On the 28th of June 2008, Athens welcomed 2.548 esteemed scientists, more than 200 key speakers and 3 Nobel laureates. Moreover, 34 sessions and 8 symposiums took place within the framework of the 33rd FEBS Congress and the 11th IUBMB Conference.
As the two major events of the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology joined forces for the very first time, it was a rather difficult task to integrate different approaches of the main federations and unions.

However, the 33rd FEBS Congress and 11th IUBMB Conference organisers managed to override these issues and achieved a unified outcome, which was saluted from both the participants and the organising and scientific committees. Prof. Jacques-Henry Weil, IUBMB Secretary General wrote: "Everybody I talked to enjoyed very much participating in the meeting which was very interesting from the scientific point of view and very pleasant from a social point of view". Prof. Adam Szewczyk, FEBS Congress Counselor, addressing to the conference organisers, commented: "Congratulations, congratulations and congratulations. You and your team did an excellent job". "Coming from Jerusalem, perceived as the place of miracles, I have realized that even greater miracles take place here, in Athens", highlighted Professor Israel Pecht, FEBS General Secretary, during the Conference Closing Ceremony.

Held under the auspices of H.E the President of the Hellenic Republic, Dr. Karolos Papoulias, the conference gathered the spotlights of the entire media community. Greek national newspapers such as: To Vima, Eleftherotypia, Kathimerini, To Kerdos, Ethnos, etc. as well as major Greek TV-channels such as Mega Channel and SKAI TV, spread the words of Professor Emmanuel G. Fragoulis, Chairman of the Organizing Committee. Pr. Fragoulis saluted the attendees during the opening ceremony and concluded that the participants "have the opportunity these few days to study and to discuss in the same place where the great thinker Aristotle has lived, thought and created new worlds for posterity".

Professor Constantin Drainas, President of the Hellenic Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology addressed the closing ceremony of the 33rd FEBS Congress and 11th IUBMB Conference with the most promising declaration for the Greek scientific community: "I can say with confidence that the science of Biochemistry is flourishing today in our country!"

Some words about the Organisers:

FEBS
With more than 40,000 members distributed among 43 Constituent and Associated Societies, the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) is one of the largest organisations in European life sciences today. Since it was founded in 1964, the main objective of FEBS has been to advance basic research and education in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, as well as molecular biophysics.

The FEBS portfolio of activities includes the organization of Practical and lecture-based Advanced Courses, the Awarding of Long-term, Short-term and Summer fellowships as well as Collaborative Experimental Scholarships, the organization of an annual Congress,d the Publishing of Scientific Journals. FEBS has a special niche in supporting scientists in Central and Eastern European countries, via a Scientific Apparatus Recycling Programme (SARP). The Federation has been actively engaged in the establishment of the European Research Area (ERA) and of the European Research Council (ERC). The many activities of FEBS would not be possible without the FEBS member's continued support of, and publication in, FEBS Letters and FEBS Journal. Both publish original research and reviews in all areas of biochemistry and the molecular life sciences.

IUBMB
The Mission of the IUBMB is to foster and support the growth and advancement of biochemistry and molecular biology as the foundation from which the biomolecular sciences derive their basic ideas and techniques in the service of mankind. This it does throughout the world with particular concern for areas where biochemistry is less well developed, by promoting international cooperation and high standards in research, discussion, application and publication, and through international standardization of methods, nomenclature and symbols, in biochemistry and molecular biology. The IUBMB promotes the norms, values, standards and ethics of science and the free and unhampered movement of scientists of all nations interested in participation in activities related to biochemistry and molecular biology.