In front of the main building of the University of Athens

First announcment to the participants

To the Participants in the first meeting of the SESAME Structural Molecular Biology (SMB) Scientific Subgroup in Athens on April 6-7, 2000

From:
Herman Winick (Cochair, SESAME Scientific Committee)
Gitay Kryger (Contact person for SESAME SMB Scientific Subgroup)
Ercan Alp (Cochair, SESAME Scientific Committee)
Peter Kuhn (Advisor to SESAME SMB Scientific Subgroup)
Costas Papanicolas (meeting host & cochair of SESAME Tech. Comm.)

Dear Colleague,
We are pleased to circulate information about this important SESAME Project meeting to follow up on the general meeting of the SESAME Scientific Committee in Berlin in August 1999 and begin to plan in detail one of the most important scientific programs for SESAME.

This message is addressed primarily to those expected to participate in the meeting, but is also being sent to interested others. It contains suggestions for reading material on the web before you come to the meeting and a tentative agenda. It also contains information about the location of the meetinghotels that you can contact for reservations, and a list of email addresses of expected participants.

Please note that participants from Middle East countries are asked to make a 10 minute presentation focussing on:

• Current status of SMB research in each country
• Available resources for SMB research
• List of biochemistry, molecular biology, SMB researchers
• Potential for future opportunities

It would be greatly appreciated if these presentations were prepared in electronic format such that they can be included in the meeting report.

Please visit the SESAME web site for the latest information about the project. It would be particularly useful to read the section "Structural Biology Center at SESAME".

A review of SMB with synchrotron radiation is in the report Structural Biology and Synchrotron Radiation: Evaluation of Resources and Needs 1997 Report of BioSync -- The Structural Biology Synchrotron Users Org.

Second announcment to the participants

To the exprected participants in the first meeting of the SESAME Structural Molecular Biology (SMB) Scientific Subgroup; Athens, April 6-7, 2000

From:
Herman Winick (Cochair, SESAME Scientific Committee)
Gitay Kryger (Contact person for SESAME SMB Scientific Subgroup)
Ercan Alp (Cochair, SESAME Scientific Committee)
Peter Kuhn (Advisor to SESAME SMB Scientific Subgroup)
Costas Papanicolas (meeting host & cochair of SESAME Tech. Comm.)

Subject: Second message to expected participants

Dear Colleague,
The meeting has attracted much attention and additional participants. Please see the email list below for the latest list of expected participants. If you have not already done so, please confirm your participation by email to Herman Winick. The schedule has also been updated and is enclosed along with some of the information contained in the first (March 15) message.

We are pleased to inform you that arrangements are being made to cover local expenses for all participants from Middle East countries, so that these participants need only secure funding for their transportation.

Below you can find information on the hotels and special rates that have been arranged. If you have not already made your reservations please do so now.

We remind participants from Middle East countries that they are asked to make a 10 minute presentation focussing on subjects as specified in the previous message above. It would be greatly appreciated if these presentations were prepared in electronic format such that they can be included in the meeting report.

Location of the Meeting

The meeting will be held at the Administration Building of the University of Athens in downtown Athens Panepisttimiou 30, Athens Metro Station: Panepistimiou.

Tentative Agenda

Thursday, April 6, 2000

8:00 Informal get together (coffee, etc.)

8:30 Welcome - Costas Papanicolas (University of Athens)

8:45 SESAME - Herman Winick (SSRL/SLAC/Stanford University)

• Status of the project
• SESAME as a source for SMB research

10 minute talks (+ 5 minutes for discussion) by representatives of Middle East Countries on the status of SMB research in their country and potential use of SESAME by scientists from their countries. (Note: Not all those named below are confirmed.)

9:30 Armenia; Harutyun Karapetyan (Yerphi)
9:45 Cyprus; Spuros Skourtis & Georgios Archontis (Cyprus Univ.)
10:00 Egypt; [TO BE DETERMINED]
10:15 Greece; Constantinos Vorgias (Univ. of Athens), Metaxia Vlassi (Demokritos Research Center)
10:30 Coffee break
10:45 Iran; Nasrin Moazami (Biotechnology Institute)
11:00 Israel; Gitay Kryger (Weizmann Institute)
11:15 Jordan; Khalil Al-Mughrabi (Al Balqa' Univ.)
11:30 Lebanon; Pierre Rizkallah (Daresbury/Lebanon)
11:45 Palestinian Authority; Said Assaf (Arafat Scientific Center)
12:00 Turkey; Rengul Cetin-Atalay (Bilkent University), Zehra Sayar (Sabanci University)
12:15 Group Lunch

Overview of SMB with synchrotron radiation

13:30 Current capabilities of synchrotron radiation based SMB
Peter Kuhn (SSRL/SLAC/Stanford University)

14:15 Molecular biology, biochemistry & crystallization requirements
Gitay Kryger (Weizmann Institute)

15:00 Coffee followed by informal discussions at a social event at the Museum of the University of Athens

19:00 Group Dinner

Friday, April 7, 2000

8:00 Informal get together (coffee, etc.)

8:30 Beam Lines for SMB - Ercan Alp (APS/Argonne National Lab.)

9:45 Round table discussion - topics include

• Support facilities for SMB users
• Technical staff requirements for SMB research
• Detectors
• Suggestions for members of an External Advisory Comm.
• Plans for future SMB group meetings
• Activities at the next IUCr meeting
• Exchange programs between ME countries and others

12:00 Group Lunch

13:30 Drafting of meeting report

16:00 Summary and final discussions

17:00 Close of meeting

Information about Hotels

Hotel arrangements must be made directly by the participants. However please request the special rates (listed below) for the "IASA/ U. of Athens meeting". All of them are good, moderately priced hotels, the first three within walking distance from the meeting place and the fourth, a short (10 minute) ride away (metro).
Note: $1 is about 350 Drs.

1. Titania Hotel (***)
   Single 21.500 Drs, Double 27.000 Drs
   Telephone: +30-1-3809611, Fax: +30-1-3300700
   Address: Panepistimiou Str. 52, Athens
2. Athenian Inn (**)
   Single 18.140 Drs, Double 27.400 Drs
   Telephone: +30-1-7239552, Fax: +30-1-7242268
   Address: Haritos 22, Kolonaki - Athens
3. Aphrodite Hotel (**)
   Single 12.150 Drs, Double 18.000 Drs
   Telephone: +30-1-3234357, Fax: +30-1-3225244
   Address: Apollonos Str.21, Plaka -Athens
4. Ilisia Hotel - Best Western (***)
   Single 16.200 Drs, Double 20.920 Drs
   Telephone: +30-1-7244-051 Fax: +30-1-7241847
   Address: Mihalakopoulou Str. 25, Athens

Partial Email list of expected meeting participants

Ercan Alp - APS, Argonne Nat. Lab.
Georgios Archontis - Cyprus Univ.
Said Assaf - Arafat Scientific Center
Bob Batterman - Cornell Univ.
Rengul Cetin-Atalay - Bilkent Univ.
Harutyun Karapetyan - Yerevan Phys. Inst.
Gitay Kryger - Weizmann Inst.
Peter Kuhn - SSRL, Stanford Univ.
Khalil Al-Mughrabi - Al Balqa Applied Univ. George Nounesis - Demokritos Res. Ctr.
Manolis Pantos - Daresbury
Costas Papanicolas - Univ. of Athens Zehra Sayar - Sabanci Univ.
Spuros Skourtis - Cyprus Univ.
Constantinos Vorgias - Univ. of Athens
Herman Winick - SSRL, Stanford Univ