After those intense days in the EAFE 2008 meeting, in Crete, it is time to congratulate all the students, for the great participation in the event of the year (at least for forensic entomology)!
To highlight this, looking at this year scientific program, students made a half of the oral presentations, and a considerable amount of posters! It has been an opportunity to show to the scientific community what we are doing, to exchange ideas with colleagues and probably, the most important: to learn with the ones that have much more experience than us.
I think it has been an excellent meeting, in a beautiful and unforgettable place.
Hope to see you all next year, maybe in Sweden ?

Catarina Prado e Castro – student representative in the board of the EAFE

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The sea at your feet, the astonishing beauty of Crete and the great hospitality of the Cretan people framed this event. The VI EAFE Meeting wasn’t just a meeting, it was a truly international conference. Scientists from 24 countries, accounting a total of seventy-six fellows from 5 continents relaxingly joined a busy scientific agenda following the Greek tradition of the “symposium” in the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC), Kolymbari, between the 20th and the 24th of May 2008.
Members from Australia, America (USA and Canada), Africa (Cameroon and South Africa) and Europe (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom (Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England)) presented original research and new developments in a wide range of areas linked to forensic entomology. An intensive program combined 9 scientific sessions (30 oral presentations), 2 poster sessions (a total of 28 posters), 2 workshops, 2 invited talks on developing disciplines, the application of carbohydrates in forensic entomology and promises of forensic mycology, 1 keynote talk and two interactive sessions on microscopy kindly supported by Leica, prepared and guided by Michael Doppler. Students were attracted by a 75 % discount on registration fees and reduced prices for accommodation and board. To close the meeting there was also opportunity to consider and discuss future topics and developments in a special session about News and Open Discussion, especially the gradual widening of the EAFE to encompass forensic biology, the continuation and extension of hands-on workshops and the centralization of data and protocols of forensic importance.
From biochemistry of decomposition, through molecular and microscopical tools to characterise post-feeding fly immature stages to ecology and diversity of carcasses fauna, the participants communicated modern forensic entomology. A workshop on statistics organised by Elena Ieno of Highland Statistics (Scotland) explained and offered solutions to the pitfalls of the so common application in forensic entomology of linear regression by analyzing forensic entomological data using mixed modelling and extensions. The forensic acarology workshop went on to capturing living mites from human clothing (particularly from one of the organizers) in the demonstration room. Most participants took advantage of the benefits of having access to the state of the art microscopy exhibition observing, analysing and recording their own samples (including maggots) by playing with modern, high magnification and resolution stereo and fluorescent microscopes.
Particular thanks go to the Prefecture of Chania for the gifts of wine, oil and honey to all participants and the shuttle-bus services from and to the airport. The Prefecture kindly organized our guided tour to the city of Chania. The trip included visits to archeological sites, museums and a walk downtown, closing with an unforgettable lunch of traditional delicacies served in one of the most popular restaurants of the Venetian Port.
We very much thank Dr. Alexandros Papaderos who leads the OAC and all OAC people, the administrators, the people in maintenance, the members of the kitchen - who fed us with exquisite Cretan cuisine, healthy and freshly prepared.
We cannot forget yet the intense sensation of peace that constantly surrounded the meeting.

Thanks to all participants for coming to the meeting.

Alejandra Perotti.
Organiser (Scientific Committee) of EAFE Meeting 2008

University of Reading School of Biological Sciences Plant Science Laboratories
Whiteknights, Reading Berkshire RG6 6AS UK
m.a.perotti@reading.ac.uk