From: "Ken Taylor" <KTAYLO@scri.sari.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 16:57:51 GMT
Subject: Membership types
To: Recipients of ABRF List <abrf@aecom.yu.edu>
Dear ABRFers,
I've been reading, on the Web site, the conditions which have to be
met for the different levels of membership of the ABRF and was
wondering if anyone else was in my position.
The structure in place in my Institute is such that I am ineligible
to join the ABRF as a director. Although I perform the function of a
core facility (peptide and DNA design and synthesis + DNA sequencing
+ related instrument and software training), I am part of a research
department, and am too low a grade to be formally recognised as being
an autonomous unit in the manner required for full membership. Many
other types of analysis covered by the ABRF are also conducted in
other labs around the site. As far as I am aware there are no plans
to group things together and create a proper core facility with it's
own budget and unit head.
I bring this up as I have watched messages pass around about
various test samples and comparative studies, and feel slightly left
out. ( A different type of lurking perhaps :-) .)
Am I alone in this? Or are there others out there who would like to
participate in these studies, but can't because they're only eligible
for Associate membership? The recent, welcome, posting about a
peptide synthesis survey shows some scope for me to contribute. Is
there maybe a case for a new type of membership to cover people in my
situation? Or opening up tests and surveys to all?
Perhaps the various committees get enough data back from
full members to make valid judgments about the state the art in
different areas. I certainly appreciate that the work involved in
these studies must be considerable. However, widening the number of
labs able to submit data could increase the response and hence the
quality of the results.
Thanks for your time reading this.
Yours provocativly,
Ken Taylor.
Ken Taylor.
Peptide and DNA Services.
Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee.
Phone 01382 56 27 31 Fax 01382 56 24 26
WWW URL http://www.scri.sari.ac.uk/