17. ORGANIZATIONAL RELOCATION OF THE COMMISSION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
TO DIVISION III [COUNCIL ITEM 17]
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Prof. Pandit described the reasons for the establishment of the
Commission on Biotechnology as an independent Commission reporting
to the Bureau. The Commission had now developed a program and
stabilized its membership. All those involved felt that the time
had come to move the Commission to Division III. The Commission
was expected to jointly develop programs with the Subcommittee
on Bioorganic Chemistry, as well as to continue its interdivisional
focus. The Bureau recommended to Council that the proposed move
be approved. Prof. Fischli commented that ICSU has dissolved its
two committees in the biotechnology area, COBIOTECH and COGENE
and replaced them with a new Committee, SCGB (Steering Committee
on Genomics and Biotechnology). The Commission on Biotechnology
has already established a relationship with SCGB.
Prof. Pandit then noted that the ad hoc Interdivisional
Committee on Biomolecular Chemistry had completed the task of
coordinating the bio-related activities of Divisions I, II, III,
and VII. The Committee planned, as a joint activity for the biennium
1998-9, a Symposium on "Novel
Porphyrinoids". This symposium will be held as part of the
37th IUPAC Congress next week. Division III, as charged, will
continue to coordinate the biomolecular chemistry activities within
the Union. The Bureau thanked Prof. Pandit and the ad hoc
Committee for their work and noted that it was now terminated.