Participants of the inaugural symposium of 1966. - CONTRIBUTED
LIKE SO many things, the Natural Products Symposium had an informal beginning when, in the '60s; Dr. Wilfred Chan of UWI, Mona (Department of Chemistry) invited a few overseas visiting colleagues to the Senior Common Room. Talk centred on the possibility of holding a conference on the Mona campus. Professor Ian Scott, from the United Kingdom and one of the group members, on returning home, took the concept so seriously that early in 1965 he wrote a letter to Dr. Chan who crystallised the idea.
The first symposium in 1966 had the winning formula of high-level chemistry led by recognised experts from all over the world and the biological significance of many of the substances discussed. The organisation was also an attractive arrangement of a five-day conference early in January, with an outing on the third day providing for private discussions combined with enjoyment of Jamaican hospitality and the environment. These symposia have been held every two years and this year's is the 21st.
The conference has attracted outstanding organic chemists from all over the world who work on natural products.
This year's conference runs from January 3-6, and will host over 50 visiting participants from North America, Europe, Japan and the wider Caribbean. The conference will focus on the isolation of natural products from marine organisms, to the chemical synthesis of biologically active compounds.
