Thousands dead in Chinese quake, todays news..

A powerful earthquake has killed at least 10,000 people in China's south-western Sichuan province, up to 5,000 of them in just one county. Many more have been killed and injured in other parts of the country after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck at 1428 local time (0628 GMT). At least 50 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a school where an estimated 900 students were buried.

President Hu Jintao has urged "all-out" efforts to rescue victims. Search teams were sent to the area but struggled to get through because routes were blocked. The BBC's Michael Bristow, in nearby Chongqing, said torrential rains had also prevented helicopters gaining access. With communication links down, he says there is still no real indication of the death toll at the epicentre, in Wenchuan county, about 92km (57 miles) from Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital. Read full story on this site..

source: BBC News UK

Todays News..

Miss Earth 2008 candidates pose for photographers on the poolside of a hotel in Makati during a media presentation Tuesday.

source: GMANews.TV

Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

The 15 members of each Theme Panel will meet, at least twice a year, to;

• put forward ideas for Focused Meetings
• consider proposals from other scientists within their field of expertise (referee the proposal)
• highlight to the Meetings Board areas of hot science that should be in the programme
• form part of the Science Advisory Committee for each Annual Meeting (BioScience)
• report to the Meetings Board
• develop interdisciplinary activities and collaborate with appropriate sister societies.

The Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Theme Panel is Theme Panel VI within the Biochemical Society. The group continues to represent broad interest in the general area of biotechnology and bioinformatics and plays a major role in organizing Society Meetings across diverse areas of biotechnology and bioinformatics research and education.

The Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Theme Panel welcomes suggestions for Biochemical Society meetings from all members of the scientific community. If you have an idea for a meeting, and wish to have an informal discussion with a member of a Theme Panel, you are welcome to contact that member. If you wish to submit a formal proposal for a meeting, complete the relevant form and forward it to meetings@biochemistry.org.