Bulletin Number Four 1985

Regional Workshop on App lica tion o f M icrob ia l Protoplasts in Genetic Manipulation and Genetic Engineering Lecturers, participants and s ta ff o f the Workshop. F ro n t ro w fro m le ft to rig h t (lecturers): D r. H.S. Kw an (H ong K ong), Dr. J. Sekiguchi (Japan), D r. C. B all (U .S.A.), Professor J.F. Peberdy (U .K .), Professor N .F. M illis (invited guest, A ustralia), Professor P. Liang (China), D r. M . Tsuboi (Japan), Professor S. T. Chang (Hong Kong) and D r. K. Y. Chan (Hong Kong). The Regional Workshop on Application o f Microbial Protoplasts in Genetic Manipulation and Genetic Engineering, jo in tly organized by UNESCO, the Hong Kong Society o f Microbiology, and this University, was held from 4th to 13th July, 1985 at the Depart­ ment o f Biology. It was officially declared open by Professor B. Hsu, Acting Vice-Chancellor o f the Univer sity, on 4th July, 1985. Messages were delivered by Professor G. French, Acting President o f the Hong Kong Society o f Microbiology and Dr. V. Prakash, Director o f the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Technology for Southeast Asia. During the opening ceremony, a special lecture on 'Surveillance o f Genetic Engineering' was given by Professor N.F. M illis, Chairman o f the Australian Recombinant DNA Monitoring Committee. The keynote lecture on 'Current Status on Microbial Protoplast Fusion' was presented by Professor J.F. Peberdy, Professor o f Microbial Genetics at the University o f Nottingham. The Workshop was intended to provide partici­ pants w ith information on the principles and tech­ niques in isolation, reversion and fusion o f microbial protoplasts, and to promote the exchange o f research experience among young scientists in the field. The development o f protoplast-based techniques for genetic manipulation and genetic engineering in microorganisms involving fusion and vector-mediated transformation provides an opportunity for over coming many o f the difficulties in hybridization and recombination experienced w ith intact cells. The programme consisted o f lectures and laboratory demonstrations dealing w ith the use o f protoplast techniques for the study o f yeast, algae, fungi (in cluding Aspergillus, Penicillium, and edible fungi), and bacteria (including Bacillus and actinomycetes). The programme also considered the use o f microbial protoplasts in industry by transformation techniques. A demonstration o f basic recombinant DNA tech niques was also conducted. Lecturers o f the Workshop included Professor P. Liang (China), Professor J.F. Peberdy (England), Dr. J. Sekiguchi and Dr. M. Tsuboi (both from Japan), Dr. C. Ball (U.S.A.), as well as Dr. K.Y. Chan, Pro fessor S.T. Chang and Dr. H.S. Kwan o f this University. Apart from the four local participants, there were ten overseas participants: two from Indonesia, one each from Korea and Malaysia, and three each from the Philippines and Thailand. In addition, there were four observers from China. Professor S.T. Chang was Chairman o f the Local Organizing Committee and Workshop Director; Professor J.F. Peberdy was the International Organizer, and Dr. H.S. Kwan o f the Department o f Biology, CUHK, was the Workshop Coor dinator. —S.T. Chang NEWS 3