executive Committee would like your help in identifying possible candidates.  ISCE Councilors are elected for a term of three years, and they must be able to make a commitment to attend at least two of the three ISCE annual meetings during their terms of office.  Their primary responsibilities are to participate in the annual Executive Committee meeting, to participate in the selection of the ISCE Silver Medal and Silverstein-Simeone awards, and to provide general guidance and assistance to the Executive Committee as required.  A strong record of participation in Society activities would be an asset.

            Please send names, contact addresses, phone and FAX numbers, and email addresses of candidates, along with a short description of why you think that the candidate(s) would be suitable to Prof. Thomas Hartmann, ISCE Past-President, t.hartmann@tu-bs.de, Fax: +49-531-391-8104, mail Inst. Pharmazeutische Biologie, Tech. Universitat Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 1, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany.  Deadline for receipt of nominations: December 1, 2000.

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• Postdoctoral Position, Marine Chemical Ecology
  Postdoc. position available November 2000 for studies of the chemical ecology of marine plants and/or animals.  Research experience in chemical ecology required although applicants with experience in marine invertebrate larval biology would be considered.  A description of the research program can be seen at http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/mcclinto.htm.  Send curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of 3 references to Dr. Jim McClintock, Office of the Dean, Campbell Hall 464, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1170; (205-934-8659); e-mail: mcclinto@uab.edu.  Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

• Postdoctoral Position
  Postdoc. position available spring 2001 as part of a 5-year project funded under NSF’s Integrated Research Challenges in Environmental Biology program. Project will evaluate how genetic and chemical variation in naturally occurring and synthetic hybrids of cottonwood species mediates ecological structure and function at population, community and ecosystem levels. Field sites include riparian habitats throughout the Intermountain West. Project PIs include T. Whitham, S. Hart, P. Keim, and G. Martinsen of Northern Arizona University, and R. Lindroth of the University of Wisconsin.  Primary responsibilities: coordinate and conduct research/chemical analyses of cottonwood samples, with results to be integrated with those of other participants to determine the influence of cottonwood genetic structure on chemical variation, and the linkages between chemical variation and primary production, herbivore and natural enemy communities, litter quality and nutrient cycling.
  Qualifications:  Expertise in chemical analysis. Strong interpersonal, writing and statistical skills.  Contact Richard L. Lindroth, Dept. of Entomology, U. of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706. U.S.A.  Phone: 608-263-6277, Fax: 608-262-3322, http://entomology.wisc.edu/~lindroth/.  Position open until a suitable candidate is found.  Salary and Benefits: $28,000-30,000; excellent medical and dental benefits.  Applications should include full c.v., names/addresses of 3 references, representative reprints, and a letter detailing applicants suitability for the position.

• Post-Doctoral Research Associate
  The Insect Chemical Ecology Lab seeks a Research Associate to work on semiochemistry of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Heteroptera: Miridae).  Candidate will work with ICEL chemists to perform lab and field bioassays guiding isolation and identification of Lygus bug sex pheromone or other behavior-modifying natural products potentially useful in managing this pest. Requirements:  PhD in entomology with experience in semiochemical research. Skill in micro-analytical techniques such as GC, GC-MS and HPLC desirable, but not mandatory. Salary:  $35,000/year plus benefits. Duration:  2 y starting early 2001, with possibility of extension. Information/Application:  Send resume (preferably by e-mail) to Dr. Jeffrey R. Aldrich, Research Leader, USDA-ARS Insect Chemical Ecology Lab., Beltsville Ag. Research Center-West, B-007, Rm302, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, Maryland USA; E-mail: aldrichj@ba.ars.usda.gov; phone: (301)504-8531; FAX: 504-6580. Review of applications will begin Dec. 11/00, and continue until position is filled. The USDA  is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

• Combined annual meeting of the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and Quebec, Montreal, Dec. 3-7, 2000. Information: Judy Miller, email meet@entsoc.org, http://www.entsoc.org/annual_meeting/2000/2000.html.
• Gordon Research Conference on Plant Herbivore Interactions, Feb. 25-March 2, 2001, Holiday Inn, Ventura, CA.  Contact: Jack Schultz, ujq@psu.edu.
• 1st  EUROPEAN ALLELOPATHY SYMPOSIUM, June 21-23, 2001, Vigo, Spain. Main Topic, Physiological Aspects of Allelopathy, sessions on Basic physiological aspects, Secondary metabolism and stress, Modes of action of allelochemicals, Applied Aspects of Allelopathy. Early registration and abstract submission by Feb. 1/01.  Registration information, feas@uvigo.es; web page http://www.uvigo.es/feas.
• 2^nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Chemical Ecology, Penang, Malaysia, August 7-11, 2001.  Abstracts deadline April 30, 2001.  Contact and registration information: apcce@maxis.net.my, http://apaces.bizland.com/P.chtml; The Secretariat, APCCE, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.  FAX: 1-604-656-5125.

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Jocelyn G. Millar, Editor
Department of Entomology
University of California
Riverside CA 92521, USA
Email: jocelyn.millar@ucr.edu

Visit the ISCE Webpage at http://chemecol.org/