Neurochemistry—the problems of transmitting the message

Abstract

During the last decade there have been increasing difficulties in communication between neurochemists and biochemists. The appearance of many new neuroscience journals and the manifest success of related interdisciplinary societies have tended to exacerbate the problem. Thus fewer neurochemical papers are appearing in the major biochemical journals and neurochemists tend to present their work at specialist conferences (e.g. International Society for Neurochemistry). Only some 30 years ago everything was on a much smaller scale; there were fewer biochemists and much less biochemistry. Meetings were regularly attended bysenior as well as student biochemists. It was usual to see a row of professors of biochemistry as well as a sprinkling of distinguished visitors at national as well as international meetings. However, at present in the U.K., although we have a successful neurochemical group of the parent Biochemical Society, symposia organized at main meetings tend to be only one of a number of alternative meetings competing for the professional neurochemist's time. I think the same may be true of the Federation meetings and the International Congresses of Biochemistry. It is a pity that this situation has arisen, for if true it may well seriously interfere with development of an important area of biochemistry by reducing communication between neurochemists and the mainstream of ideas in biochemistry.