The first four-year cycle of the prize (2005-2008) was established to give international recognition and visibility to outstanding scientific achievements made in basic sciences by individual scientists in developing countries. It was named the 'Trieste Science Prize', in recognition of the unique and fundamental role that the Trieste System of scientific institutions plays in promoting science and technology in the developing world.

The second four-year cycle (2009-2012) of the prize, now called the 'Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize' to honour the late former President of illycaffè, will focus on sustainability science. The prize is awarded annually and rotate among the following fields:

• Climate change and its impact on agriculture in developing countries (2009)
• Energy (2010)
• Materials science (2011)
• Human health (2012)

Each prize carries a monetary award of US$100,000 generously contributed by illycaffè, a trophy and a certificate bearing a citation highlighting the major contributions for which the prize is awarded. The annual prize will be presented to the recipient at a special occasion arranged by TWAS, illycaffè and the Trieste Town Council.

The deadline for receiving nominations for the 2009 prize for outstanding contributions in Climate change and its impact on agriculture in developing countries is 31 May 2009.

For more information, please visit http://twas.ictp.it/prog/prizes/trieste-science-prize.

Source: Philippine Star

Claiming thousands of lives each year, and amounting to several billions of pesos in healthcare and treatment cost, cancer has become serious public health issue and both a clinical, as well as economic burden. Cancer research efforts are therefore being channeled toward discovering more effective therapeutic strategies and developing preventive and screening methods.

Cancer is a complex and multi-factorial disease that arises from the interplay between a genetic component often involving several genes, and environmental determinants such as diet, lifestyle, or chemical exposure. Although some cancers -- a very small fraction which occurs very rarely in the population -- can be attributed almost completely to genetics, the majority of cases are a result of the interaction of environmental factors with the individual's genetic make up. Over the years, scientists have been able to demonstrate that variations in our genes affect how our bodies respond to environmental agents, and in turn, influence our predisposition to developing cancer. Smoking, for example, has long been established to be strongly associated with lung cancer, but not all smokers will suffer from this particular cancer type. By identifying which genes and which variations in such genes are able to significantly alter individual risk for the disease, we can harness them as tools to distinguish genetically susceptible subgroups and prevent cancer development through intervention strategies.