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Announcements: Miscellany of cyanobacteriological interest
Meetings and Books: Upcoming meetings, interesting new books (c/o CyanoSite)
Positions Available: Job ads
Transitions: The comings and goings of ourselves; Passing of David Hall

For the past 13 years, CyanoNews has been composed as a printed newsletter, disseminated by regular mail and, in recent years, by electronic mail as well. Starting with this issue, CyanoNews will be composed as an electronic newsletter, disseminated through the internet, with the goal of speeding up the flow of information amongst cyanobacteriologists. No doubt some problems will accompany this change -- perhaps the newsletter (created using NetScape 3.0) will not function properly with other browsers. Perhaps you don't have a browser and are reading this second hand. If you encounter difficulties obtaining this newsletter, please let me know. Also, please pass on any suggestions you may have.

Chemicals from Microalgae is the title of a newly published collection of
articles edited by Zvi Cohen and published by Taylor & Francis, London
(ISBN 0-7484-0515-1). The book includes discussions on the occurrence and
physiological roles of these chemicals, methods aimed at enhancing their
content, large scale algal biomass production, and downstream processing.

Cyanobacterial Biotechnology, edited by G. Subramanian, BD Kaushik, and GS Venkataraman, collects papers presented at the International Symposium on Cyanobacateria Biotechnology, held in Trichy, India, September 1996. The volume covers a wide range, including papers considering cyanobacteria as biofertilizer, sources of biomass and specialty, and objects of less applied research in physiology and ecology. The book is published by Science Publishers (ISBN 1-57808-035-5) and lists for US $96.

The Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes has been published under the name The Phototrophic Prokaryotes, edited by Günter Peschek, Wolfgang Löffelhardt, and Georg Schmetterer. The book (ISBN 0-306-45923-X) is published by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, listing for US$130 + shipping. A partial table of contents is online.

A special issue of the journal Environmental Toxicology and Water Quality Volume 14 no.1, 1999) is devoted cyanobacterial toxins. The issue, edited by Ian Falconer, contains 24 papers (219 pages) on a range of issues on toxic cyanobacteria,contributed from across the world. Copies of this issue can be purchased from the publisher, John Wiley & Sons for a low price.

The World Health Organization monograph Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water - a guide to their public health consequences,monitoring and management (ISBN/ISSN: 0-419-23930-8), has been published by E & FN Spon, 11, New Fetter Lane, London, EC4P 4EE. It runs to 416 pages and covers occurrence, toxicology, health, management of water, water treatment, and lab methods.A summary and complete table of contents is available at the publisher's web site.The monograph lists at UK 24.99 pounds.

Photosynthesis Research recently put out a special issue entitled, Molecular approaches to light acclimation from cyanobacteria to higher plants. The issue included articles on the molecular basis underlying regulation of chromatic adaptation, antennae in oceanic picophytoplankton, and PSI/PSII stoichiometry. The special issue was Volume 53 No. 2-3 (August/September 1997).

In 1997, its first full year after publication, Kaneko et al [(1996) DNA Res. 3 (Jun): 109-136], announcing the completion of the sequence of Synechocystis PCC 6803, was cited 130 times. Of course, this is a gross underestimate of the references to the work by the Kazusa group, since many papers refer directly to the CyanoBase web site rather than to the article describing the sequence.

Position offered:	Postdoc
Contact:	Jim Golden, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258 USA. TEL: 409-845-9823; FAX: 409-845-2891; E-MAIL: jgolden@tamu.edu
Research:	Microbial development and genetics. Regulation of developmental pattern formation and programmed DNA rearrangements during heterocyst differentiation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. See: Science 282:935-938 (998), Mol. Microbiol. 3:1241-1250 (1997). Key words: Microbiology, Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology.
Requirements:	Ph.D. Applicants should have expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, and microbial genetics. Strong preference will be given to highly motivated individuals with a proven record of quality publication and to those with potential for obtaining independent funding.
Send:	Cover letter, CV, and three letters of recommendation.
Salary:	Negotiable
Available:	Immediately

Position offered:	Post-Doc
Contact:	Fevzi Daldal, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104-6018, U.S.A. Tel: 215-898-4394; Fax: 2215-898-8780; E-mail: FDaldal@sas.UPenn.Edu
Research:	Structure, function, biogenesis, and regulation of expression of cytochromes and cytochrome complexes of photosynthetic bacteria [see J Bacteriol 178:5279-5290 (on cyt c biogenesis; Biochem 36:11675-11696, Biochem 37:8105-8114, Biochim Biophys Acta 1319:99-108 (on cyt bc1 complex); J Bacteriol 180:969-978 (on cyt cbb3 oxidase); J Bacteriol 179:2623-2631, Biochem 37:5501-5510 (on cyt cy)]
Requirements:	Solid background and experience in either molecular biology and genetics or protein biochemistry and spectroscopy; desire to learn multidisciplinary approaches
Salary:	Commensurate with experience
Send:	CV, description of research accomplishments, references
Available:	Now

David Hall passed away early on Sunday morning, 22 August. David died of pancreatic cancer which had been diagnosed last year. He was working enthusiastically to the end and calling me into the hospital to assist with his work. He was still making arrangements for his 5 PhD students viva's on Sat night, finishing off reports and papers, organizing the new chief editor for the
Biomass and Bioenergy journal and working on many of his various projects.

His family were with him, his wife Peta, his two daughters Elena and Claire, his brother Michael from USA, cousins from South America and other close family members.

Messages for the family can be sent here at King's College, London, using David's e-mail (david.hall@kcl.ac.uk).

CONRAD MULLINEAUX recently heard of a distressing rumour circulating in the cyanobacterial community to the effect that he is dead. He hopes that you
will be pleased to learn that he is alive and well (at least to date - 28th
April 1999). He hopes to stay that way, although he daily risks his life by
cycling in London. (a nontransition)

KARL FORCHHAMMER has moved from Universität München to the University of Giessen.

Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie Frankfurter Str. 107, D-35392 Giessen, GERMANY. Tel: (49) 641 99-35545. Fax: (49) 641 99-35549. E-mail: Karl.Forchhammer@mikro.bio.uni-giessen.de

IAN FALCONER has retired from his position at the University of Adelaide. What would ordinarily represent a loss for us in this case is a cause for rejoicing, for he is relinquishing his duties in the higher administration of the University of Adelaide in favor of a return to full time research in the Cooperative Research Center for Water Quality and Treatment, located in the Department of Pharmacology.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology,University of Adelaide Medical School,Adelaide 5005, AUSTRALIA. Tel/Fax: 61-8-8303-4257. E-mail: ifalconer@medicine.adelaide.edu.au

JOHN GOLBECK has a long standing interest in PSI. Now he tells us of a new interest in PSU, Pennsylvania State University, to which he has moved from his former home at University of Nebraska.

S309 Frear Building, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA. Tel: 1-814-865-1163 (Office), 1-814-865-1162 (Student office and laboratory); Fax: 1-814-863-7024; E-mail: JHG5@psu.edu

NAOKI SATO has moved his lab from Tokyo Gakugei University to Saitama University, but his interest in RNA binding protein remains constant.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Saitama University, Tel: 81-48-858-3623, Fax: 81-48-858-3384, E-mail: naokisat@molbiol.saitama-u.ac.jp, Web: http://brahman.phy.saitama-u.ac.jp/~naokisat

MINGTAO ZENG has moved from Tel Aviv University (the lab of Chanoch Carmeli) to the University of California at Berkeley to work with Richard Calendar.

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, 401 Barker Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3202 U.S.A. Tel: 1-510-6425915; Fax: 1-510-6435035, E-Mail: mtch@uclink4.berkeley.edu