The Center for Biophotonics was pleased to co-sponsor the 9th International Conference on Optics Within Life Sciences (OWLS9), which took place at National Yang-Ming University in Taipei, Taiwan from November 26-29, 2006.

The meeting is one of the major principal forums for world-renowned scientists, engineers, and researchers to present and discuss the most recent developments and emerging technologies in the field of optics and lasers in the life sciences – including biology, medicine and environmental sciences.  Prof. Arthur Chiou of Nat’l Yang-Ming University was chairman of the organizing committee for OWLS9 and the principal host for this event.

The meeting was well-attended, with representatives from Germany, Russia, Canada, U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia.  Plenary talks were given by Britton Chance (U. Penn), James Fujimoto (MIT), and Paras Prasad (U. Buffalo).  Six sessions, covering topics ranging from lasers, optics, and imaging technologies in biology and medicine; novel optical microscopy and spectroscopy; biomanipulation and biosensing; and nanobiophotonics.  CBST participants and collaborators (several of whom co-chaired these parallel sessions) included Dennis Matthews, Yin Yeh, R. Holland Cheng, Laura Marcu, James Chan, Frank Chuang, and Huawen Wu.

The conference was both interesting and enjoyable for everyone involved.  Numerous opportunities for future collaborations were identified, and Prof. Chiou and his colleagues have been invited to visit UC Davis and CBST, during the SPIE Photonics West meeting in January.