On behalf of the members of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB), We wish to welcome all persons including our membership accessing our Internet homepage. We hope that through it you will become familiar with the FAOBMB’s major missions in biological and life sciences and with our annual scientific activities in all of the Asian and Oceanian Areas.
The FAOBMB Inc. was founded on 1 August 1972 as the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists jointly by the Australian Biochemical Society, the Indian Societies of Biological Chemists and the Japanese Biochemical Society. On the 8th of December 1992 the Federation was incorporated as a non-profit organization in Victoria, Australia and reorganized with its present constitution in the year 1994. The FAOBMB, the first regional association in science to focus on the Asian and Pacific region, plays an important role in stimulating international as well as regional cooperation amongst its member societies. While independent of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) we work in close association with the IUBMB in the support of cooperative goals.
Since its founding over 28 years ago , our organization has developed steadily, presently comprising 19 constituent societies, in excess of 20,000 members with 20 Special Member Organizations and 3 distinguished Honorary Members. Through our association we steadily play a major role in the promotion and development of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Asian and Pacific rim regions. The member societies are heterogeneous with respect to their history and composition but share equal partnership and responsibility with in the Federation as signified by our original description of the association as: " a Federation that exists for and through the cooperation of its Constituent Members".
The major activities of the FAOBMB are the organizing of the triennial congresses and the interspersed symposia with member societies taking turns in co-hosting such events. This past September 1995, the 7th FAOBMB Congress was held in Sydney, Australia. The 8th Congress was hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November of 1998. In contrast to the wide scientific breath of the Congresses the FAOBMB Symposia emphasize regional interest and regional scientific activities. The 12th Symposium "Gene Regulation of Biological Functions" was held with great success in Tokushima, Japan in July 1996. The 13th Symposium on "Biological Macro-molecules and Ligands: Structure, Interaction and Applications" was held in Manila, the Philippines December 2-5 1997. During the 13th Symposium we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of our Federation. These gatherings are greatly appreciated by each of the constituent societies; they provide the opportunity to assemble, interact, exchange research ideas and experiences, renew old friendships and initiate new ones. Indeed the developed friendships transcend any and all barriers of nationality, race, religion or political ideologies. We extend an open invitation to our colleagues throughout the world to come and join us on such occasions.
In July 1997, we commemorated the first issue of the Journal of Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Biophysics (JBMBB). The JBMBB is an international journal as well as the official publication journal of the FAOBMB. The publication of the journal is one of the highlights in the 28-year history of our Federation and is one indication of the important role the FAOBMB plays and will continue to play in the support of Biological Sciences in the Asian-Pacific Area.We are presently publishing Volume 4 of the Journal and as of January 2000 the Journal initiated publication on a bimonthly basis.
Science is international and extends beyond national frontiers. We believe that one of our major missions as a Federation is to advance biochemistry and molecular biology world wide as a vehicle for understanding basic life processes and to promote the application of the knowledge obtained for improving the health, economic and environmental well being of all nations and peoples. To this common aim the FAOBMB wishes to work together towards the preservation of our natural resources and environment throughout the 21st century.
Here again allow us to express our thanks for your interest in the FAOBMB. I know we will be meeting you continuously on our updated homepages, visit it for information on our future activities and for information on scientific programs throughout the Asian-Pacific Area.
updated: January 5, 2000