From the Editor

From the Editor

“Good ideas really do not need a lot of selling” was the comment by the reviewer of a project proposal submitted recently to IUPAC. Is this really right? Sure it is if the ideas presented are well targeted to an audience that knows the importance and ramifications of the proposal. But what if the targeted audience is broader than the experts directly involved in the judging? Then, we should not take for granted that “good ideas do not need a lot of selling.” Indeed, it would be presumptuous to think that the rationale for a particular project proposal is unequivocal.

There are many good ideas emanating from IUPAC projects and activities; the feature articles presented in this issue attest to that. One feature in particular

(p. 4 in print), “Chemistry for Biology,” discusses the fundamental role of chemistry in biological processes and the role of chemistry in multidisciplinary perspectives.

Another article (p. 16 in print) describes a good idea that has stood the test of time. For about 30 years, the solubility data series project has made available critically evaluated data and recommended values to practicing chemists. And, as the article shows, these data are essential for research and industry.

New or ongoing projects are routinely presented in CI to raise awareness about them, but also to showcase the diversity of IUPAC’s activities, which is too often under appreciated. Whatever you read in CI, be sure to engage in follow up with the identified task group. You can also do your part by disseminating project information locally; for instance, by sharing such news with your colleagues. And remember, I am always on the lookout for good ideas for CI; do not hesitate to contact me if you have any.

Fabienne Meyers

fabienne@iupac.org

Cover: “The Human Kinome”—Courtesy of the Invitrogen Corporation. This circular diagram is an artistic interpretation of the phylogenetic relationships between all members of the human kinase family. Bioinformatics analysis concluded that the superfamily comprises 517 distinct protein kinases. The kinases are organized into nine major groups labeled and colored distinctly. The three-dimensional structure in the middle of the diagram is a model based on cAMP-dependent protein kinase. See full caption on page 6. Request your free copy of the poster from Invitrogen at

www.invitrogen.com/kinasebiology.

Page last modified 19 March 2008.

Copyright © 2003-2008 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Questions regarding the website, please contact edit.ci@iupac.org

From the Editor

Officer’s Columnby Jack Lorimer

Features

- Chemistry for Biologyby Torbjörn Norin and Upendra Pandit

- Scientifiques Sans Frontières Australia

by Colin Scholes and Glenna Drisko

- Chemical Education in India: Three Decades of IUPAC Initiativesby N.K. Uberoi and K.V. Sanè

Stamps International

- The Father of Toxicology?by Daniel Rabinovich

Up for Discussion

- Council Round Table Discussions: Actions Arising from Torino

Tools of the Trade

- Solubility Data Compilations for the Practicing Chemist

by Heinz Gamsjäger, John W. Lorimer, and David G. Shaw

IUPAC Wire

- Water in the Gaza Strip

- Luis Oro to become EuChemMS President

The Project Place

- On the Environmental Impact of Altered Pesticide Use

on Transgenic Cropsby Gijs Kleter

- Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable, and Clean

Options for Our Planetby Trevor Letcher

- Green Book: Abridged Version

- Postgraduate Course in Polymer Science

- Chemical Issues in Biomass Burning in Sub-Saharan Africa

- Green Chemistry, Sustainable Development, and Social Responsibility of Scientists

Provisional Recommendations IUPAC Seeks Your Comments

- Glossary of Terms Used in Pharmaceutics

- Explanatory Glossary of Terms Used in Expression of Relative Isotope Ratios and Gas Ratios

- Glossary of Class Names of Polymers Based on Chemical Structure and Molecular Architecture

Making an imPACt

- Acetonitrile: Ternary and Quaternary Systems

- Band Broadening Function in Size Exclusion Chromatography of Polymers

Bookworm

- Green-Sustainable Chemistry

- Biophysico-Chemical Processes of Heavy Metals and

Metalloids in Soil Environments

- Functional and Biological Gels and Networks:Theory and Experiment

- Polychar-15 World Forum on Advanced Materials

- Heterocyclic Chemistry at a Glancereviewedby David StC. Black

- Compendi De Nomenclatura De Química Analitica

Conference Call

-Greenhouse Gases: Mitigation and Utilizationby John Malin

- Mendeleev Congress on General and Applied Chemistry

by Natalia Tarasova

- Novel Materials and Fine Chemistry by Yuping Wu

- Public Health Applications of Human Biomonitoring by Paul Erhardt

Where 2B & Y

- Vanadium, 17–19 July 2008, Lisbon, Portugal

- Solubility and Equilibria, 27–31 July 2008, Dublin, Ireland

- Humic Substances, 14–20 September 2008, Moscow to St. Petersburg, Russia

- Macromolecules and Materials, 8–11 September 2008, Kruger National Park, South Africa

- Chemistry for Sustainable Development, 23–25 May 2008, Kathmandu, Nepal

- Thermophysical Properties, 21–26 June 2009, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Mark Your Calendar

link to calendars of upcoming IUPAC-sponsored events

March-April 2008 pdf (1.2 MB)

Cover: “The Human Kinome”—Courtesy of the Invitrogen Corporation. This circular diagram is an artistic interpretation of the phylogenetic relationships between all members of the human kinase family. Bioinformatics analysis concluded that the superfamily comprises 517 distinct protein kinases. The kinases are organized into nine major groups labeled and colored distinctly. The three-dimensional structure in the middle of the diagram is a model based on cAMP-dependent protein kinase. See full caption here. Request your free copy of the poster from Invitrogen at www.invitrogen.com/kinasebiology.

Page last modified 23 May 2008.

Copyright © 2003-2008 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Questions regarding the website, please contact edit.ci@iupac.org