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AOCS Biotechnology Division
Newsletter September 2007

Notes from the Chair
Tom McKeon

It's just over two months since the 98th Annual Meeting in Québec. The Meeting and our Biotechnology Division activities were a great success, with three Biocatalysis sessions, and sessions on Novel Oils, Biosurfactants and Biobased Products, General Biotechnology, and a Poster Session. The Division sessions were held jointly with the Japanese Oil Chemists' Society (JOCS) and included members of the Canadian Oil Chemists' Society and the International Society for Fat Research (ISF). Thanks to all who participated in the planning for these sessions, served as session chairs, or who spoke or presented posters. Special thanks to the AOCS Staff, whose efforts on our behalf help to keep the Division preparations, sessions and activities running smoothly and on target.

The Division dinner was held Tuesday, May 15, 2007 in the Delta Hotel, with over 90 attending. Our guest speaker was Dr. John Harwood, Head of Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales. His talk, entitled Fascinating lipids - from brain to plants and back to brain was a combined reminiscence and brief tour of the world of lipid science. The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session and an even livelier visit to the bar at the Hilton.

I hope that more Division members can come to the Division Roundtable next year, usually held on Tuesday at 1 PM. The Roundtable is usually held in the same room as the Division scientific sessions are held. The scheduled time and location will be in the Meeting Program. Please come if you're interested in serving as an Division officer, have an idea for a scientific session, or just want to catch up on what the Division is doing and planning for future meetings. In case you are interested in serving as a Division Officer, in our February 2008 newsletter, there will be a description of the Division Officers' duties.

The minutes from our Division Board Meeting are included in this newsletter.

Current Division Officers:

Chair: Tom McKeon (Term: 2007-2010)
Vice Chair: Ramesh Patel, Vice Chair/Program Committee (2007-2010)
Secretary/Treasurer: Dan Solaiman (2007-2010)
Members-at-Large: Hans Christian Holm (2007-2010)
Xuebing Xu (2007-2010)
Randall Weselake
Yuji Shimada

Also in this newsletter:

99th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

Minutes of Biotechnology Division Board Meeting, by Dan Solaiman

Crop Biotech News, by David Hildebrand

3rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Biotechnology and Biocatalysis

2007 Biotechnology Division Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Dr. Yuji Shimada

Biotechnology Division web page
AOCS, 2710 S. Boulder, Urbana, IL 61802-6996 USA