Organizing and Scientific Advisory Committee

4^th European Congress of Protistology

and

10^th European Conference on Ciliate Biology

August 31 - September 5, 2003

San Benedetto del Tronto (AP) Italy

General Information on Congress Organization

The Congress is scheduled at the conference center of the Hotel Calabresi located in the heart of San Benedetto del Tronto, a touristic town on the Adriatic coast that is well connected with primary transportation routes (see attached map). Participants may also fly to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome and reserve a space on a Congress bus that will leave the Airport at 5:00 pm on Sunday of August 31 (to be at the conference center at 8:00 pm), and the conference center at 7:00 am on Friday of September 5 (to be at Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 10:00 am). The peaceful and serene environment of San Benedetto del Tronto will encourage interaction among scientists during their free time. There will be also many opportunities for other activities just in the surrounding of the conference center (e.g., swimming and volley on the sea beach, tennis, shopping).

As in the tradition of the ‘senior’ European Conference on Ciliate Biology and the ‘junior’ European Congress of Protistology, the local organizing committee (substantially identifiable with all the members of the Società Italiana di Protozoologia, also denoted as the Italian Section of the Society of Protozoologists) has worked quite informally to outline a scientific program reflecting areas of intense research activity and to ensure that every symposium has a panel of principal speakers (‘principal’ with reference to time, i.e. 20-30 min, reserved for their presentation). Other speakers will be identified by the scientific advisory committee on the basis of specific requests by participants adequately supported by abstract submission. Nevertheless, the presentation of a scientific contribution in poster format is encouraged for at least three good reasons: posters can remain on display through all the four days of the congress, their content can be discussed in ad hoc sessions, and a number (not yet established) of them will be awarded with a prize after votation by all the participants.

Every effort has been made to reduce the participation cost to the lowest possible and recruit funds and facilities to be utilized for the attendee benefit and confort. Should funds be raised to a measure reflecting expectations, some invited speakers and who might not otherwise be able to attend will be assisted in defraying part of the their expenses for participation.

Accomodation

Participants will lodge and take their breakfast at hotels (three/four stars and with reserved and no-charge car park) all closely surrounding the conference center. Eighty double rooms (a number of which are utilizable also as triple) and 60 single rooms have already been booked for the congress. Additional rooms will in any case be available in other hotels that are no more than 10 min walking from the conference center. Each room has private bath and all of the usual amenities. Room assignment will be notified to participants by the organizing committee in due time. All the meals will be served in the dining room of the conference center.