IVTIPThe In Vitro Testing Industrial Platform (IVTIP), a consortium of 20 European companies with an interest in in vitro testing, was founded in December 1993 to insure the transfer of research results generated in EU-funded projects to industry. IVTIP is particularly concerned with projects that were funded under the EC-biotechnology programme, which ran from 1992-1994 and projects that will run under the 4th framework programme (1994-1998). The 4th framework programme has a total budget of 12,300 ECUs. Areas of interest include cell factories, genome analysis, plant and animal biotechnology, cell communication in neurosciences and in vitro testing. The in vitro testing projects are divided into 4 areas: in vitro tests for developmental pharmacotoxicology, neuro-pharmacotoxicology, immuno-pharmacotoxicology and cell cultures for the development of in vitro tests. The EU-funded BIOMED program also focuses on in vitro testing, emphasizing prevalidation of tests developed under previous biotechnology programs. Prevalidation will be followed by validation by ECVAM. For further information on the 4th framework programme and for requests to be placed on the mailing list for the call for proposals, contact C.E.C., DG XII-E1-SDME 2/3 Biotechnology, Dr. Line Matthiessen, 200, Rue de la Loi, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium. Tel: 32 2 296 57. Fax: 32 2 295 53 65. ERRATA Volume 12, No. 3 of the CAAT Newsletter stated that Advanced Tissue Sciences Skin2 model is derived from human keratinocytes. Skin2 is a human dermal-epidermal model made of human keratinocytes and a human dermis comprised of human fibroblasts in a natually secreted extracellular matrix, according to Pam K. Logemann, Director of Worldwide Sales for ATS. | 
