Biophysical Society Newsletter - February 2015

11

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2015

FEBRUARY

International European Union May Allow Member Countries to Ban GM Crops Beginning in spring of 2015, individual mem- ber countries in the European Union (EU) may be permitted to ban genetically modified (GM) crops within their borders even if they are ap- proved at the European level. Only one GM crop, Monsanto’s MON810, a pest-resistant maize, is grown in Europe currently, despite several GM crops being declared safe by the European Foods Safety Agency. Supporters say that this proposal will allow member states to follow the will of their citizens, while critics, including many in the scientific community, argue that the move to “renationalize” the decision about growing GM crops undermines the very concept of science- based risk assessments. At time of publication, negotiators representing the European Parliament and the national governments had agreed on a joint version of the proposal, which is still subject to confirmation by the European Parliament and the EU member states.

Check Out a BPS Networking Event Near You!

Submit a Networking Event Proposal Deadline: April 15 Don't see one near you? Have an idea for a net- working event and want to host one in your area? The venue and format of the event are up to you—we are looking for creative ideas that will promote interactions between members and non-members interested in biophysics and the Soci- ety. For your information about networking events and proposal require- ments, visit the meetings section of the Society website at www.biophysics.org.

Over the past four years, BPS has sponsored more than 25 networking events that have brought together local scientists to discuss various topics in biophysics and have fostered new professional relationships. This year, BPS has already commit- ted to sponsoring five networking events noted on the map.

Networking Events in the US

June 2015 University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst, MA

May 2015 Purdue University West Lafayette, IN

Members in the News

May 11, 2015 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY

Brian M. Salzberg , Universi- ty of Pennsylvania Medical School, Associate Editor of the Biophysical Journal , and Society member since 1979, was elected a Fellow of the Optical Society (OSA). Xiaoliang Sunney Xie , Har- vard University and Society member since 1993, is the recipient of the 2015 Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry given by Ameri- can Chemical Society.

Networking Events Outside the US

June 12, 2015 Academy of Science Prague, Czech Republic

July 3, 2015 Paris Descartes University Paris, France