Aerobiology

Aerobiology
Christine Rogers opens this issue calling on IAA’s
members to support the Aerobiology and
Aerobiology journals. Please, pay attention to the
last page of this issue where interesting information on
Aerobiologia and the Application to be member of the IAA
are included.
Following on the series started in issue 56, ONG Tan Ching
of Singapore gives us, in the present issue, a chance to learn
something of the background and the aims of burgeoning
science of aerobiology in this part of the world.
There is also news of quite a few past and future
aerobiological events: the European Symposium on
Aerobiology, held in Worcester (United Kingdom) was very
well attended, and the new topics presented augur well for
the future of European Aerobiology. Poznan was the venue
th
for the 6 ECBA, attended by a specially large group of
young aerobiologists from Eastern Europe, where
aerobiology is undergoing great development. Next year will
th
see the 11 International Palynological Congress in Granada
(Spain), which is scheduled to include an extensive
programme on Aerobiology. The Nordisk Aerobiologisk
th
Förening is also preparing for the 10 NAF Symposium in
Turku.
A valuable new book has been published on Aerobiology
and Cultural Heritage, and this issue contains an abstract of
another book on Pollen and Spores in the Canary Islands.
As announced in the issue 56, from 2004 onwards the IAA
Newsletter will be available in electronic format both at the
IAA website:
http://www.isac.cnr.it/aerobio/iaa/IAABULL.html and
the Galician Aerobiology Network site
( http://www.usc.es/aerobio).
Printed copies will only be
sent to IAA members on request, so please let me know if
you are interested. If your e-mail address is not yet in the
IAA members' database, please send it to both Christine
Rogers ( crogers@hsph.harvard.edu)
and myself
( vjato@uvigo.es).
The IAA Newsletter has great potential as an ongoing tool
for providing information and for keeping members in
touch. I would like to call on all IAA members to send
information on the aerobiological activities of members and
groups everywhere, together with new ideas for improving
the Newsletter. The Newsletter can only function with your
active input. Once again, my thanks to everyone who has
contributed to this issue.
Finally, I would like to wish all IAA members a very peaceful
and happy 2004.
Victoria Jato
Newsletter Editor
e-mail vjato@uvigo.es fax +34 988 387001
The main mission of the IAA is the
promotion of aerobiology. As a
community, we are all interested in raising
the visibility and prominence of aerobiology
within the broader scientific community. An
acknowledgement of the importance of
aerobiology and our work by scientists outside of
the aerobiology community would highlight the
need for more academic positions in aerobiology,
facilitate the publication of our work in prominent
scholarly journals and ease the flow of money from
funding agencies. While these things are certainly
desirable, how can we achieve a greater prominence
for aerobiology?
Clear indicators of a vibrant and important field of
scientific inquiry include the existence of high
quality scientific journals that the broader scientific
community looks to for expertise and guidance.
Aerobiology is fortunate to have 2 journals
( Aerobiologia and Grana)
that regularly publish our
work. These journals have welcomed our
contributions and have often waited patiently for
manuscripts to arrive. For the individual
investigator, there are a plethora of choices when it
comes to publishing as the list of scholarly journals
increases year by year. As a result, aerobiologists are
publishing in a wide array of journals, thereby
(inadvertently) diffusing the impact of aerobiology
as an independent discipline. Admittedly, one does
not want to publish solely in one journal (or two),
and it is in the best interests of both the investigator
and the field to publish in the highest profile
journals. However, we cannot expect to maintain
high quality journals in our field if we do not
publish in them. In order for Aerobiology to be
respected as an independent discipline, we must
contribute our highest quality work to the
aerobiology journals.
There are a number of factors that make it
desirable for an author to submit an article to a
specific journal. First, is the perception of the
quality of the journal. This comes from quality
work that has been previously published after
rigorous and thorough reviews of that work. We
must be compelled to do thorough and critical
reviews of manuscripts when asked by our
journals. We can help fellow aerobiologists
improve the quality of their work by spending time
on reviews and providing useful feedback on how
to improve a paper or scientific study. We must also
raise our standards and be willing to reject work
that is not scientifically sound. Second, the speed
of publication is very important to an author. My
understanding is that the rate-limiting step in the
process of publication is the timely receipt of
reviews. The message is clear:
be thorough, but commit to a review only if you
can complete it in the designated time. Wouldn't it
be wonderful to receive replies to submissions
within one month, and see publications within a
few months? Lastly, the desirability of publishing
in a journal increases with a wider readership. We
can contribute to increasing the readership of our
journals in two ways: by publishing more of our
high quality work in these journals and by making
references to quality articles in aerobiology
publications when writing our papers. This
enables the journals to apply for inclusion in
electronic databases which open the entire world
to our work. There are many intangible benefits of
electronic searches, from the single investigator,
stumbling upon an entire discipline they knew
nothing about, to funding agencies looking to
aerobiology for innovative approaches to new
problems they need solved. The following
databases already index either Aerobiologia or
Grana : Biological Abstracts; BIOSIS Previews;
Elsevier BIOBASE/Current Awareness in
Biological Sciences; EMBASE/Excerpta Medica;
Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts;
Microbiology Abstracts Section A: Industrial and
Applied Microbiology; Microbiology Abstracts
Section B: Health & Safety Science Abstracts;
Pollution Abstracts; Toxicology Abstracts.
However, there are some that are more selective,
for example ISI Current Contents, to which our
journals have not yet been accepted. I would like
to urge each member of the aerobiological
community to make a concentrated effort to
submit at least one high quality scientific article to
an aerobiology journal each year in a push to get
the journals indexed with ISI or other prominent
databases.
Finally, the survival of scientific journals relies on
subscriptions. We must support the journals by
subscribing each and every year even though we
may be able to access electronic versions through
library subscriptions. There are special
subscription prices available to IAA members for
each of the journals. Please take advantage of
them.
Through these easy steps of focusing our
submissions to the aerobiology journals,
completing thorough reviews in a timely manner,
increasing the quality of our work, and
maintaining paid subscriptions to the journals, we
can do our part to promote the entire field of
aerobiology through which we will all reap the
benefits.
For comments or feedback contact
crogers@hsph.harvard.edu
1

The Republic of Singapore is an
island-city state. It is located on
the Southern tip of Peninsular
Malaysia, just north of the equator
near latitude 1.5 deg N and longitude
2
104 deg E. It is only 685.4 km in size.
Because of its geographical location
and maritime exposure, Singapore's
climate is characterised by uniform
temperatures and pressure, high
humidity and abundant rainfall
throughout the year. Diurnal
temperatures range from 23 to 34C
with the relative humidity averaging
84%. During the Northeast monsoon
season especially in December,
prolonged heavy rain can result in
relative humidity values reaching
100%.
The first studies were carried out after
setting up the first aerobiology station
in 1988 with the purchase of a Burkard
spore trap. A Durham trap was placed
at the same station to check the
efficiency of the Burkard trap. The
setting up of an aerobiology station
was the brainchild of Associate
Professor Lee Bee Wah, currently a
consulting paediatrician for the Allergy
and Immunology Unit at the
National University Hospital,
Singapore. The project was done in
collaboration With Associate Professor
Hugh Tan, a botanist, and Associate
Professor Tan Teck Koon, a
mycologist, both of the then
Department of Botany (now Biological
Sciences), National University of
Singapore. The trap was set on the
rooftop of Block S3 of the National
University of Singapore Kent Ridge
campus together with an onsite
meteorological station. In less than a
year, two more sampling sites were
added in the Southwest and Northeast
of Singapore, both of which were in
mainly residential areas.
Setting up of the sampling stations
facilitated discovery of the rich
Singaporean airspora. Because of the
tropical conditions here, fungal spores
make up almost 80% of the airspora
composition. However, the pollen and
fern spore types are also diverse, with
up to more than 80 types. The
availability of the airspora composition
data enabled clinicians to tailor-make
the skin prick panels used in the allergy
clinic using the major local airspora
species.
On May 2003, at Cordoba University in Spain, Dr. Maria Teresa Gómez-
Casero presented her Doctoral Thesis, entitled “Floral phenology and
aerobiology in different evergreen Quercus species in the province of
Córdoba” prepared under the direction of Dr. Carmen Galán Soldevilla and Dr.
Eugenio Domínguez Vilches (University of Córdoba). A comparative study has
been carried out between phenologycal and aerobiological data in order to
observe the relative pollen contribution of each Quercus species living in the
Sierra Morena, Córdoba province, on the aerobiological curve. It has been
described the different reproductive phenophases in Quercus species. A
correlation and regression analysis between the length of the different
phenophases and the meteorological parameters occurring in prior periods have
been carried out.
The thesis was fully deserved the unanimous prise of the board, under its
President Dr. Félix Infante (University of Córdoba) and made up by Dr.
Francisco Vázquez (INIA, Badajoz), Dr. Consuelo Díaz de la Guardia
(University of Granada, Spain), Dr. Julia Angulo (University of Córdoba) and
Baltasar Cabezudo (University of Málaga,Spain).
Dr. Gómez-Casero was awarded full marks with honours.
Carmen Galán Soldevilla
It is with great pleasure that I announce that the Indian
Aerobiology Society has reinstated their associated status with the
payment of associated society dues. We extend a warm welcome
to 55 new associated members of the IAS.
One of the major airspora pollen types
discovered was oil palm, Elaeis guineensis,
which is frequently cultivated as a crop
in Peninsular Malaysia to the north and
Indonesia (Sumatra) to the West and
Southwest. This is also the pollen that
elicits the most positive skin prick
reactions when tested on atopic patients
in Singapore clinics. The levels of oil
palm pollen in highly correlated to wind
direction. However, this plant is rarely
cultivated in Singapore.
Currently, airspora calendars for all the
major airspora species are available.
Forecasting work is still ongoing. In the
year 2000, we added a cyclone sampler
to the rooftop of block S3 to study the
relationship between airspora and
allergen load. Due to the shortage of
manpower and constant disruption of
power supplies to the two off campus
traps, these two stations were shut down
leaving only the Kent Ridge Campus
station operational. A negligible
difference between the airspora
composition and load between the three
stations was the deciding factor for the
closure of the two stations.
We are currently working hard to
develop an automated system for
identifying airspora. We aim to automate
the airspora counting process too. An
automated counting process will
eliminate the constant need for trained
personnel to do the counting as well as
inter-counter variation and result in
faster airspora counts. All these savings
will, in turn, allow more sampling
stations to be set up together with the
existing national weather stations to
ensure airspora counts are more
representative for the whole country.
Our final aim is to provide current and
accurate airspora counts to the public.
ONG Tan Ching
Email: dbsotc@nus.edu.sg
Department of Biological Sciences,
Faculty of Science,
National University of Singapore,
14 Science Drive 4,
Singapore 117543
Allergens from Platanus acerifolia.
Dr. Juan R. Asturias.
Palinology and Phylogeny of Angiosperms. Dr. Anninck Le Thomas.
Diffusion of pollen's allergens. Conflict between plants and hay fever sufferers
people. Dr. María Suárez-Cervera.
New techniques of capture and identification of aeroallergens. Dr. Stella
Moreno.
The role of pollen carbohydrate epitopes in the IgE recognition. Dr. Patricia
Iacovacci.
Ultra structural convergence in Biology. Dr. Juan A. Seoane-Camba.
The event was organised in honour of Dr. Juan Seoane-Camba who recently was
retired as Full Professor of the University of Barcelona.
In the last decades Dr. Seoane-Camba, together his wife, Dr. Suárez-Cervera, had
hardly worked in Aerobiology. A new device to pollen capture was designed by
them and it has been used by different Spanish Aerobiology groups in the 80's. In
the last years important works on the ultra structural aspects related with the
pollen changes involved in the liberation of allergens by the pollen were
conducted by its direction.
Victoria Jato
Last 21st of November a meeting on
Pollen and Pollinosis was organised by
the Department of Botany of the
University of Barcelona. Tha programme
included seven conferences focussed on
different aspects of pollen and specially on ultra
structural, inmunocitochemic and pollen's
allergens:
Expression of recombinant antigens of
Cupressaceae pollen and the effect of pollution
on it. Dr. Carlos Lahoz.
Pollen development as a tool in biotechnology.
Dr. Mª Carmen Risueño.
2

Cultural Heritage and Aerobiology
Methods and Measurement Techniques for
Biodeterioration Monitoring
Edited by
Paolo Mandrioli
Giulia Caneva
Cristina Sabbioni
This book is the first to give a general overview of the application of aerobiology (the science that studies the biological
components of the atmosphere) to the conservation of our cultural heritage.
Aerobiological monitoring makes it possible to estimate the risks of degradation of artefacts of historical or artistic
importance by airborne microorganisms (airborne spores and vegetative structures) according to the types of materials
forming the artefacts, to the conditions of the microclimate and to the type of environmental pollution, thus enabling the
planning of preventive or reparative intervention.
Among the book's main features are:
· Aspects of the biodeterioration of different materials (paper, wood, fabrics, parchment, leather, stone, glass, metals,
plastic, etc.).
· Methods for measuring environmental parameters, both physical (microclimatic) and chemical (pollutants).
· Methods and techniques of aerobiological monitoring.
· Specific problems concerning the different types of environments.
Audience: The subject is thoroughly explored, thus supplying a useful tool to those who are in charge of the conservation of
our cultural heritage (libraries, archives, museums, churches, hypogea, monuments, archaeological sites, etc.).
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht
Hardbound,”ISBN”1-4020-1622-0
October 2003, 258 pp.
EUR 79.00 / USD 87.00 / GBP 55.00
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Van Godewijckstraat 30
3311 GX Dordrecht - The Netherlands
Airborne Pollens and Spores in the Canary Islands the
Incidence upon Allergies
Authors- Irene E. La Serna Ramos
Maria D. Dominguez Santana
Publications Service, University of La Laguna, 2003
Distributors:
BREOGAN c/Ayala 96, 28001 Madrid. Tel. 917 259072. E-mail:
breogan@breogan.org.
LEMUS BOOKSHOP c/Heraclio Sánchez 64, La Laguna, Tenerife. Tel. 922
251461.
E-mail: lemuscb@teleline.es. Web page:
www.librerialemus.com
Price: € 21
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
www.wkap.nl
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This book is a new and complete aerobiological study of the Canary Islands which will be a very useful tool for a better understanding of the air quality in the islands
as many of its biotic components are involved in allergy problems.
The
book begins by defining aeropalynology and pollenosis as well as describing the origins and characteristics of atmospheric palynomorphs. There is a detailed botanical
description
of various groups of microalgae, fungal spores, bryophytic lichens and ferns, followed by the morphological aspects of the pollen grain and its role in the
fascinating
process of pollination. Techniques for the capture and analysis of airborne particles are clearly described.
The
authors then go on to catalogue in great detail 139 airborne palynomorphs divided into algae, lichens, ferns, bryophytes and phanerograms, each being given a clear
description
as seen under a light microscope, and also their allergenic characteristics. The spermatophytes are covered more fully with additional notes on pollination
types,
flowering times, habitats and so on. There are also 12 wonderful, colour photographs taken under the microscope, showing the great diversity of airborne spores
and
pollens, which will doubtless become an essential guide to identification both in the Canary Islands and other areas. Finally, there is a glossary of terms related to
aeropalynology,
plus one index of vernacular names and another of taxonomical names, and an extensive bibliography.
I strongly
recommend this excellent book on aeropalynology which will be a great help in the identification of many biological particles not only in the Canary Islands but
also
in other areas of the Spanish Peninsula, particularly with reference to fungal spores.
Consuelo Díaz de la Guardia
3

The Third European Symposium on Aerobiology covered a diverse range of
topics including traditional aspects of the subject as well as those on the
leading edge of novel research. The focus was on applied Aerobiology and
on collaboration, both interdisciplinary and internationally. Thanks to a lot of hard
work from the members of local organising committee and the Scientific
committee, the TESA ran very smoothly with a friendly and vibrant atmosphere.
Grateful thanks are also due to the sponsors of the event namely (in alphabetical
order) British Aerobiology Federation, Burkard Manufacturing, Glaxo Smithkline,
Lanzoni, Meiji Microscopes and Zirtek Allergy UCB.
The symposium was attended by 130 delegates from 30 countries. A total of 45
posters were exhibited and 73 oral presentations were given. Authors of posters
also gave short presentations of their work in discussion sessions. The academic
programme included the following keynote talks:
-Aerobiology: Its uses and abuses. Prof. Jean Emberlin.
-Aerobiology and Biological Weapons. Dr Alastair Hay.
-Aerobiology, Allergies and Animal health. Dr Tim Nuttall.
There was also a Keynote sub-symposium on Aerobiology and Health sponsored
by Zirtek/UCB Pharma. This included the following presentations:
-Epidemiology of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Dr Michael Burr, University of Wales
College of Medecine, Cardiff, UK.
-Trends in respiratory allergies during the past two decades in Vienna: the influence
of environmental factors. Prof. Siegfried Jaeger, Clinic of Laringology, University
of Vienna, Austria.
-Asthma and deprivation. Prof. Richard Lewis, Worcestershire Royal Hospital,
Worcester, UK.
Contributions from delegates on the topic of Aerobiology and Health were
welcomed in a General Session on this subject. There was also a sub symposium on
Ragweed, led by Dr Déchamp. Other sessions covered a wide range of topics
including, Agriculture and Aerobiology, Indoor Aerobiology, Fungal Spores,
Aerobiological and Health Aspects, Methods and Networks, Climate Change and
Regional and Temporal Variations in Pollen Counts. Aspects of particular concern
for future developments in Aerobiology were debated such as New Techniques in
Aerobiology, European Collaboration and Development, Threshold
concentrations of pollen, Forecasting and Modeling and Pollution and particles
other than pollen. The standard of presentations and posters was very high with
numerous excellent contributions from the delegates.
TESA Competition Winners
Three different competitions were held during the Third European Symposium on
Aerobiology. Here are the details of the prizewinners:
Competition for finding the person who made the best contribution to discussions.
This was won by Dr Eckart Schultz of Germany who won a beautiful Elgar Bowl,
kindly donated by Worcester Porcelain.
Best poster in Symposium competition.
The prize for this was a Dyson Vacuum Cleaner, donated by the company, and it
was won by Dr Nathalie Jarosz of France for her poster entitled: 'Influence of
variety and humidity on settling velocity of maize pollen.' In second place was
Drs R. Gehrig & A Peeters with 'Diurnal analysis of Poaceae pollen at the source
of pollen emission', and in third place were Drs A.Testa, S Saint-Jean et al.
with
'Rapid laboratory analysis of spore dispersal by splash droplets using a
Phytophthora infestans strain that expresses the green fluorescent protein.’
Student grants to attend TESA.
Two prizes of reimbursement of the TESA fee were donated by Glaxo-
Smithkline. These were awarded to Branko Sikoparija of Serbia and Montenegro
and Manuela Martins Oliveira of Portugal.
Social programme
The TESA included a varied and full social programme. Several optional tours
were arranged during the sessions such as Worcester Cathedral and City tour and a
visit around Royal Worcester Porcelain, although most delegates chose to stay in
the sessions. However all participants were able to take part in the main social
events, which are described below.
Welcome Reception
The welcome reception took place on the Saturday evening after registration. It was
an informal occasion with delegates having the chance to meet each other and have
a chat over a buffet meal. Following the meal a dancing demonstration took place by
a group of Appalachian step dancers.
Excursion to Stratford-Upon-Avon and dinner at the Birmingham Botanical
st
Gardens Monday 1 September
On arriving in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, the
world famous poet and playwright, delegates wandered around the town at their
own leisure. Some visited Shakespeare's birthplace museum or took a boat trip
down the river Avon passing the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Others simply took
the opportunity to look around the shops and to buy presents and souvenirs to take
back home with them.
After spending the afternoon in Stratford, the coaches preceded onto the world
famous Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Here delegates enjoyed a guided tour
around the many acres of beautiful gardens, glasshouses and tropical houses. This
was followed by a delightful candlelit dinner held in the Terrace suite; the evening
was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
The Gala dinner
The final social event of the symposium was the Gala dinner, this was held at the
rd
Guildhall in Worcester on Wednesday 3 September. On arrival at the Guildhall
delegates enjoyed a drinks reception and acoustic ensemble played by local band
D'Bunni.
4

Following this, an excellent meal was enjoyed upstairs in the assembly room. Subsequent to dinner delegates moved downstairs to the Lower hall and enjoyed
champagne during which the speeches and prize giving was made. The prizes of a Dyson vacuum cleaner for the best poster, and a Worcester Porcelain Elgar bowl for
the
best contribution to discussion during the symposium were presented.
The
evening then turned lively with D'Bunni playing again, and almost all of the delegates let their hair down and took to the dance floor. The whole evening came to a
close
far too quickly.
The
symposium rounded off with the closing ceremony to thank everyone involved with the planning and running of the event and also a presentation by Francisca
Alba
advertising the 11th International Palynological Congress in Granada, Spain in July 2004. Details of the TESA and photos can be seen on www.pollenuk.co.uk
.The
next European Symposium on Aerobiology will be held in Finland, hosted by the Aerobiology group at Turku and led by Dr Auli Rantio-Lehtimaki. This will be
either
in 2007 or 2008, date to be confirmed.
From
th th
7 to 13 August 2003 the Sixth European Course in Basic Aerobiology (6th ECBA) was given in Poland. After Krems, Austria (1993), Leiden, The
Netherlands (1995), Worcester, UK (1997), Córdoba, Spain (1999, and Perugia, Italy (2001), Poznan, Poland was the venue for this Basic Course in 2003. The
Course had been organized by Dr. Alicja Stach (Quaternary and Geo-ecology Research Institute, Dept. of Geomorphology of the University of Poznan), co-
organized by Prof. Frits Spieksma, and strongly supported by Prof. Wojciech
Silny (Allergic Disease Diagnostic Centre of the University of Medical Sciences at
Poznan).
The “permanent” European team of teachers was again formed by Prof. Jean Emberlin, Prof. Carmen Galan, Prof. Giuseppe Frenguelli, Prof. Siegfried Jäger,
and
Prof. Frits Spieksma. The hosting Polish teachers team consisted of Dr Alicja Stach, Prof. Elzbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska, and Prof. Magdalena Czarnecka-
Operacz, and was supported by a team of assistants with Dr. Malgorzata Góra, Dr. Idalia Kasprzyk, Dr. Dorota Myszkowska, Dr. Magdalena Ratajczak,
Dr. Danuta
Stepalska,
and Dr Andreja Seliger (from Slovenia).
th
The program of this 6 ECBA was essentially the same as of the five preceding ECBA's, with ten introductory lectures on various topics of fundamental and applied
aerobiology,
and with much emphasis on practical and technical aspects of airborne pollen and spore monitoring. Twenty-two different pollen taxa were presented and
studied,
and ten different recognizable fungal spores were also included in the instructive program. In the middle of the Course week, also traditionally, there was the
biological
and cultural excursion this time to some archeological sites East of Poznan.
th
This 6 ECBA was attended by 24 participants from 13 countries (see photo), all of who successfully completed this Course and received the Certificate.
By
Frits Spieksma
Oegstgeest,
25 August 2003
Teachers,
assistants, and participants of the
th
6 ECBA at Poznan, Poland;
From
left to right, back row: Mohamed Laaidi
(France),
Andris Germanis (Latvia), Shahid
Abbas
(Pakistan), Wolfgang Dutzi (Austria), Jean
Emberlin
(UK), Giuseppe Frenguelli (Italy),
Carmen
Galan (Spain), Frits Spieksma (The
Netherlands), Siegfried Jäger, Austria, Predrag
Radisic
(Serbia);
middle
row: Edita Stefanic (Croatia), Aleksandra
Konopinska
(Poland), Krystyna Piotrowska
(Poland),
Danuta Stepalska (Poland), Charlotte
Lachasse
(France), Dorota Myszkowska (Poland),
Anja
Heynis-van der Vos (The Netherlands),
Laimdota
Kalnina (Latvia), Magdalena Józefiak
(Poland),
Agata Gieldon (Poland), Alicja Stach
(Poland),
Elzbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska
(Poland),
Mirjana Mitrovic-Josipovic
(Yugoslavia),
Ingrida Sauliene (Lithuania), Bozena
Mitic
(Croatia), Andreja Seliger (Slovenia), Renata
Peternel
(Croatia), Zdenka Culjak (Croatia);
front
row: Aleksandra Kosic (Croatia), Gabriele
Price
(UK), Malgorzata Nowak (Poland),
Agnieska
Uruska (Poland), Idalia Kasprzyk
(Poland),
Malgorzata Puc (Poland), Malgorzata
Góra
(Poland), Vivika Meltsov (Estonia), Barbara
Köhler
(Austria).
The Sixth European Course on Basic Aerobiology was held 7-13 August 2003 in Poznañ under the auspices of the IAA International Association for
Aerobiology.
The ceremony opening the course took place in the Lubranski Hall of Colleguim Minus of the University. Following the opening, the guests were welcomed by
Professor
Wojciech Silny, and next Professor Frits Spieksma addressed the course instructors (see separate report). Professor Bronislaw Marciniak, the Rector, gave an
address
on behalf of Adam Mickiewicz University, and Professor Wojciech Dyszkiewicz, Prorector, on behalf of the Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical
Science.
Professor Kazimierz Szczepanek and Professor Krystyna Obtu³owicz, both of the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, the precursors of aerobiology in Poland
were honoured guests at the opening ceremony.
The group of 24 students taking the course included participants from Austria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Serbia and
Montenegro,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Poland.
Magdalena Ratajczak,
Alicja Stach, Magdalena Józefiak and Agata Szymañska prepared materials for the classes and lectures, and the lecture texts for
publication.
Most of the texts were prepared in Department of Geomorphology of the Institute of Quaternary Research and Geoecology thanks to the support of
Professor
Boleslaw Nowaczyk. Comparative samples for the students were prepared by Andreja Seliger i Idalia Kasprzyk. The success of the course was also dependent
on the high quality of the microscopes lent to us by Zeiss, represented by Mr Grzegorz Kolodziej
Among the traditions of aerobiology courses is to make it possible for participants to become acquainted with the history, culture, and natural environment of
the
host country. Given the intensive nature of the course, single-day excursions are an attempt to meet this goal. SECBA participants visited Ostrów Lednicki,
Gniezno,
Trzemeszno and Biskupin on Sunday 10 August, and were given specially prepared excursion guides: „The natural and cultural values of Szlak Piastowski
( Piast Route)”. Botanical topics relevant to the excursion were covered by Dr Julian Chmiel of the Institute of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, and Danuta
Stêpalska from Kraków, and topics from physical geography by Dr Magdalena Ratajczak.
Our guides were very impressed that during the excursion in the coach, not
only
did the course participants enjoy the areas being visited, but they also continued working on the course lecture and class notes and tasks.
5

The final dinner was arranged in the rather unusual setting of the Poznañ Palm House. As Professor Spieksma commented, the examination results achieved by
the students were very good, but as to whether the course has fulfilled its goals will only be seen later. We will be watching carefully to see how many of our course
participants publish their work in Aerobiology or Grana, and how many become active participants in IAA conferences.
The preparation and completion of the course would not have been possible without the support and active engagement of Professor Wojciech Silny and
Professor Magdalena Czarnecka-Operacz in securing funding.
For me personally, this was a special experience, and I would like to thank all the lecturers and instructors, assistents, and students for their great commitment. The
holding of the course in Poznañ has also contributed to the taking of the decision to open an aerobiology unit At the Faculty of Biology at the Adam Mickiewicz
University.
By Alicja Stach
Dear Colleagues,
With just over six months to go to
the 11 IPC we are making good progress here in
Granada with the organisation of the conference. We
are very pleased with the level of response we are
getting from all over the world and feel confident that
the quality of the contributions will assure the success
of the conference. May I remind you that the
deadline for receiving abstracts is only a few weeks
away on the 15 January 2004 and the deadline for
registration without surcharge is 15 April 2004.
Aerobiologists and specialists in pollen allergies will
be strongly represented at the conference and will
have a total of ten sessions, giving the possibility for
at least eighty contributions plus a poster exhibition
and poster sessions on three days of the conference.
The journal Aerobiologia has offered to publish the
proceedings of this part of the conference.
In September we sent out the second circular setting
out the scientific programme so far. Besides the two
Nordisk Aerobiologisk Förening, NAF (Nordic Aerobiology
Association), is an association for aerobiologists and other Nordic and
Baltic researchers with diverse scientific backgrounds and expertise, and
with common interest in the sources, dispersal, deposition and health effects of
airborne biological particles.
The 10th NAF symposium will be arranged in Turku, Finland, August 19-20 2004,
in the campus area of the University of Turku.
We invite everybody interested in aerobiology from the Nordic, Baltic or
other countries, to attend the meeting. The symposium language will be
English. Scientific contributions covering all topics of aerobiology, as well as
medicine, meteorology and forestry related to aerobiology are invited.
The papers might focusing on the following subjects:
Health aspects
· Pollen, fungi, bacteria
· Airborne allergens
· Bioaerosols
· National networks
· Indoor air quality
· Sampling techniques
plenary sessions given by Professor Eugenio
Domínguez of the University of Cordóba, Spain,
and Professor Henry Hooghiemstra of the
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands,
Professor Paolo Mandrioli will give the opening
lecture “The first 30 years of the International
Association for Aerobiology”. The registration fee
includes the full social programme as well as a guided
tour of the Alhambra and Generalife. There are two
attractive options available for accompanying
persons. We have organised special discounts at
hotels within easy walking distance of the
conference centre. Unfortunately, funding is limited
but three different grants are available, from the
IFPS, the AASP and from the 11 IPC organisation
itself. Further details are available on the conference
web-site.
July is of course quite hot in the south of Spain but
the conference centre is air-conditioned so we will be
able to get on with our work. Due to Granada's
altitude, however, the evenings are pleasantly cool
and the dinners we have organised will be held
outside in lovely gardens. The summer evenings are
quite magical in Granada. If you wish to extend your
stay in Spain I highly recommend the pre- and postconference
tours we have organised, taking you to
places of great botanical, palynological, geological
and palaeontological interest.
You can find more detailed information on our
regularly updated web site www.11ipc.org. If you
want more information about accommodation, the
pre- and post-conference tours and so on, the
technical secretary can be contacted at
eurocongres@eurocongres.es.
I do encourage you to send us the latest results of
your research and to join us here in Granada next
summer to meet colleagues old and new and to enjoy
our Andalucian hospitality.
Ana T. Romero
11 IPC Chairwoman
The 10th NAF symposium
X NAF, the 10th Nordic Symposium on Aerobiology, August 19-20, 2004,
Turku, Finland.
· Atmospheric transport, meteorology
· Forecasting and modelling
· Phenology
· Remote sensing
· Forest research and agronomy
Keynote lectures:
• Pollen seasons and satellite phenology studies
by Kjell Arild Høgda, NORUT Information Technology, Tromsø, Norway
• Atmospheric transport of birch pollen
by Mikhail Sofiev, The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Helsinki,
Finland
The symposium is open for all members of the NAF or the IAA / International
Association for Aerobiology in the Scandinavian countries, Finland and the Baltic
states. However, NAF membership is not required for attending the symposium.
Important dates:
· Registration deadline January 31, 2003
·
·
·
Presentation registration deadline January
31, 2003
Abstract submission deadline April 30, 2004
Registration fee payment by April 30, 2004
We look forward to seeing you in Turku!
On behalf of the Local organising committee: Hanna Ranta
For more information, please visit the conference website
www.sci.utu.fi/aerobiologia/xnaf , or contact symposium secretary
xnaf@utu.fi .
Contact: XNAF / Aerobiology Unit, FI-20014 Univ. Turku, Finland
Phone: +358 (0)2 333 6065, Fax: +358 (0)2 -333 5565
E-mail: XNAF@utu.fi
6

28th
IUBS General Assembly and IUBS Conference "Biological Sciences,
Development
and Society"
Cairo,
Egypt, 18 - 23 January 2004
Contact:
IUBS Secretariat, 51 bd de Montmorency, 75016 Paris, France
Tel:
+33 (0) 1 45 25 00 09
Fax:
+33 (0) 1 45 25 20 29
e-mail:
secretariat@iubs.org
60th
Annual Meeting of the AAAAI (American Academy of Allery, Asthma &
Immunology)
San Francisco, USA 19 - 24 March, 2004
AAAAI,
611 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA.
Tel:
+1 414 272 6071
Fax:
+1 414 272 6070
e- mail: am2004@aaaai.org
8th International Congress on Aerobiology: "Aerobiology: towards a
comprehensive vision"
Neuchâtel (Switzerland), 21 - 25 August 2006
Chair person : Dr. Bernard Clot
MeteoSwiss, Les Invuardes, CH - 1530 Payerne
Tel +41 26 662 62 59, Fax +41 26 662 62 12
bernard.clot@meteoswiss.ch
A
postdoctoral vacancy for an aerobiologist has fallen vacant in the Allergy and Aerobiology Research Unit, Department of Biological and Medical Research,
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The
successful candidate will join a team of allergists and aerobiologists as part of the expansion of the Research Unit. A PhD degree in Aerobiology in relation to
Allergology from a recognized University with a minimum of five years experience in the relevant field is required.
The candidate must have experience in the following areas:
* Good knowledge and experience in identification of all kinds of airborne and domestic allergens.
* Handling of all kind of volumetric air samplers including Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap and Burkard personal viable/non-viable samplers.
* Detection and identification of indoor allergens including Bla g, Der p, Der f, Fel d and Per a allergens.
* Qualitative and quantitative identification, enumeration and conversion of environmental and domestic allergens using various monitoring devices and
immunochemical methods.
* Collection, extraction and standardization of various indoor and outdoor antigens/allergens for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
* Field identification and collection of allergenic pollen grains.
* Culture experience of HDMs and fungi for antigen preparation.
The
applicant should submit a CV including an email address, and the names and addresses of three referees (preferably email addresses, or if not available fax
addresses). Send this information to: Ms. Katharine Ritchie, Senior Hospital Assistant, Department of Biological and Medical Research (MBC 03), King
Faisal
Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: kritchie@kfshrc.edu.sa
This year, the International Union of Geological Societies (IUGS) has
awarded
$US 1000.00 to IFPS. This is in recognition of our work within the international
community of geological scientists.
Furthermore, as Councillors must be aware, the move to electronic publication
of PALYNOS has led to savings in expenditure relating to printing and
distribution.
Therefore, our current financial position enables us to propose that $10,000 be
set
aside as an award fund to assist a selected number of students and
established, but financially disadvantaged researchers, to attend 11 IPC and
present an aspect of their recent research. The award could, for example, be
used to help fund accommodation, travel, registration etc.
Clearly we would have to be fair in the selection process and, therefore, we
propose to set up a Committee to consider applications for funding.
Applicants will not be eligible for an award, if they have applied for and
received an award from either of the other two award funds (see below).
Although it is not necessary in our by-laws for the President to seek Council
approval in this matter it would seem both sensible and democratic to do so. It
also provides the opportunity for the President to seek constructive comment
on the idea, and practical suggestions on how to action it most effectively.
Assuming Councillors agree that this is a good use of funds, we plan to move
forward quickly with this. Unfortunately it is too late for the second circular, but
information on this award, and an application form, will be put on the IFPS and
11 IPC websites, and symposium organisers will also be advised of the award.
Please note: The IFPS Award Fund should not be confused with either of
the other two awards which have been announced in the second 11 IPC
circular:
The AASP award scheme
The 11 IPC Organising Committee Award scheme
Annick Le Thomas (President)
Owen Davis (Past President)
Madeline Harley (Secretary-Treasurer)
th
30 September, 2003
7

Dr. Carmen Galán
Dept. of Plant Biology
University of Córdoba
Campus de Rabanales
Colonia de San José, nº 4
14071-Córdoba, Spain
Tel. 34 957 218719
Fax 34 957 218598
e-mail: bv1gasoc@uco.es
Dr. Siegfried Jaeger
ENT-Clinic, E8J
University of Vienna
Waehringer Guertel 18-20
A-1090 Wien, Austria
Tel 43 (1) 40 400 3370
Fax 43 (1) 405 63 55
e-mail:siegfried.jaeger@univie.ac.at
Dr. Christine Rogers
Environmental Science & Engineering
Harvard School of Public Health
Landmark Center, PO Box 15677, 401 Park Dr
Boston, MA 02215, USA
Tel 1 617 384 8814
Fax 1 617 384 8859
e-mail:crogers@hsph.harvard.edu
Dr. Janet Marie Macher
Cal. Dept. Health Services
EHLB, Indoor Air Quality Section
2151 Berkeley Way, Rm 334
Berkeley, CA 94704-1011, USA
Tel 1 510 540 3130
Fax 1 510 540 3130
e-mail:jmacher@dhs.ca.gov
Dr. Victoria Jato
University of Vigo
Dpt. Plant Biology
Fac. Sciences
E-32004 Ourense, Spain
Tel 34 988 387054
Fax 34 988 387001
e-mail:vjato@uvigo.es
Dr. M. Thibaudon Dr. A. McCartney
18 Rue Boyer 69160 IACR-Rothamsted
Tassin La demi-Lune Harpenden
France
Herts AL52JQ
Tel 33(0)474706679 UK England
Fax 33(0)474706682 Politechnical building
Tel 441582763133 2246
E-mails:
Fax 441582760981
michel.thibaudon@wanadoo.fr
alastair.mccartney@bbsrc.ac.uk
Dr. Bernard Clot
MétéoSuisse
Les Invuardes, Case Postale 316
CH-1530 Payerne, Switzerland
Tel 41 26 662 62 59
Fax 41 26 662 62 12
e-mail:benard.clot@meteoswiss.ch
Dr. Paul Comtois
Dept. of Geography
Univ. Montreal, CP 6128
Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
Tel 1 514 343 8029
Fax 1 514 343 8004
e-mail:paul.comtois@umontreal.ca
Dr. F. Javier Rodríguez-Rajo
Dr. Victoria Jato
University of Vigo
Dpt. Plant Biology
Fac. Sciences
E-32004 Ourense, Spain
Tel 34 988 387048
Fax 34 988 387001
e-mail:javirajo@uvigo.es
Membership in IAA is for the calendar year.
Dues are as follows:
�
�
�
For individual members 20 US$ per year
for members belonging to associated societies or organizations18 US$ per year.
For associated societies organizations 1US$ per year for each of their full members.
Send this form, duly filled in, to
Dr. Christine Rogers
Environmental Science & Engineering
Harvard School of Public Health
Landmark Center, PO Box 15677, 401 Park Dr.
Boston, MA 02215 USA
e-mail: crogers@hsps.harvard.edu
NAME:…………………………………………………………….………………………
ADDRESS: …….……………………………………………………….…………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………….POST/ZIP CODE:......…………………….
E-MAIL: ………………………CONTACT PHONE: ……………FAX………………...
PROFESSION…………………..INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION……….…………
SIGNATURE……………………………
Aerobiologia is an international medium for the
publication of original, full-length research papers
and review articles in the interdisciplinary fields of
aerobiology and interaction of human, plant and animal
systems on the biosphere. Subjects covered include:
bioaerosols, transport mechanisms, biometeorology,
climatology, air/sea interaction, land-surface/atmosphere
interaction, biological pollution, biological input to global
change, microbiology, aeromycology, aeropalynology,
arthropod dispersal and environmental policy.
For International Association for Aerobiology:
EUR 66.00/USD 70.00
Emphasis is given to subjects linked to aerobiology such as:
respiratory allergology, plant pathology, pest management,
biological weathering and biodeterioration, indoor air
quality, air-conditioning technology, industrial aerobiology
and cultural heritage.
The journal is of interest to aerobiologists and related
scientists and professionals working in fields such as
medicine, public health, industrial and environmental
hygiene, biological sciences, agriculture, atmospheric
physics, botany, environmental science and cultural
heritage.
Manuscript submission : For the purpose of reviewing, articles for publication should be submitted as
hard-copy printout (4-fold) and on diskette to:
Editorial Office Aerobiologia
c/o ISAC-CNR
Via Gobetti 101
I-40129 Bologna
Italy
Visit our website at: www.wkap.nl
for up-to-date information on submitting,
8