Flow cytometry in Europe is preferentially organized in
national societies
since the late eighties. In addition, various interest groups
within scientific societies and task oriented European Working Groups emerge.
The working groups constitute themselves outside scientific societies to
achieve intersociety consensus e.g. for
clinical purposes.
Biomedical image cytometry constituted itself as international and national societies but also as
interest groups. The various organizational forms actively promote the
development of cytometry in Europe at the scientific, educational and
training level.
There exists, however, no general forum for joint scientific presentation,
information exchange and discussion of the numerous efforts in clinical
and basic research cytometry of the different European countries. This is
not optimal since one of the essential features for the efficient development of cytometry has always been the multidisciplinary
ternational meetings. This will be especially true for the European
environment whith its urgent need for the harmonization of clinical
cytometry.
2. Historical Development
Morphologically oriented cytophotometrists in Europe operated
mostly within pathological societies while the more biochemically oriented
impulse cytophotometrists i.e. the later flow cytometrists organized
themselves informally around meetings between 1973 and 1980
(Nijmegen, Heidelberg, Münster, Vienna, Voss, Rome). The foundation of
the International Society for Analytical Cytology (ISAC) in 1979 has advanced the development of cytometry at the global level w
of national societies satisfied the local requirements.
The European Society for Analytical Cellular Pathology (
ESACP)
was founded in 1986 as a regional society with a preferential focus
on computer image analysis in histo- and cytopathology. A number of
successful meetings was organized between 1986-95 (2xElmau, Nijmegen,
Grenoble, Southampton Cyto95 with Royal Microscopic Society), each with
several hundred abstracts and participants. The ESACP journal Analytical
Cellular Pathology (
ACP)
has reached a remarkable impact factor of almost 1.8 since its foundation
in 1989. Despite these successes it is increasingly apparent that the
preferential ESACP focus on histo- and cytopathology is too narrow for
European requirements.
The installation and successful operation of the various structures
shows the high dynamic potential of the cytometric discipline. Continuous
reflection on the need for readaptation of the organizational forms is,
however, required to favour an optimal scientific development.
3. Future Organisational Concepts
From the side of ESACP the following proposal may best suit the future
needs if one concentrates on bundling solutions rather than on the divergence
of efforts within numerous separate entities:
Foundation of a European Federation of Cytometric Societies
(EFCS) carried by the various national European cytometric societies but
potentially also by formally established cytometric working groups. ACP, as
a well introduced scientific journal, could serve the new federation as
publication platform. EFCS members would be optionally constituted by
members of national cytometric societies but equally by former ESACP
members who are in favour of the new concept. EFCS would be open to
other cytometrically interested scientists from inside and outside Europe.
EFCS, in contrast to ISAC would, however, not have the goal to expand to a
representative global membership. EFCS would center on clinical as well
as on basic cytometric research in flow and image cytometry with a certain
focus on European issues.
In case of a convincing consent to the EFCS foundation, EFCS could
be officially founded during the
( 5th ESACP
) congress in Oslo in May 1997.
Please communicate your thoughts about this issue.
G.Valet
President-Elect ESACP
