Chips May Replace Rats

According to a CNN article, mice and rats may be replaced by chips one day. The article reports scientists are experimenting with a chip that "...looks like a standard microscope slide, but it holds hundreds of tiny white dots loaded with human cell cultures and enzymes. It's designed to mimic human reactions to potentially toxic chemical compounds,..."

Former AALAS president and now senior science adviser to the National Association for Biomedical Research, Dr. Taylor Bennett, is quoted in the article.

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Tech Week Almost Here

Join AALAS in recognizing all technicians as "Heroes Behind the Science" during International Laboratory Animal Technician Week (January 27-February 2). For more details and ordering information, click here.

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Topic Submissions Due March 15

The deadline for AALAS National Meeting topic submissions is March 15, 2008, while the deadline for abstract submissions has been pushed back to June 1. You may view the requirements for submitting abstracts and proposing educational session topics on the National Meeting website at nationalmeeting.aalas.org/callforabs.asp.

Abstract and topic submission for this year's National Meeting will again be handled through the Abstract Central submission site, aalas.abstractcentral.com.This browser-based system offers many benefits, including fast, easy online submission and unlimited technical support.

If you choose to submit a topic, please note that you must include the title, brief description, and names and contact information for any suggested panelists, speakers, or leader. Once the submission undergoes review and acceptance, any substitution or addition of speakers must be approved by the Program Committee.

If you choose to submit an abstract, please follow the guidelines and provide complete information. This will greatly assist the Program Committee in their review process and enable the correct assignment of your abstract to the appropriate program session.

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National Meeting Exhibitor Prospectus Online

The priority point application deadline is February 4, so now is the time to begin thinking about exhibiting at the 2008 National Meeting.

In the Exhibitor Prospectus, you'll find diagrams of the hall, specs, prices, sponsorship opportunities, and application forms. For additional information about exhibiting at the AALAS National Meeting, please email Christy Miller.

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AALAS at the ACTE

The AALAS Foundation provides funding for exhibiting at various teacher and public outreach trade shows and events. One of these 2007 education events was the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference and Trade Show which was held December 13-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. More than 5,000 attendees were on hand.

ACTE is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers.



















Joining John McCutchen, AALAS's Director of Member Relations and Marketing at the AALAS booth was Dee Drye, a member of the AALAS Board of Trustees from District 8.

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AALAS Learning Library: Latest Courses

LATG Courses
The AALAS Learning Library (www.aalaslearninglibrary.org) now has a complete set of courses corresponding with the new LATG Training Manual. As with the previous LATG courses, a course exists for every chapter of the manual (17 courses in all); there are three review exams and a final exam. Images are more numerous in the courses than in the printed manual. Also, for the first time, the LATG courses incorporate a streaming audio file for each page of every lesson. Now, you can choose to listen to or read the course, or both at the same time!

AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia
A new course on the ALL focuses on the new AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (formerly known as the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia). This course is applicable to all animal species used in research. With lessons on the basic concepts of euthanasia and the types of euthanasia agents (inhalants, noninhalant pharmaceuticals, and physical methods), the learner develops an understanding for the categorization of the methods of euthanasia (as acceptable, conditionally acceptable, and unacceptable).

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AALAS Seeks New Leaders

The AALAS Nominations Committee invites members to submit nominations for the following positions to be filled during the summer 2008 election for terms 2009–2011. Responsibilities commence at the close of the National Meeting in Indianapolis.

• Vice president-elect
• District 1 trustee
• District 2 trustee
• District 4 trustee and alternate trustee
• District 5 alternate trustee
• District 6 trustee and alternate trustee
• District 7 trustee

To run for vice president-elect, you must submit the required materials no later than February 1, 2008. The candidate packet and information regarding eligibility and job responsibilities for this position are located at http://www.aalas.org/association/leadership.asp. After you go to this page, log in and then click on the "Leadership Nomination Information" link on the left.

Another option is to run for either trustee or alternate trustee in your district. Your district is determined by the address to which your publications and official ballot are mailed. To be eligible, you must be a national member in good standing for the past five years; have served in branch leadership and/or on a district, regional, or national committee during the past five years; and be willing to make a three-year commitment to leadership. Visit the AALAS website or contact the AALAS office for a copy of the signature petition. Gather signatures from at least 25 current AALAS national members within your district and submit the petitions to the AALAS office before April 15, 2008.

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