THE CROATIAN GENETIC SOCIETY

The history of the Croatian Genetic Society (the CGS) commenced in 1976 in Dubrovnik, on the occasion of the constitution of the Initiative Committee responsible for the foundation of the Genetic Society of the Republic of Croatia. At that time, the members of the Committee in reference were as follows: academician Prof. Zvonimir Devidé, PhD, academician Prof. Mirko Vidakovic, PhD, Prof. Marija Alacevic, PhD, Prof. Marija Kump, PhD, Prof. Cedomil Herman,PhD,  Prof. Andrija Kastelan, PhD, Josip Potocanac, PhD, Ass. Prof. Zvonimir Singer, PhD, Ass. Prof. Pavao Rudan, PhD, Ass. Prof. Ante Krstinic, PhD, and Prof. Ljiljana Zergollern, PhD. The Society became officially active on the occasion of its first annual assembly, which took place at the Krapina Museum of Evolution.
On the occasion of the Krapina meeting, it had been concluded that the mission of the Society should be gathering of the genetitians and experts of allied profiles, aimed at improving the state of knowledge in all genetic fields; provision of expert and scientific aid, aimed at improving the university tuition in genetic subjects and popularisation of the genetic science; organisation of public meetings, lectures, colloquia, seminars and courses dealing with genetic, biochemistry & molecular genetics, genetic engineering, mutagenesis, organism refinement and population genetics. In addition, the organisation of scientific meetings and congresses, as well as rendering counselling services in the preparation of regulations, expert opinions and analyses concerning the aforementioned fields of interest, had been envisaged. 
The first president of the Society was Prof. Ljiljana Zergollern, PhD (1978-1980), and later on academicians Mirko Vidakovic (1980-82.), Zeljko Trgovcevic (1982-84.), Sibila Jelaska (1984-87.), and Andrija Kastelan (1987-89.) Those were succeeded by Jasenka Pigac, PhD (1989-96.), Prof. Drazena Papes, PhD (1996-2002.), Djurdjica Ugarkovic, PhD (2002-2007.), and Prof. Jasna Franekic Colic, PhD (2007-).
The first scientific meeting of the Croatian Genetic Society was held in Osijek, Croatia, in 1979, and had been organised by the employees of the Institute of Agriculture Osijek, who, on that occasion, managed to summon a considerable number of reputable genetitians and herbage refiners. Later that year, from September 30th until October 5th, the Ninth Annual Meeting of the European Environmental Mutagen Society (EEMS), successfully organised by Prof. Marija Alaèeviæ, took place in Tuèepi, Croatia. The congress in question had triggered a hasty development of mutagenic research not only in Croatia, but in Slovenia and Serbia as well, and resulted in the constitution of the separate CGS section dealing with environmental mutagens. From October 25th- October 28th 1983, also the Yugoslav Symposium on Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis took place in Makarska, Croatia (on that occasion, the Organising Committee was presided over by Nadezda Savkovic, PhD, while Prof. Marija Alacevic acted in capacity of the vice-president and the member of the Programme Council). As for the congress activities, it should be noted that the Society provided auspices for the Fifth International Symposium on Genetics of Industrial Microorganisms – the GIM – hosted by Split, Croatia, in 1986. The principal organiser of this meeting was Prof. Marija Alacevic. In 1990, starting from March 31st to April 4th, the Second Symposium on Environmental Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis, jointly organised by the Slovenian Genetic Society and the Yugoslav Mutagenic Section, took place in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia. The members of the Society involved into the organisation of this meeting, were as follows: Prof. Marija Alacevic, PhD, academician Zeljko Trgovcevic, Prof. Jasna Franekic, PhD and Prof. Drasko Serman, PhD. The CGS also acted as the organiser of the First Congress of Croatian Genetitians, which took place in 1998 in Hvar, Croatia. On that occasion, the Organising Committee was presided over by Prof. Jasna Franekiæ, PhD, and the Scientific Committee by Prof. Zeljko Trgovcevic, PhD. The Second Congress of Croatian Genetitians, with international participation, was organised in 2005 in Supetar, on the Croatian Island of Brac, where Djurdjica Ugarkovic, PhD, presided over the Organising Committee, while Prof. Jasna Franekic Colic, PhD, acted in capacity of the president of the Scientific Committee. For a number of years, the Society also plays an active role in the preparation and organisation of the annual meetings of Croatian agronomists, and made a considerable contribution to the organisation of the First Croatian Congress on Molecular Bioscience (CCOMLIS, Opatija, Croatia, 2002; the President of the Organising Committee: Prof. Jasna Franekic Colic, PhD; the President of the Scientific Committee: Prof. Mirna Flögel, PhD), as well as to the organisation of the symposium aimed at celebrating the 45th anniversary of molecular biology science and expertise in the Republic of Croatia, and the 50th anniversary of the “double helix” (Zagreb, Croatia, 2003). As a result of the scientific reputation of the members of the CGS Mutagenic Section, the Republic of Croatia was entrusted with the organisation of the 38th EEMS Congress, which is going to take place in Cavtat, Croatia, from 21st to 25th September 2008. As regards the latter, the presidency of the Organising Committee was designated to Prof. Jasna Franekic Colic, PhD, and the presidency of the Scientific Committee to Prof. Verica Garaj-Vrhovac, PhD.

In the late 1976, the Zagreb Sub-Section of Molecular Genetic, embraced by the Yugoslav Genetitians’ Society, started with the organisation of expert colloquia, given by the members of the Molecular Biology Group. The first lectures had been given on the premises of the Faculty of Technology (nowadays the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology) University of Zagreb, located in 6 Pierottijeva St., and later on, starting from April 1977 until June 1999, in the Pliva Workers’ Club, located in the former 8th May St. (nowadays Pavla Hatza St.). Following the closure of the Club, the lectures have been given on the premises of the Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Zagreb, located on 6 Roosevelt Square. As of July 2007, 422 colloquia have been held, and during the course of each and every of them, all efforts have been made to bring the major achievements attained in this scientific discipline, characterised by an enormously rapid development, to the attention of scientific and expert circles. The Society poses as a member of the following international associations: The International Genetic Federation (the IGF), and the European Environmental Mutagens Society (the EEMS).
In order to encourage the engagement of young scientists in the field of molecular genetics, in the year 2001 the CGS, together with the Molecular Biology Department of the Rudjer Boskovic Institute, founded the Zeljko Trgovcevic Award. The Award was established in the memory and appreciation of the work carried out by the prematurely deceased academician Zeljko Trgovcevic, and is presented on an annual basis to a young scientist who had authored an extremely valuable original contribution, prepared in Croatia and published in a top-class scientific journal. Insofar, the young researcher-fellows decorated with this meritorious award, were as follows: Andreja Mikoc, PhD, Ana Traven, PhD,  Ivana Ivancic-Bace, PhD, Anamaria Brozovic, PhD, Martina Podnar Lesic, PhD, and  Silvija Bilokapic, PhD.
In order to enhance gathering and collaboration of its members, the CGS occasionally organises expert field trips. In June 2003, the CGS members had visited the Institute of Agronomy Osijek and the nature park Kopacki rit. This outstanding field trip was organised by Prof. Vinko Kozumplik, PhD, the chair of the Microrganisms’ Refinement Section. On June 16th, 2007, the members of the Society visited the Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology Department, embraced by the Medical College University of Rijeka, where the employees, led by their head Prof. Sinisa Volarevic, PhD, kindly explained the contents and line of their work. This visit was followed by the trip to Zeleni vir, where the participants were offered the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Gorski Kotar County. The members of our Society, who should be credited with the success of this field trip, are our “foresters” Mladen Ivankovic, PhD and Prof. Davorin Kajba, PhD.