P R O T EO M ICS P R O J EC T S
EuPA: much more than human proteomics
available for each member country. To facilitate networking among the We’ve all heard of various branches of European proteomics associations, evHUPO that bring together scientists ery year, the committee on conferences from specific geographical regions. and communication will designate a For example, many U.S. proteomics European proteomics meeting as the researchers belong to U.S. HUPO. For official EuPA conference. EuPA will a long time, however, an analogous help advertise the meeting and propan-European proteomics organizavide scientific support. The first EuPA tion did not exist. Friedrich Lottspeich, conference was held in February in who is at the Max Planck Institute of Spain, and the second one will be held Biochemistry (Germany) and is presiin Amsterdam during the week of the dent of the German Proteomics Society, 2008 HUPO meeting. The location of notes that when he would speak to the EuPA meeting will rotate throughcolleagues, this topic often came up. In out Europe, with the member society of fact, Sam Hanash, a past the host country setting president of HUPO, also the agenda and making suggested the formation arrangements. Also, the of a European-wide procommittee maintains teomics organization, says the association’s webLottspeich. So, ~1 year site and is planning to after a small exploratory start a brand-new, peercommittee investigated reviewed proteomics the details of setting up a journal in the near group like this, the Eurofuture. It will serve as pean Proteomics Associathe official journal of tion (EuPA) was formed. EuPA, but submissions In conjunction with the from non-European 2005 HUPO conference in researchers also will be Munich, EuPA held its first considered, says LottGeneral Assembly, and speich. Lottspeich was elected Members of the fundpresident. The group was ing committee make Declaration of independence. EuPA is its own organization but maintains close legally registered as an orsure that EuPA has ties to HUPO. ganization in August 2006 enough money to hold in Munich. courses and sponsor Although EuPA sounds like another emphasizes. “They are really indepenmeetings. Currently, EuPA’s wallet is geographically focused HUPO group, it dent, but what they can do in common, not exactly bursting at the seams, says is not actually a branch of the organizathey will do via EuPA.” Lottspeich. Each society pays only ¤2 tion. “In the beginning, being a part of In addition to making European per member. He says that EuPA has HUPO was not excluded, but in the end, politicians aware of the needs of proapplied for funding from the European it turns out that there are a number of teomics researchers, EuPA’s goals Commission for educational activities. European proteomics societies that are include networking and education. In addition, the group approaches comnot dealing with human material,” says These activities, which are addressed panies for funding. “But here, we do Lottspeich. Therefore, many members by the education committee and the not want to compete with the national of these organizations wanted EuPA committee on conferences and comsocieties,” he points out. to be more inclusive than HUPO. “Of munication, are essential for bringing In the near future, EuPA members course, since the main activities of the all proteomics researchers from parwill have a new journal to manage. proteome organizations are very often ticipating societies up to speed. The In the more distant future, EuPA also human, we also cover that as a part of education committee is very active might coordinate large research projour activity,” he says. In particular, one and runs courses throughout Europe ects, much as HUPO does. Lottspeich EuPA committee is charged with mainon topics, such as bioinformatics and says that this activity is not feasible taining ties with HUPO, and members MS. Later this month, EuPA will run right now because funds are scarce, disseminate information from the or the highly successful proteomics sumbut in the meantime, the group can ganization to EuPA members. In that mer school. The German Proteomics bring large research projects to HUPO’s sense, EuPA acts as the European voice Society ran the course for the past 3 or attention. Certainly, EuPA is keeping of HUPO, but it is still an independent 4 years, but EuPA participants wanted everyone involved quite busy. As Lottgroup. to open it up to researchers from across speich says, “It is some work, but it is EuPA does not have individual memthe continent. So this year, EuPA is offun!” berships but is instead a collection of fering the course, and slots were made —Katie Cottingham FRIEDRICH LOTTSPEICH
national proteomics societies from across Europe. So far, 16 are formal members. “Most people agree that a European umbrella organization is useful and can do things that cannot be done by the national organizations alone,” says Lottspeich. He adds that the memberships of many of the national groups are just not large enough to enact changes at the European level. Although EuPA represents the European proteomics societies, it does not tell the member societies what to do. “We do not want to interfere with the single societies in the national countries,” he
Journal of Proteome Research • Vol. 6, No. 8, 2007 2921
