The American Society for Photobiology (ASP) is a

scientific society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

for the promotion of research in

photobiology Photobiology is the scientific study of the beneficial and harmful interactions of light (technically, non-ionizing radiation) in living organisms. The field includes the study of photophysics, photochemistry, photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, vis ...

, integration of different photobiology disciplines, dissemination of photobiology knowledge, and provides information on photobiological aspects of national and international issues.

History

The society was formed in 1972 and held its inaugural meeting on Sunday June 10, 1973, in

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, under the presidency of founder Kendric C. Smith.

Activities

Publications

The society publishes '' Photochemistry and Photobiology'' as its official journal. Other publications include the free online textbook, ''Photobiological Sciences Online''.

Meetings

The society met annually from its formation until 2004 and has met biennially since then.

Awards

The society awards a number of prizes at its meetings including the ASP Research Award, the ASP New Investigator Award, the ASP Photon Award and the ASP Lifetime Achievement Award. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include

John Woodland Hastings John Woodland "Woody" Hastings, (March 24, 1927 – August 6, 2014) was a leader in the field of photobiology, especially bioluminescence, and was one of the founders of the field of circadian biology (the study of circadian rhythms, or the slee ...

, Pill-Soon Song, and Margaret Kripke.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:American Society for Photobiology Scientific societies based in the United States Scientific organizations established in 1972 1972 establishments in Florida