Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 08:12:48 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199701291312.IAA14442@cinna.ultra.net>
From: Elizabeth Fowler <efowler@ultranet.com>
Subject: Re: Membership types
To: Recipients of ABRF List <abrf@aecom.yu.edu>
Dear Paul and Ken, and others:
The issues of how to define members and how to ensure sample distribution to
labs who work in the relevant area while not sending many unwanted samples
are on the agenda for the "Winter Board Meeting" which the ABRF Executive
Board will have just before ABRF '97.
We welcome your input on these issues, especially ideas for how to identify
labs who want to receive particular types of samples.
Beth Fowler
At 03:37 PM 1/26/97 -0500, Paul Morrison wrote:
>"Ken Taylor" <KTAYLO@scri.sari.ac.uk> writes:
>>
>>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/
>
>This problem keeps getting hashed and rehashed but it seems like we still
>haven't reached a good solution. The problem is how we can include Ken and
>all other labs that don't have an official "director" or are not
>"primarily" set up for resource work. Two words in the first sentence seem
>to exclude a lot of labs. The word "must" and "primary".
>Off the web site first sentence:
>
>"FACILITY DIRECTOR
>Must be the director or manager of a facility which provides analytical or
>synthesis related services to other laboratories or divisions as a primary
>goal of the facility".
>
>Again as I did last year I had many messages from ABRF members asking why
>they did not receive DNA sequencing samples. I go through the ABRF
>generated list sent to me for DNASeq and their lab is not listed. I want
>their data. The flip side would be the dificulty of sending samples to
>everyone thus sending a lot of duplicate samples.
>
>But we should be able to generate a unique list.
>
>-Paul
>
>Paul Morrison
>Molecular Biology Core Facilities
>Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
>44 Binney Street
>Boston, MA 02115
>
>p_morrison@dfci.harvard.edu
>http://mbcf.dfci.harvard.edu
>
>
>
>
Elizabeth Fowler
Director, Product Biochemistry
AutoImmune, Inc.
128 Spring Street
Lexington, MA 02173
Phone: 617-860-0710
FAX: 617-860-0705
Email: efowler@ultranet.com