Mutagenesis, Vol. 17, No. 6, 449-450,
November 2002
© 2002 UK Environmental Mutagen Society/Oxford University Press
EDITORIAL |
Editorial
This special issue of Mutagenesis commemorates the 25th anniversary of the United Kingdom Environmental Mutagen Society (UKEMS) by publishing a series of reviews reflecting the scientific scope of the society. At this milestone in the history of the UKEMS, the emphasis of these articles is on reflecting the current state of their subjects, rather than on luxurious reminiscence. It is intended that this issue will be a useful resource both for those researchers whose interests are firmly rooted in environmental mutagenesis and genetic toxicology and for the many others whose expertise overlaps these important multi-disciplinary areas.
The first conference of the UKEMS was held at the University of Manchester in April 1977 and was organised by Diana Anderson. It was officially described as the 1st Annual Meeting of the UK Section of the European Environmental Mutagenesis Society (EEMS). Today UKEMS is a member society of the EEMS and the International Association of Environmental Mutagen Societies (IAEMS). There were 71 recorded delegates at the Manchester meeting, which comprised the familiar combination of invited talks (from C. Auerbach, P. Perry, M. Lyon, J.M. Parry and A. Lehmann), contributed papers and discussion sessions on assays for mutagens (led by S. Venitt, M. Fox and D. Scott). At that meeting the Society elected its first officers and formulated its plans for future activities. The society has continued to hold its annual meeting at universities in the UK since 1997, on some occasions playing host to the annual meeting of EEMS or arranging the meeting as a satellite to the four-yearly International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (ICEM) when the latter was held in France in 1977. The society recognizes outstanding service to environmental mutagenesis through the conferment of the title of UKEMS Fellow. The 13 scientists who have been honoured by the bestowing of this title are listed at the end of this article.
There are currently around 250 active members of the society, a balanced mixture of scientists working in academia and industry. In 1986 the UKEMS established this journal, Mutagenesis, with Jim Parry (Europe and Rest of the World) and John Heddle (North America) as editors. Subsequently, in 1993, an editorial office in Japan was established by Toshio Sofuni. Currently the three editors are, respectively, David Phillips, Jeffrey Schwartz and Makoto Hayashi.
Two specialist groups are affiliated to the UKEMS.
The Industrial Genotoxicology Group (IGG) was founded with the following objectives: to provide a forum for discussing the scientific and technical aspects of genetic toxicology tests required by regulatory authorities, their development, validation and use in testing strategies; to coordinate collaborative work needed to support these activities; to represent the general interests of industrial genetic toxicology in discussions with other scientific groups and regulatory authorities. The first meeting of the group was a workshop on the micronucleus assay, held at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, in 1987, and the group became formally affiliated to the UKEMS in 1989. Chairs of the group have included Terry Orton, Barry Elliott, Mike O’Donovan, Leigh Henderson and Peter Jenkinson, as well as the current chair, Julie Clements. Recent meetings have covered diverse topics such as the status of short-term tumour models and novel in vivo assays, the ethical use of animals in genotoxicity testing, cytotoxicity in vitro, the in vitro micronucleus test, the Comet assay and discussion of the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) draft guidelines on the strategy for testing of chemicals for mutagenicity.
The Molecular Epidemiology Group (MEG) was instigated in 1996 by Colin Garner during his presidency of the UKEMS. The aims of the MEG are: to bring together epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory scientists and others with an interest in molecular epidemiology and to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to population-based molecular studies of environmental causes of human disease; to provide a forum for multi-disciplinary meetings, workshops and other activities to discuss all aspects of molecular epidemiology; to provide technical and continuing education courses; to promote the application of quality control in molecular epidemiological studies; to represent the UK on issues relating to molecular epidemiology, both nationally and internationally. Past Chairs of the MEG have been Colin Garner and Peter Farmer, and the present Chair is Chris Wild. The first MEG meeting was held in London in April 1996 and regular meetings, both 1 and 2 day, have been held ever since, as well as a joint conference with the British Association for Cancer Research (BACR) in 2000. Normal attendance at MEG meetings is between 60 and 80.
I am indebted to Eileen Waters, Julie Clements and Jenny Duckmanton for assistance in writing this short history. Details of current and forthcoming UKEMS, IGG and MEG activities can be found at http://www.swan.ac.uk/cget/ukems/index.htm.
Officers of the UKEMS
Presidents
1977–1980 James Parry
1980–1983 Colin Arlett
1983–1986 Brian Kilby
1986–1988 Brian Dean
1988–1990 Margaret Fox
1990–1992 John Ashby
1992–1994 David Kirkland
1994–1996 David Tweats
1996–1998 Colin Garner
1998–2000 Michael Green
2000–2002 Barry Elliott
2002– Andrew Collins
Secretaries
1977–1984 Diana Anderson
1984–1990 David Tweats
1990–1996 Robert Combes
1996–2002 Stephen Dean
2002– Peter Jenkinson
Treasurers
1977–1983 Brian Dean
1983–1989 Natalie Danford
1989–1995 Terry Brooks
1995–2001 Kevin Adams
2001– Anthony Lynch
UKEMS Fellows
Colin Arlett (1999)
John Ashby (2000)
Charlotte Auerbach (1978; deceased)
Bryn Bridges (1981)
Jane Cole (1996)
Brian Dean (1990)
John Evans (1981)
Margaret Fox (1993; deceased)
David Kirkland (2002)
Philip Lawley (1990)
Mary Lyon (1982)
Jim Parry (2000)
Stan Venitt (1999)
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