NEWSLETTERc copyright

AChemSAssociation forChemoreception SciencesFostering Chemical Senses Research and Understanding Smell and Taste in Health and Disease

AChemS’ strongest asset is itsmembers, and this is no moreevident than over this past year.

The members of the Executive Committee– Christine Byrd, Pam Dalton, DebiFadool, Mimi Halpern, Mike Michel,John Scott, Leslie Tolbert, MattWachowiak, and Don Wilson – have actedon behalf of AChemS in many ways. Inaddition, several new standing committeeswere formed last year as the ExecutiveCommittee and the Long-Range PlanningCommittee recognized a need for specialattention. The new Industrial RelationsCommittee, chaired by Mike Meredith,has worked to bring industrial interestsand groups more fully into the AChemSfold. The new Publications Committee,chaired by Charlie Greer, is consideringways to make Chemical Senses, the officialjournal of AChemS, an even more effec-tive venue for presenting our research inthe chemical senses. Speaking of ChemicalSenses, I would like to recognize BarryAche and David Smith, our currentAChemS-affiliated Editors, and LeslieTolbert, Michael Leon, Alan Gelperin,Alan Spector, Matthew Ennis, PaulBreslin, Diego Restrepo, Randall Reed,Linda Bartoshuk, Barbara Trask, andRobert Margolskee, our current AChemSrepresentatives on the Editorial Board.Other new committees include theClinical Relations Committee, chaired byClaire Murphy and EducationCommittee, chaired by Gina Nelson.These are in addition to our existingommittees, and some of their activitiesover this past year are described elsewherein this newsletter.

Our annual meeting is a major focus formost AChemS members, and with this inmind, I want to mention three items.First, we all have much to look forward toin April. Debi Fadool, Program Chair, isworking feverishly with the ProgramCommittee to produce a wonderfulprogram; please check the web site formore information about the meeting.Second, I am pleased to announce that the2008 ISOT meeting will be held inSan Francisco, at the Hyatt Embarcadero.We believe that the venue, convenientlylocated for our west coast AChemSmembers and Asian colleagues, will be anexciting location for all, and will be at avery affordable price. I want to personallythank Tom Finger, Program Chair ofISOT 2008, and Tisha Kehn, AssociateExecutive Director of AChemS for theirwork in making this selection. Theyconsidered many options, made site visits,and spent much time during this process.Their thorough report made it easy for theExecutive Committee to unanimouslyendorse their recommendation. Third, Iwould like to comment on our usual venuefor our annual AChemS meetings – theSarasota Hyatt. Each year, our annualmeeting grows – we have new people,great events, wonderful presentations, andmore attendees. Our growth is a grandtestament to the vitality of our field, but italso challenges us in our current venue.Program chairs have had to be morecreative each year in handling theever-increasing number of presentations,and large events such as our openingGivaudan lecture. Our major talks are, asyou have experienced, literally bursting at

the seams. Additionally, most of us aredaily commuters to the meeting site, sinceonly about one-third of meeting attendeeshave rooms at the Hyatt. We have a signedcontract with the Sarasota Hyatt for 2007,and our 2008 meeting will be in SanFrancisco with ISOT. For 2009 andbeyond, we will face even greater spacechallenges, so I present a challenge to theExecutive Committee and the Long-Range Planning Committee to find solu-tions to this problem.

Returning to the present – I look forwardto seeing all of you in the warmth and sunof Sarasota in April. v

2006 Newly ElectedAChemS Officers

Diego Restrepo, President-electLinda Barlow, CounsilorScott Herness, SecretaryNancy Rawson, Membership Chair

177 Total votes were counted.

Message from the PresidentCharles Derby (cderby@gsu.com)

Spring 2006

THIS ISSUE INCLUDES

• Pictures from AChemS XXVII

• AChemS 2005 Awardees

• AChemS 2006 Election Results

• Job listings

• Ernest Polak Memorial

A Look Back at AChemS XXVIIPhotos by Debi Fadool

Dear Colleagues:Hope you are having a wonderful springseason. We have been preparing theupcoming sessions for the AChemS 28thAnnual Meeting that will be held April 26-30, 2006 in Sarasota, Florida. Plannedspecial symposia and travel informationare posted on the Society web site.Abstract Submissions closed on January 12as usual. We look forward to your partici-pation in this year's conference!

This year we will hold a pre-meetingsatellite symposium Tuesday andWednesday, April 25 - 26. The sympo-sium will be held much in the same way asin 2004 and 2005. There will only be ple-nary presentations. The satellite sympo-sium will most likely start at 1 pm onTuesday and end at 1 pm on Wednesday.Approximately fifteen speakers will beinvited to give oral presentations on thisyear's topic "Chemosensory Receptors."

Please direct inquiries to Dr. PeterMombaerts (peter@mail.rockefeller.edu),organizer of the satellite symposium.

All the best,Debra Ann FadoolAChemS 2006 Program Chair

(on behalf of the 2005-2006 ProgramCommittee: Charles Derby, Richard L. Doty,Debra Ann Fadool, Timothy Gilbertson,Robert Lane, Trese Leinders-Zufall, Emily R.Liman, Michael Leon, Mary Lucero,Michael Meredith, Charlotte Mistretta, JaneRoskams, Peter W. Sorensen, Steven St. John,Richard Vogt, and Joel White) v

Preview of AChemS XXVIIIDebi Fadool

Industry-related eventat AChemS XXVIII "Taste and Smell in Translation: Applications from basic research." A Symposium/ Tutorial exploring recent key advances in thechemical senses of interest to industry scientists, and also to basic scientists. The speakers are internationally known experts witha clear view of the cutting edge and a broad perspective. Each will focus on two or a few recent advances in basic research thathave potential applications. They will take the time to explain the basic science background for an audience that cannot be expertin all relevant areas. The audience will include industry scientists and policy makers as well as basic scientists and graduate stu-dents new to the field who are interested in applications of basic research. The symposium will conclude with a round-table dis-cussion with audience participation. Our goal is to explore how collaborations between industry and academic scientists can ben-efit both, but particularly how basic-science expertise can contribute.

Bob Margolskee Mt Siniai School of Med. Taste-molecular biologyRandy Reed Johns Hopkins University Olfaction-molecular biologyRachel Herz Brown University Olfaction - perception/ psychophysicsPaul Breslin Monell Chem. Senses Ctr. Taste - perception/ psychophysics

The symposium will be followed by a reception with buffet and cash bar: An opportunity for industry participants to network and to interact one on one with the symposium speakers and other interest-ed basic scientists.

For more information: Contact Mike Meredith at Florida State University (850) 644-3427 mmered@neuro.fsu.edu

Application forand Renewal of

Membership

Questions concerningmembership should be

addressed to Tisha Kehn.

5841 Cedar Lake RoadSuite 204

Minneapolis, MN 55416Direct Line: 952-646-2022

Fax: 952-545-6073

A membership applicationform and a dues renewal for

2006 are available at theAChemS web site

( http://www.achems.org ).

The 2005 Educational Outreach-GWIZevent was the best ever! Thanks to AleksSplavins and the staff at GWIZ, we hadnearly 500 visitors. Most were studentsand the rest were museum visitors. We aremaking a local impact in terms of educat-ing Sarasota school children about tasteand smell. Teachers were calling the muse-um early in the 2004-2005 school year tosee if AChemS was returning so they couldbook field trips. WOW!

In 2005, we had nine different demonstra-tions covering many aspects of taste andsmell for the students to participate in.The students are usually elementary kids,typically grades 3-7, although we have hadhigh school aged kids attend. The studentsrepresent many of the Sarasota PublicSchools and several area private schools aswell. The demonstrations are brought byvarious AchemS members who provided

both new demos and some of the oldfavorites to entice the children with. Thejelly beans are always a favorite.The AChemS educational outreachactivity at GWIZ is an opportunity forSarasota school kids to experience hands-on (the format of the entire museum)various aspects of taste and smell, andother senses too. Kids come by the vari-ous demonstrations in small groups andactively participate in each activity.Students have learned how taste differsfrom smell via jelly beans, how much salthas to be in the water before you cantaste it, how a moth antennae perceivesodors, and a whole lot more.

How do I participate in this lively activ-ity, you may ask? Easy! Pick your favoritetaste, smell, or other sense/neurobiologyactivity and email the activity coordina-tor (gnelson@nrc.uab.edu). We can also

GWIZ 2005was a Resounding Success!Gina Nelson

make suggestions if you just can't decideon what you would like to show. We canalso make suggestions, if you need them,on how to prepare your demo for kids.Then, bring it with you to the AChemSannual meeting in April 2006! We do ourdemos at the GWIZ museum, across thestreet from the Hyatt hotel, onWednesday, just prior to the start of themeeting. A typical schedule involves set-ting up around 9:00, and kids finish com-ing through about 12:30. Yes, this is a bigevent. If you like teaching kids, and thatincludes saying the same thing over andover, at least 100 times, this activity is foryou!

Trivia question for this issue: What doesGWIZ stand for anyway? (I was sur-prised.) Come by on April 26th, 2006 forthe answer.

rotrophin 4 (NT4), 2) determine when BDNFand NT4 regulate gustatory neuron numberand whether this regulation is accomplished byreducing proliferation or by increasing celldeath, 3) determine whether BDNF and/orNT4 is required for initial target invasion, and4) determine if BDNF and/or NT4 regulatethe central distribution of tongue and palatalsensory afferents. Ultimately, we plan toextend these findings to understand how thesedevelopmental processes contribute to adulttaste system function and the role of neu-rotrophins in adult gustatory plasticity. Acknowledgments: I am grateful to Dr. DavidHill for his outstanding mentorship. He hascontinued to be my advisor to this day,although I am sure he is looking forward to myeventual graduation. I thank Dr. KathrynAlbers for an excellent postdoctoral experienceand Dr. Charlotte Mistretta for supporting mycareer. I received early training from Dr. JamesSmith and Dr. Inglis Miller; their influence isstill with me. I am grateful to my AChemS col-

Research Focus:Dr. Doty has beenDirector of theNIH-supportedUniversity ofP e n n s y l v a n i aSmell and Taste

Center since its founding in 1980. His 1968M.S. thesis, done in conjunction with NASA,studied angular acceleration thresholds inhumans. His 1971 Ph.D. dissertation focusedon how olfaction is used in mate selection, sex-ual isolation, and speciation in rodents. Thiswork led to his discovery of a midventral seba-ceous gland in the mouse genus Peromyscusand to his classic review entitled, “A Cry for theLiberation of the Female Rodent,” a critique ofmale-oriented research in animal sexual behav-ior that drew a parallel between courtshipbehavior in birds and courtship behavior inmammals. Included among his more than 300publications are six edited books and 170 peer-reviewed papers, including studies on (a) hor-monal influences on volunteering behavior inwomen, (b) the role of human excretions andsecretions in communicating biological infor-mation, (c) the influence of the menstrual

cycle on olfactory function, (d) the effects ofdrugs on animal odor perception, (e) theeffects of age and age-related neurodegenera-tive diseases on olfactory function, and (f )methods for assessing olfactory and gustatoryfunction. In regards to the latter, he is perhapsbest known for the development of theUniversity of Pennsylvania Smell IdentificationTest, a test that has been administered to hun-dreds of thousands of persons throughout theworld. This test provided standardization tothe field of human olfactory psychophysics,breaking from the tradition of using odorantconcentration as the metric for assessing func-tion. Among his current research interests arethe factors that alter olfaction in neurodegen-erative diseases. Acknowledgments: I have been fortunate tohave outstanding mentors, colleagues, employ-ees, and students throughout my career. I amparticularly indebted to Brant Clark, JackKing, David Moulton, Morley Kare, and JamesB. Snow, Jr., for providing me with guidanceand career opportunities, and to the NationalInstitutes of Health for their support over thelast quarter century.

Max Mozell Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Chemical SensesDr. Richard DotyUniversity of Pennsylvania

Key References:1. Doty, R.L. 1974. A cry for the liberation of thefemale rodent. Psychological Bulletin 81:159-172. 2. Doty, R.L. and Silverthorne, C. 1975.Menstrual cycle: Influences upon volunteering behav-ior. Nature 254:139-140. 3. Doty, R.L., Ford, M., Preti, G., and Huggins, G.1975. Human vaginal odors change in pleasantnessand intensity during the menstrual cycle. Science190:1316-1318.4. Doty, R.L., Shaman, P., Applebaum, S.L.,Giberson, R., Sikorsky, L., and Rosenberg, L. 1984.Smell identification ability: Changes with age.Science 226:1441-1443.5. Doty, R.L., Deems, D. and Stellar, S. 1988.Olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: A gen-eral deficit unrelated to neurologic signs, disease stage,or disease duration. Neurology 38:1237-1244.6. Patel, S. J., Bollhoefer, A. and Doty, R.L. 2004.Influences of ethanol ingestion on olfactory functionin humans. Psychopharmacology 171: 429-434. 7. Macknin, J.B, Higuchi, M., Lee, V. M.-Y.,Trojanowski, J. and Doty, R.L. 2004 Olfactory dys-function occurs in transgenic mice overexpressinghuman tau protein. Brain Research 1000: 174-178.

Recipients of the 2005 AChemS Awards (Profiles of the 2006 AChemS award winners will appear in the next newsletter.)

Research Focus:During develop-ment, gustatoryinnervation is atightly regulatedprocess in whichspecific numbers of

primary taste afferents project to discreteregions of the oral cavity. My laboratory hastwo long terms goals: 1) to determine the cel-lular and molecular mechanisms that allowgustatory neurons to innervate the correct tar-get (taste buds) with a specific amount ofinnervation, and 2) to determine if and/or howthese connections are important for centralgustatory development or taste function. Ourcurrent research focuses on the role of neu-rotrophins in regulating gustatory neuronnumber and peripheral and central targetingduring development. We plan to 1) determinewhen and where the embryonic taste system isexposed to the neurotrophins brain-derivedneurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neu-

Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in GustationDr. Robin KrimmUniversity of Louisville

leagues who have provided me with manyfruitful interactions. Most of all, I thank mycurrent laboratory members, who do all thereal work now. Key References:1. Shuler, M.G., Krimm, R. F., and Hill, D.L.2004. Neuron/target plasticity in the peripheralgustatory system. J. Comp. Neurol. 472: 183-192.2. Krimm, R.F., Miller, K.K., Kitzman, P.H.,Davis, B.M., and Albers, K..M. 2001. Epithelialoverexpression of BDNF or NT-4 disrupts target-ing of taste neurons innervating the anteriortongue. Devel. Biology 232: 508-521.3. Krimm, R.F. and Hill, D.L. 1998.Innervation of single fungiform taste buds duringdevelopment in rat. J. Comp. Neurol. 398: 13-24.

Research Focus:Dr. Wachowiak’swork has focused onunderstanding howodors are represent-ed and how olfacto-ry information is

processed early in the olfactory pathway – atthe level of olfactory receptor neurons andtheir input to glomeruli of the olfactory bulb.In collaboration with a number of colleagueslisted below, he developed methods for selec-tively imaging the activation of olfactory recep-tor neurons at their axon terminals withinolfactory bulb glomeruli. These methods,which rely on calcium-sensitive dyes or agenetically-encoded indicator of transmitterrelease, allow sensory input to glomeruli of theolfactory bulb to be monitored noninvasivelyand selectively in the intact animal. Dr.Wachowiak and his colleagues used thisapproach to visualize how odor information isrepresented at this critical first stage of the con-vergence of receptor neurons onto glomeruli.

They characterized the relationship betweenodorant identity and intensity onmultiglomerular odorant representations. Theydemonstrated, using in vivo 2-photon imag-ing, that receptor neuron input to a singleglomerulus is functionally uniform. Dr.Wachowiak and colleagues have also used theseimaging methods in reduced slice preparationsto investigate the modulation of olfactoryinput to the CNS by presynaptic inhibition atthe receptor neuron terminal, providing adirect demonstration of olfactory presynapticinhibition in lobsters, turtles, and mice andcharacterizing the cellular mechanisms under-lying that inhibition. Acknowledgments: Many excellent collabora-tors have helped to make this work possible,including Rainer Friedrich, Michael Shipley,Phil Heyward, Peter Mombaerts and TomBozza. I am grateful to two primary mentors,Barry Ache and Larry Cohen, each of whomtaught me essential lessons in science. I wouldalso like to thank my first scientific mentor,Dan Rittschof, for getting me into this mess in

AChemS Award for Young Investigator in Olfactory ResearchDr. Matt WachowiakBoston University

the first place. Ongoing research in the labdepends on the efforts of John McGann, JustusVerhagen and Nicolas Pirez. All of this workhas been supported by the NIDCD. Finally, Ithank my wife and most valued colleague,Ayako Yamaguchi, who is never impressed. Key References:1. Wachowiak M., Denk W., and Friedrich R.W.2004. Functional organization of sensory inputto the olfactory bulb glomerulus analyzed by two-photon calcium imaging. Proc. Nat Acad. Sci.USA 101: 9097-9102.2. Bozza T., McGann, J.P., Mombaerts P., andWachowiak M. 2004. In vivo imaging of neu-ronal activity by targeted expression of a genetical-ly encoded probe in the mouse. Neuron 42: 9-21.3. Wachowiak M., and Cohen L.B. 2001.Representation of odorants by receptor neuroninput to the mouse olfactory bulb. Neuron32:725-737.4. Wachowiak M., and Cohen L.B. 1999.Presynaptic inhibition of primary olfactory affer-ents mediated by different mechanisms in lobsterand turtle. J. Neurosci. 19:8808-8817.

R e s e a r c hFocus:Taste per-ception hasfour pri-

mary dimensions: intensity, familiarity,pleasantness, and quality. A major focus ofthis research is to identify the human brainregions coding for each of these perceptualdimensions. In addition, several characteris-tics of the gustatory system make it an excel-lent model for understanding sensory andaffective interactions. First, the primary cor-tical representation of taste is within paral-imbic cortex. Second, taste perception isthought to be an unlearned or primarilyreinforcing, yet the reward value must beflexible to reflect fluctuations of internalstate as well as changes in external contin-gencies. The second goal of this work is tounderstand how changing the reward valueof taste may alter its neural representation.Finally, several projects are aimed at under-standing how flavor is represented in thehuman brain. The lab is testing the hypothe-

ses that taste/smell integration is dependentupon a network of structures including theinsula, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala andanterior cingulate cortex; 2) is dependentupon experience, 3) is dependent uponmode of olfactory perception; and 4) isaltered by attentional allocation. To accom-plish these goals taste perception is examinedin patients with discrete brain lesions andbrain activation is evaluated during percep-tion of chemosensory stimuli using func-tional neuroimaging techniques in healthysubjects. Acknowledgments: I have been very fortu-nate to have had the opportunity to learnfrom a series of brilliant and supportivementors including Marilyn Jones-Gotman,Linda Bartoshuk, Larry Marks and BarryGreen. Thank you my dear friends! I wouldalso like to acknowledge the outstandingcontribution from the members of my lab,Genevieve Bender, Erica Mak, KatharineSimmons Lisa Bagurdes, Michael Gregoryand Joel Voss. Thank you to UnileverResearch and NIDCD/NIH for grant support.

Moskowitz Jacobs Award for Research Excellence in the Psychophysics of Taste and Smell

Dr. Dana SmallJ.B. Pierce Laboratory

Key References:1. Small, D.M, Jones-Gotman, M., Zatorre,R.J., Petrides, M., and Evans, A.C. 1997. Arole for the human right anterior temporal lobein taste quality recognition. J. Neurosci. 17:5136-5142.2. Small, D.M., Zatorre, R.J., Dagher, A., andJones-Gotman, M. 2001. Brain activity relat-ed to eating chocolate: from pleasure to aver-sion. Brain 124: 1720-1733.3. Small, D.M., Gregory, M.D., Mak, Y.E.,Gitelman, D.R., Mesulam, M.M., andParrish, T. 2003. Dissociation of neural repre-sentation of intensity and affective valuation inhuman gustation. Neuron 39: 701-711.4. Small, D.M., Voss, J., Mak, Y.E., Simmons,K., Parrish, T., and Gitelman, D.R. 2004.Experience-dependent integration of taste andsmell in the human brain. J. Neurophysiol.92: 1892-1903.5. Small, D.M., Bernasconi, N., Bernasconi,A., Sziklas, V., and Jones-Gotman, M. 2005.Gustatory agnosia. Neurology 64: 311-317.

T1R3 Binds SweetLigands atPhysiologicalConcentrations

Nie, Y.1, HobbsJ.R.2, Vigues, S.1, Conn, G.L.2, andMunger, S.D.1

1Anatomy and Neurobiology, University ofMaryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD;2Faculty of Life Sciences, University ofManchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.

T1Rs are Class C G protein-coupled recep-tors (GPCRs) important for sweet andumami taste. The native sweet taste receptorcontains two subunits, T1R2 and T1R3,both of which are required for normal stim-ulus sensitivity and selectivity. It has beensuggested that T1R3 plays no direct role in

2005 Don Tucker Award for Outstanding Graduate Student PresentationYiling NieUniversity of Maryland

ligand binding in part because it also pairs withT1R1 to form an umami taste receptor. To testwhether T1R3 can bind taste stimuli at physi-ological concentrations, we have developed anin vitro system for measuring ligand binding tothe N-terminal domain of T1R3. We expressedand purified mouse T1R3 NTD protein frombacterial expression systems. Circular dichro-ism (CD) spectroscopy showed the proteins tobe folded, with a secondary structure contentconsistent with that predicted in silico.Fluorescence spectroscopy of T1R3 NTDshowed that sweet ligands (e.g., glucose,sucrose, glycine, and sucralose) changed theintrinsic fluorescence intensity of the protein,with EC50s from 3-10 mM; cyclamate, whichis not preferred by mice, had no effect. Ligandsalso induce a consistent shift in CD spectra ofT1R3 NTD, indicating a change in receptor

structure upon ligand binding. Ourresults show that T1R3 NTD is compe-tent to bind sweet stimuli at physiologi-cal concentrations, and suggest that, incontrast to other heteromeric Class CGPCRs (e.g., GABAB receptors), bothT1R subunits may play a role in ligandinteractions in vivo. Support: NIDCD, MSLS/BNL (SDM);The Wellcome Trust, CCLRC (GLC).

2006 AChemS Awards RecipientsMax Mozell Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Chemical Senses:

William Cain, University of California San Diego

Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation:Lynnette Phillips McCluskey, Medical College of Georgia

AChemS Award for Young Investigator in Olfactory Research:Abdallah Hayar, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Moskowitz Jacobs Award for Research Excellence in the Psychophysics of Taste and Smell:Paul Wise, University of California San Diego

Additional Awards Granted to AChemS MembersDr. Robin Krimm (University of Louisville) was one of the twelve recipients of the 2004Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor forprofessionals at the outset of their independent research careers.

Dr. John Carlson (Yale University) was selected as the 2005 winner of the Frank Allison Linville’sR.H. Wright Award in Olfactory Research. The $30,000 award is made annually to an individualwith outstanding research achievement in olfaction. Dr. Carlson was honored for his studies in themolecular and cellular basis of olfaction and taste in insects.

Job PostingsCheck the AChemS website for additionalinformation on position offerings.

Neuroscientist Faculty PositionThe Department of Anatomy and CellBiology at Downstate Medical Centerinvites applications for a tenure-trackASSISTANT PROFESSOR position. Thesuccessful candidate is expected to developan independent, extramurally-fundedresearch program in the neurosciences andto participate in teaching medical studentsas well as training graduate students.Preference will be given to candidates withcurrent extramural funding and priorteaching experience or training in neu-roanatomy. Curriculum vitae, a briefdescription of previous and anticipatedresearch, and the names of three referencesshould be sent to: Dr. M.A.Q. Siddiqui,Professor and Chair, Department ofAnatomy and Cell Biology, StateUniversity of New York DownstateMedical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue,Box 5, Brooklyn, NY 11203. FAX: 718-270-3732; E-mail: MAQ.Siddiqui@Downstate.edu.

Neuroscience Faculty PositionsThe Program in Neuroscience at theFlorida State University seeks to fill sixnew tenured or tenure-track faculty posi-tions over the next two years as part of amajor university initiative to expand neu-roscience research across campus. The ini-tiative includes the development of amajor basic science quadrangle, alreadyhome of the newly established College ofMedicine, and the construction of twonew research buildings for theDepartments of Biological Science andPsychology. When completed, these threeprojects will collectively add about490,000 gross square feet of new space and120 new research laboratories dedicated tobiomedical and behavioral research. The Program in Neuroscience(http://www.neuro.fsu.edu) is a highlyinteractive and interdisciplinary programthat encompasses 25 faculty members in 8departments. Current research strengthsinclude motivated behaviors, sensory sys-tems, biological rhythms, learning and

plasticity, development, ingestion andmetabolism, neuroendocrinology, andcomputational neuroscience. We seekapplications from noted scholars with atrack-record of productivity and inde-pendent support who will enhance ourcurrent strengths or expand the programin novel directions. We invite applicationsfor faculty positions at the rank of assis-tant, associate, and full professor.Appointments will be in relevant depart-ments. Senior investigators are encour-aged to contact Rob Contreras, theProgram Director,(contreras@neuro.fsu.edu) to discuss thepossibility of multiple hires to form a spe-cific research cluster. Review of applica-tions will begin on 1 December 2005, butthe search process will remain active untilthe positions are filled. Please send a coverletter, curriculum vitae, representativepapers, a 2 to 4 page research plan, and thenames and contact information of 3 refer-ences. Application materials can be sentelectronically to search@neuro.fsu.edu, orby mail to: Janice Parker, Administrator,Program in Neuroscience, Room 18,LON-1280, Florida State University,Tallahassee FL 32306-1280, Phone: (850) 644-3076, FAX: (850) 644-0349. Florida StateUniversity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, committedto diversity in hiring, and a Public RecordsAgency.

Psychology Faculty PositionSan Diego State University invites applica-tions for six positions in the Departmentof Psychology to begin in the 2006-2007Academic year. San Diego is a rich researchenvironment with a collaborative culture.We welcome nominations, inquiries andapplications. Please share this informationwith interested colleagues.

Cell Biology/Physiology Faculty PositionThe Department of Biological Sciences atthe University at Buffalo, The StateUniversity of New York, is seeking out-standing applicants for a tenure trackAssistant Professor position in CellBiology or Physiology, with researchemphasis in the area of SensoryTransduction. The applicant should show

research interests within the areas ofCellular Neurobiology, Sensory CellBiology or Signal Transduction, as relatedto the function, and/or development ofsensory systems. This is part of severalongoing initiatives and expansions ofresearch efforts within the Department ofBiological Sciences and the University.

The department offers outstandingresearch facilities with opportunities forinterdisciplinary interactions at theUniversity, Roswell Park Cancer Institute,and the NYS Center of Excellence inBioinformatics and Life Sciences.Substantial setup packages will be provid-ed. Candidates will be expected to main-tain an externally funded research programand to participate in graduate and under-graduate teaching. Applicants should havea Ph.D. (or other doctorate degree), atleast two years of postdoctoral experience,a scholarly publication record and a com-mand of spoken and written English.

To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae,description of current and future researchinterests, three reference letters and up tothree recent or in press publications to:

Dr. Todd M. Hennessey Chair, Cell Biology Search Committee

Department of Biological Sciences C109 Cooke Hall

University at Buffalo, North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Application review will begin immediatelyand continue until the position is filled.Consult our website(http://www.biology.buffalo.edu) for further information regarding theDepartment, University and community

The University at Buffalo is an EqualOpportunity Employer/Recruiter.

Postdoctoral Position in ChemosensoryResearchAvailable immediately, funded by a NIHtraining grant, for training in chemosenso-ry research with one or a combination ofthe following Chemosensory TrainingProgram (CTP) mentors at Florida StateUniversity:

Dr. Robert Contreras (Psychology)Taste physiology; Sodium/fluid intake;Hypertension.

Dr. Lisa Eckel (Psychology)Taste and intake regulation; Role of estrogen

Dr. Debra-Ann Fadool (Biology/Biophysics)Olfaction/VNO cell physiology/ionchannel structure, function

Dr. Thomas Houpt (Biology)CTA learning; Taste and intake; Molecularbiology

Dr. Michael Meredith (Biology)Olfaction/VNO physiology; Chemicalcommunication

Dr. Paul Trombley (Biology)Olfactory synaptic physiology

Job Postings ContinuedCurrent research of these Program inNeuroscience faculty-members rangesfrom transduction through neuronal cellphysiology, electrophysiology and neuralcircuit function, to learning, regulation offood and fluid intake and social behavior.More information is available atwww.neuro.fsu.edu. The FSU Neuroscience Program includesa dynamic collaborative group of faculty,postdocs and students in several depart-ments with substantial research supportfacilities. The Department of Biological Science andDepartment of Psychology at FSU arelarge departments with, in addition toNeuroscience, interdisciplinary programsin Molecular Biophysics, ComputationalScience and Structural Biology. The uni-versity supports fully staffed imagingDNA, microarray, hybridoma, and instru-ment-design core facilities. The city ofTallahassee is the State Capital, situated inthe Florida panhandle in close proximity(20-45 minutes) to freshwater springs,national forest, and the ocean (but far

outside the storm-surge zone!).Candidates must be US citizens or USpermanent residents. Please contact one ormore of the mentors listed above via theirwebsite contacts. Please be prepared to dis-cuss how you can contribute to the men-tor’s research program and how they cancontribute to your training for a career inchemosensory research. In addition tocontacting potential mentors, please senda CV, three letters of reference and a state-ment of career research interests, empha-sizing chemosensory research, to JaniceParker, CTP administrator, Program inNeuroscience, Room 18, LON-1280,Florida State University, Tallahassee FL32306-1280. Letters of reference must besent directly by the writer not the candi-date and must provide e-mail or telephonecontact information. All materials may besent electronically to parker@neuro.fsu.edu. We encouragewomen and members of underrepresentedminority groups to apply. The FloridaState University is an equal employmentopportunity employer.

Funding OpportunitiesNew NIH submission policyAfter months of intense preparation, theNational Institutes of Health opened itsdoors in November to receive its firstround of grant applications electronicallythrough the Federal web portal ofGrants.gov. Almost 2,000 small businessand conference grant applicationsstreamed in electronically to NIH forDecember receipt dates via Grants.gov,marking a major stride forward in NIH’songoing electronic submission efforts. Beginning with the December 1, 2005,submission date for SBIR/STTR applica-tions, one by one, all competing researchgrant programs (mechanisms, such as R01,R03, etc.) will transition from paper sub-mission of the PHS 398 to electronic sub-mission through Grants.gov using theStandard Form 424 Research and ResearchRelated (SF424 (R&R)). Applicantsshould take careful note of the transitionschedule (timeline) to ensure they are

using the appropriate mode of applicationtransmission and application form.Applications for the transition submissiondate of a mechanism (even if submitted inadvance of the date) and thereafter mustuse the SF424 (R&R) form and besubmitted electronically throughGrants.gov. Once a mechanism transi-tions, the change applies to all subsequentRequests for Applications and ProgramAnnouncements. No paper applicationswill be accepted for transitioned mecha-nisms.Updates on the status of the transition toelectronic submission and the new formset are posted on the NIH eRA ElectronicSubmission of Grant Applications Web sitehttp://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/index.htm

Effective October 1, NIH will no longeremail Summary Statements directly toapplicants; rather, applicants are expectedto retrieve them from the Commons. Theofficial announcement for this change was

published in the NIH Guide onSeptember 8, 2005http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-075.html Investigators seeking NIH grant supportare encouraged to register in theCommons, if they have not already doneso. This will allow access to summarystatements and other critical information(e.g., review assignments and priorityscores) regarding the status of your appli-cation. Information about the registrationprocess can be found at the eRA homepage(https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/index.jsp ). Frequently asked questions forthe registration process are addressed inthe FAQ https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/faq.jspand further assistance can be acquiredthrough the Commons Helpdesk at 1-866-504-9552 or via e-mail at commons@od.nih.gov

12

17 Congress of the European Chemoreception Research Organisation ECRO 2006September, 4-8, 2006, Granada (Spain)

Plenary Opening LectureLinda B. Buck

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004

Please, visit our website and subscribe without assuming any obligation to get updated information and for submittingcontributions: http://www.ecro2006.com

The first ECRO meeting to be held in Spain will bring together scientists of international reputation, young researchers, stu-dents and companies involved in a wide variety of topics covering taste, olfaction and other chemical senses. We encourage tothe AChemS members to join us. Your contribution will be most welcome for the meeting to reach the highest scientific level.

International Symposium on Olfaction and TasteAChemS proudly hosts the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste (ISOT) in 2008. The meeting will be held inSan Francisco at the Hyatt Embarcadero and is scheduled for July 21-25, 2008. Please check the AChemS website(www.achems.org) for further updates.

Meeting Announcements

Keeping pace with the latest technology,Chemical Senses now offers rapid onlinepublication through its Advance Accessfeature and online submission system -publishing your research in the journalmeans that it will be widely read, pub-lished swiftly and cited rapidly. Thejournal aims to provide a forum for alldisciplines within the chemical sensescommunity to share their research.

Reasons for you to publish inChemical Senses include:

• RAPID online publication – papers are published online in final format within SIX WEEKS of acceptance

• Online submission and peer review• International readership – all AChemS

and ECRO members have access to the journal

• Over 2000 institutions worldwide have online access to the full-text

• Over 40,000 full-text downloads of Chemical Senses articles per month

• Impact Factor 2.7• No page charges• For NIH grantees: Compatible with

NIH Public Access policy

Plus, coming soon - Open Access publi-cation option for Chemical Senses authors.

If you would like to submit a paper forpublication in Chemical Senses, pleasevisit http://chemse.oupjournals.org/

Executive Editors, Chemical Senses:Barry W Ache, USA

Robyn Hudson, Germany and MexicoHideto Kaba, JapanSusan Travers, USA

R A Steinbrecht, Germany

News from CHEMICAL SENSESThe Official Journal of AChemS, ECRO, and JASTS

Memorial to Ernest Polak

AChemS mourns the loss of Mr. Ernest H. Polak on September 12. Throughout hisadult life, Ernest was an enthusiastic investigator and supporter of the chemical senses,first through his family’s flavors and fragrances business, PWF Inc., and later throughnumerous collaborations with scientists around the world. Born in 1921 in Amersfoort,Holland, he moved to New York City in 1939 to work at PFW Inc. At this time, he alsoattended Columbia University and Brooklyn Polytech and later earned a B.S. degree inChemistry from NYU. Ernest earned his M.S. degree in Chemistry from Iowa StateUniversity in 1944 and then moved back to the east coast to work as a researcher atHoffman LaRoche in NJ. He then returned to PFW Inc. and served as the VicePresident for Research and Development from 1948 until 1973. In 1975, he moved toFrance after the merger of PFW and Hercules.

In addition to his work in industry, Ernest had many collaborations with academic basicscientists. He worked with the Sensory Neurobiology Laboratory led by Patrick McLeodnear Paris from 1975 to 1985 and with Jean Leveteau at the University of Paris VI from1985 to 1997. From 1975 until 2004, Ernest sponsored and collaborated on projectswith scientists focused on olfactory quality coding in France, Great Britain, Italy, and theUnited States. Earlier in 2005, he and his wife Ghislaine established a major endowmentfor AChemS and ECRO to support young scientists, dedicated as follows: “The ElsjeWerner-Polak Memorial Fund in memory of our niece, gassed by the Nazis in 1944 atage 7. Donors: Ernest and Ghislaine Polak.”

Ernest had a great nose and a sharp mind. He made many significant discoveries and pro-duced thousands of important compounds. Ernest will be greatly missed by his col-leagues in the chemical senses, his loving wife Ghislaine, his two sons, Clifford Polak ofParis and Elliot Polak of London, his five grandchildren, and his friends and colleaguesaround the world.