Discussion on the hypothesis of forming a European photobiological society

In 1984 some European photobiologists began discussing the possibility of forming a European Society for Photobiology: a literature survey showed that several European centres were actively engaged in high level photobiological investigations, thus it appeared reasonable to promote closer interactions between them. In particular, the creation of ESP would have stimulated the exchange of information, site visits and more intensive collaborations between Western and Eastern European laboratories, which had been quite difficult until that date due to political factors.

Meeting in the Max-Planck-Institut für Strahlenchemie in Mülheim an der Ruhr

For above purpose, on February 8, 1985 a task group met in the Max-Planck-Institut für Strahlenchemie in Mülheim an der Ruhr.

The participants in this meeting were:            
René Bensasson (Paris), Lars O. Björn (Lund), Tom M.A.R. Dubbelman (Leiden), Alain Favre (Paris), Herbert Hönigsmann (Vienna), Christer T. Jansen (Turku), Giulio Jori (Padova), Jacques G. Piette (Liège), Wolfhart Rüdiger (München), Kurt Schaffner (Mülheim an der Ruhr), Horst Senger (Marburg), Walt Shropshire (Rockville), László Szalay (Szeged), T. George Truscott (Paisley), Rex Tyrell (Lausanne ), Albert van de Vorst (Liège).

Appointment of a founding committee

In the Strahlenchemie Meeting a Founding Committee was appointed which met for the first time in November 1985, again in Mülheim an der Ruhr.
Members of the Founding Committee were Kurt Schaffner , Chair (Mülheim an der Ruhr ), Tom M. A. R. Dubbelman (Leiden), Giulio Jori (Padova), Johan Moan ( Oslo ).

Birth of the European Society for Photobiology

The ESP was finally born on the occasion of its First Congress in Grenoble ( France ) in September 1986.

1^st ESP Congress - Grenoble (France)

Local organizers: Jean Cadet, P. Amblard, J.C. Beani, J. Joyard, B. Muel, M. Polverelli, J.L. Reymond, P. Vigny

The members of the first Executive Committee of the Society were: T. George Truscott (Paisley), President; Herbert Hönigsmann (Vienna), President Elect; Kurt Schaffner (Mülheim an der Ruhr) , Past President of Founding Committee; Rex M. Tyrrell (Lausanne), Treasurer; Jean Cadet (Grenoble), Secretary; László Szalay (Szeged), Officer.

Since then many photobiologists served as Officers in the Executive Committee of the Society

The photos above by courtesy of Professor Kurt Schaffner

2nd ESP Congress - Padova (Italy)

Local organizers: Francesco Dall'Acqua, Giulio Jori, Sergio Caffieri, Daniela Vedaldi, G. Zampolini

After the second congress (Padova, Italy, September 1987), the congresses of the Society have been held every second year in various European countries.

Since 1987, on the occasion of the biennial congress, the Executive Committee of the ESP awards a medal to distinguished scientists whose research achievements in Photobiology are internationally acknwoledged as outstanding and who have given crucial contributions to ESP activities.

First official journal of the ESP

In 1987 the first official journal of the ESP was published. In the first issue the President announced that ESP within a year has rapidly grown to a membership from about 30 countries, of which about 10 were outside Europe with the other 20 split between East and West Europe.

The Editors-in-Chief of the first official journal have been Giulio Jori (1987-1992), T. George Truscott (1993-1998) and Tamás Vidóczy (1999-2001).

3^rd ESP Congress - Budapest (Hungary)

Local organizers: Györgyi Rontó, Gy. Garab, I. Horkay, K. Jobst, Tatiana Szitó

4^th ESP Congress - Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

Local organizers: Tom M.A.R. Dubbelman, Gerard Beijersbergen van Henegouwen, Johan Lugtenburg, Len Roza

5^th ESP Congress - Marburg (Germany)

Local organizers: Horst Senger, Holger Dau, Dieter Dörnemann, Paul Galland, Manfred Tidow

6^th ESP Congress - Cambridge (UK)

Local organizers: Anthony R. Young, Paul Heelis, Jane McGregor

7^th ESP Congress - Stresa (Italy)

Local organizers: Francesco Lenci, Giovanni Checcucci, Francesco Ghetti

8^th ESP Congress - Granada (Spain)

Local organizers: Miguel A. Miranda, Bartolomé Quintero

9^th ESP Congress - Lillehammer (Norway)

Local organizers: Terje Christensen, Kristian Berg, Berit Kjeldstad, Ellen Bruzell

Official journal (PPS) published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

The official Journal of the Society is Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences (PPS), jointly owned by ESP and EPA (European Photochemistry Association) has been published from January 2002 to December 2020 by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The first Editors-in-Chief of PPS for the Photobiology Section have been Tamás Vidóczy (January-June 2002), Jacques Piette (July 2002 - December 2003), Janet F. Bornman (January 2004 - December 2006). Since January 2007 the Editor-in-chief is Rex M. Tyrrell. For the Photochemistry section the first Editor-in-Chief was Frank Wilkinson and since the beginning of 2006 the Editor-in-Chief is Frans De Schryver.

10^th ESP Congress - Wien (Austria)

Local organizers: Herbert Hönigsmann, Robert Knobler, Franz Trautinger

11^th ESP Congress - Aix-les-Bains (France)

Local organizers: Jean Cadet, Thierry Douki, Olivier Falletti, Jean-François Millau, Stephane Mouret, Sandrine Terrier, Jean-Luc Ravanat, Evelyne Sage, Christine Vever-Bizet

12^th ESP Congress - Bath (UK)

Local organizers: Rex Tyrrell, Helen Thame, R.H. Guy, S.H. Moss, C. Pourzand

13^th ESP Congress - Wroclaw (Poland)

Local organizers: Piotr Ziólkowski, Krzysztof Symonowicz, Andrzej Bronowicz, Elzbieta Gamian, Kamil Jurczyszyn, Artur Lipinski, Anna Lis, Beata Osiecka, Pawel Ostasiewicz, Joanna Rogala, Marta Rzeszutko, Przemyslaw Sadowski, Krzysztof Symonowicz, Zdzislaw Wozniak

14^th ESP Congress - Geneva (Switzerland)

Local organizer: Norbert Lange

15^th ESP Congress - Liège (Belgium)

Local organizers: Jacques Piette, Cécile Moucheron

16^th ESP Congress - Aveiro (Portugal)

Local organizers: Maria Amparo Faustino, M. Graça P.M.S. Neves, Adelaide Almeida

17^th ESP Congress - Pisa (Italy)

Local organizers: Francesco Ghetti, Giovanni Checcucci, Francesco Lenci, Franco Fusi, Lucia Guidi

World Congress on Light and Life (17^th Congress of the International Union of Photobiology and 18^th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology) - Barcelona (Spain)

Local organizers: Santi Nonell, Montserrat Agut, Diego de Argila, Yolanda Gilaberte, Amadeu Llebaria, Maria Lluïsa Sagristá

Springer Nature has become the publisher of PPS

Since January 2021 Springer Nature has become the new publisher of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences.

19^th ESP Congress - WWW and Salzburg (Austria)

Local organizers: Kristjan Plaetzer, Angelika Hofer, Barbara Krammer, Giorgia Miolo, Francesco Ghetti

New ESP Editor-in-Chief of PPS

Since May 2023 Kristjan Plaetzer, head of the Laboratory of Photodynamic Inactivation of Microorganisms, Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg is the new Editor-in-Chief of PPS.

20^th ESP Congress - Lyon (France)

Local organizers: Thierry Douki, Laure Guy, Akos Banyasz, Yann Bretonnière, Anne-Laure Bulin, Jean-Luc Ravanat

Many thanks to José M G Pereira for this one and the other photos of the Congress.