Dear Colleagues and Friends,

On behalf of the Organising Committee, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the World Fair of Biochemical sciences and we would like to invite you to join us at the 33rd FEBS Congress - 11th  IUBMB conference on Biochemistry of Cell Regulation that will be held in Athens Greece in 2008 (June 28th to July 3rd).

Following the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and the Information Technology Revolution of the 20th century, the 21st century of our era, is witnessing a revolution in biosciences. Undoubtedly, biosciences have had a tremendous impact in the unraveling of the mystery of life and have provided us with solutions to major problems of society  which are connected with health, environment, food sources and so many more. These are indeed exciting times. We are being offered the opportunity to unveil the secrets of our very own existence and perhaps even the ability to alter it. These new opportunities, though, bring to the foreground a number of hard to answer questions of social and ethical nature. It is therefore crucial to encourage constructive thinking and public discussion, as well as to ensure that scientists continue their research in the decoding of the mechanisms of life. It is of major importance to produce sufficient knowledge in order to achieve a correct perspective. Nevertheless it is the obligation of the scientific community to provide the public with ample information on the subject of biosciences; otherwise it is very possible that other, non-scientific parties, will cover this gap.

It is a most fortunate coincidence that Greece is hosting the 33rd FEBS Congress – 11th IUBMB Conference on Biochemistry of Cell Regulation, in 2008. Not only because ancient Greece was the birthplace of philosophical inquiry and rational thinking, but also because modern Greece gives high priority to the development of biosciences . Additionally, Greece today, has state of the art infrastructure, as was proven by the successful organization of the 2004 Olympic games. Finally, its geographical position, in the crossroads of three civilizations and its traditional relationship with the developing societies of the Balkans and Eastern Europe make Greece a valuable partner in their development within the European integration process.

With these thoughts, I would like to welcome you to this World Fair of Biochemical Sciences and to reassure you that all of us will make every possible effort to exceed your expectations.

Professor Emmanuel G. Fragoulis
Chairman
33rd FEBS Congress – 11th IUBMB Conference
“Biochemistry of Cell Regulation”