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10^th ISSOL Meeting
13^th International Conference on the Origin of Life

	Oaxaca ISSOL '02

First announcement

Sunday June 30^th to Friday July 5^th, 2002

Oaxaca, Mexico

Organized by:

International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (ISSOL)

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)

Contents:

• Science Program and various details
• Travel and fees
• Additional information
• Organizing committees
• Contact information

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Invitation

On behalf of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (ISSOL) it is a great pleasure to invite all ISSOL members, and colleagues from all over the world to attend the 10^th ISSOL meeting (13^th International Conference on the Origin of Life) to be held at the city of Oaxaca, Mexico from June 30 to July 5, 2002.

Since the study of the origin and early evolution of life is a multidisciplinary subject, the aim of the conference is to integrate recent discoveries in the fields of exo/astrobiology, cosmic prebiotic chemistry, origins of life, microbial evolution, genomics, paleobiology, and astronomy.

For over four decades, these series of conferences have been the principal forum for the exchange of scientific information on the problems related to the origin and evolution of Life in the Universe. The development of these meetings parallels the growth of this continuous expanding field. It started with the Symposium on the Origin of Life on the Earth in August 1957, in Moscow, in 1963 in Wakulla Springs in 1970 in Pont-à-Mousson, and has continued up the 1999 San Diego (USA) ISSOL meeting that was attended by more than 339 representatives of 25 countries.

Several debates and discussions sessions related to the interdisciplinary character of the conference are planned. Because the widespread interest in this field, several public sessions in Spanish will be open to general public.

Your participation and contribution is very important. We sure you will enjoy your stay in Oaxaca and we are confident that both the scientific programs and the social program will ensure a happy and productive academic exchange.

Outline of the Scientific Program:

The technical sessions will be grouped in Oral and Poster presentations around specific topics. Oral communications will include both invited and contributed papers. There will be no oral parallel sessions. It is expected that all the posters will be displayed for at least two days, with the author(s) in attendance at specific times.

The following topics will be included:

• Extraterrestrial organic compounds
• Primitive Earth environments
• Prebiotic chemistry
• RNA world and the origin of replication
• Microbiological life and genomics
• Early metabolism
• Precambrian paleontology
• Astrobiology/Exobiology
• Historical, philosophical, and educational aspects of the origin of life
• Search for life in the Universe and SETI.

Abstracts

Abstracts will be due in February 2002. More details will be given in the second announcement. Electronic submitted abstract is encouraged.

Venue

Oaxaca-ISSOL'02 will be held at Oaxaca City, which is located in the Southern region of Mexico, in the heart of the Sierra Madre del Sur.

Language

English will be the official language for the conference. No facilities for simultaneous translations will be available. Public conferences will be in Spanish.

Travel and Accommodations

A local travel agent (International Meeting Services, Mexico, e-mail agochez@infosel.net.mx) will arrange the hotel reservations. The city neighborings offer a rich mixture of colonial architecture, sophisticated cuisine, prehispanic ruins, jungle, and beaches waiting to be explored and enjoyed. The travel agency will organize pre and post-congress tours. They will help you to find the best possible travel arrangements to Oaxaca. Details will be published in the second announcement.

Travel Grants

ISSOL will provide a limit number of travel grants for students and young scientists. Those interested should contact ISSOL Treasurer David W. Deamer: deamer@hydrogen.ucsc.edu

Companion's program

An invitation to companions/ partners to accompany participants is warmly extended. A special program of attractions, which includes culture and fun, has been organized.

Participation and Registration Fees

The congress will be open to all scientists interested in the origin of life and related fields.

The registration fee (US dollars) will be:

	before April 30, 2002	after April 30, 2002 or on site
Members	$300	$350
Non-members	$350	$400
Students	$150	$200
Accompanying persons	$100	$150

Children under 12 years will not pay registration fee.

The registration fee includes the conference attendance, the mixing welcome party, the book of abstracts, coffee/tea breaks. If you registered before April 30, 2002, a place for Wednesday excursion to Monte Alban is guaranteed without extra charge. On site reservations for Monte Alban excursion will be subjected to availability.

Web page

General information regarding registration and hotel reservations is available in this address:

http://www.biologia.unam.mx/issol/oaxaca.html

Updated information of the meeting can also be fouded here.

Local Organizing Committee

Antonio Lazcano (UNAM, Mexico, President)

Germinal Cocho (UNAM, Mexico, Vice-president)

Rafael Navarro-González (UNAM, Mexico, Vice-president)

Alicia Negrón-Mendoza (UNAM, Mexico, Vice-president)

Arturo Becerra (UNAM, Mexico, Secretary)

Luis Delaye (UNAM, Mexico, Secretary)

Sergio Ramos-Bernal (UNAM, Mexico, Secretary)

Sandra I. Ramírez (UNAM, Mexico, Treasurer)

Vocals

Thomas Bhuse (Universidad Autonoma de Morelos, Mexico)

Luis Cruz-Kurie (Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico)

Elizabeth Chacón (UNAM, Mexico)

Sara Islas (UNAM, Mexico)

Ulises Iturbe (Universidad Autonoma de Hidalgo, Mexico)

Regional Latin American Committee

Humberto Campins (University of Arizona,USA)

Romeo Cardoso (Universidad Fedederal. Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Julian Chela-Flores (ICTP, Italy and IDEA, Venezuela)

Angélica Soto (Universidad de Chile, Chile)/span>

Guillermo Lemarchand (Instituto. Argentino de Radioastronomía, Argentina)

Alicia Massarini (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Ernesto Palacios-Pru (Universidad de los Andes,

Second Announcement

The second announcement, to be sent in November 2001, will contain instructions for preparation and submission of abstracts and posters.

Correspondence address

Oaxaca-ISSOL'02
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM
Dept. de Quimica
Apartado Postal 70-543,
Ciudad Universitaria, D.F.
04510 Mexico

Telephone 525/ 622 4674, 525/ 6224707-231, and 525/ 622 4707-223
Fax 525/ 616 2233

e-mail: issol@nuclecu.unam.mx

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