Budapest and ISAC
Posted by vchanda on June 4, 2008
Budapest – a mix of the old and new – was the venue for the International Society for Analytical Cytology (ISAC) Congress in May.Quantitative imaging approaches and their applications in systems biology (P. Matsudaira), a systems-level view of irreversibility in the eukaryotic cell cycle (B. Novak) and ruminations on the virtual cell paradigm (I. Moraru) all captured the essence of the congress theme: cytometry in the age of systems biology.
Dozens of exhibitors displaying the latest advances in imaging and flow cytometry instrumentation and software as well as hundreds of short talks – ranging in scope from hyperspectral flow cytometry to cytometric quantification using semiconductor quantum dot applications – were all part of the plethora of daily offerings. (The non-scientific offerings included the crowded but efficient subway (no air conditioning included in the 270 forint charge (about US $ 1.75)), the many variations of goose liver on the menu (morning, noon and night) and the various impromptu discussions over a good Hungarian beer at the hotels lining the Danube.)
Sharing existing knowledge in a tutorial style from both the academic and industrial communities abounded, covering such disparate topics as data standards (R. Brinkman and J. Woods updating the MIFlowCyt effort) , genome structure and gene expression in plants (J. Dolezel and D. Galbraith) and cytometry education (L. Krueger and F. Mandy).
Cytometry in the age of systems biology was alive and thriving in those few days in Budapest, reflecting the international and cross-disciplinary nature of the participants and their work: from Athens, Greece to Vancouver, Canada. (OK, that’s only A to V…couldn’t find a Z…)
