2010 was an exciting year at The Science Advisory Board! We made a number of important changes to the board, in preparation for even bigger changes in 2011. I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about some of those changes, and encourage your continued participation as we carry our momentum from 2010 into 2011.

First, we are actively recruiting to fill 2 slots on the 2011 Steering Committee. We hope to be able to select the two additional members and announce the full committee in February. If you are interested in being considered for these prestigious appointments, please forward me your CV along with a note describing your interest in the position. The committee members will be chosen as a result of their diverse backgrounds, professional achievements and past contributions to The Science Advisory Board. Steering Committee members will represent the Board to the public, as well as advise the Board on issues of importance. Over the course of their 12 month term, Steering Committee members will help develop new topics to explore in future studies, contribute original editorial pieces to be featured on the website and recommend innovative scientific and medical content for the website.

In addition, we are soliciting members who are interested in contributing to the Life Science Tools of the Trade blog. The focus of this blog is to give candid insights about the products and services used within the laboratory of the life science researcher. If you are interested in contributing one or two pieces to this blog a month, please send me an email, expressing your interest and briefly describing your primary research focus area. As always, your contributions will be rewarded!

We hope you will continue to find your SAB membership both personally and professionally rewarding. I look forward to working with you in the future as we continue to make these important changes to the world's oldest and most established professional network exclusively for life science professionals.

Your comments and suggestions are warmly welcomed.

-Greg

Greg Thompson, MS, MBA
Director, The Science Advisory Board
g.thompson@scienceboard.net
www.scienceboard.net
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Identification of Biomarkers of Aging Among Trace Elements

Dr. Marco Malavolta is postdoctoral scholar at the Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA) in Italy. Currently working with EU Project Zincage, his most notable research involves studying the role of metallothioneins (MT) and trace elements in longevity and age-related diseases.

Transformations of the 'Natural Genetic Engineer' Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Dr. Milen I. Georgiev is a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Union (7th Framework programme) and currently works at the Institute of Biology of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Venoms — A Source of Therapeutic Agents
Willias Masocha, Ph.D. — Before I sat down to write this article, the first topic that came into my mind was 'pain'. According to the World Health Organization, at any given instant 1 out 5 people experience pain and in 2008 in the USA the IMS ranked the analgesic combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen/paracetamol as the most dispensed prescription product. Read article...

Decrypting the Plant Kingdom
Anastasia Markantonatou, Ph.D. — Throughout history, man has accumulated knowledge of Nature's products, recognizing them to be a vital resource for human survival and well-being. In more recent times, man has intricately documented these benefits through wide-ranging surveys of their importance, functions, and uses [1]. Read article...

European Funding and Budget Plans for 2011
In the past two years, global economic uncertainties have presented very challenging times for economies looking to continue their long-standing investments in the life sciences and healthcare research areas. In particular, many countries in the European Union have either enacted or are considering implementing austerity measures intended to reduce the amount of money governments invest in programs. Read on...