EFCS Foundation

Position Paper

Proposal for the Reorganization of ESACP
during the 5th ESACP Congress, Oslo 1997

G.Valet Sep.23,1996

1. Actual Organization of Cytometry in Europe

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 contact at in- 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 while the foundation 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