Welcome to the 46^th Scientific Congress of the Society for Laboratory Animal Science and the 10^th Advanced Training Course of the IGTp at Dresden, September 14 – 17, 2008.

The 46^th Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Versuchstierkunde – Society of Laboratory Animal Science (GV-SOLAS) will be held for the first time at the Saxonian state capital Dresden from September 14-17, 2008.

The annual meeting of the GV-SOLAS is the leading scientific conference with respect to animal experiments and laboratory animal science in German-speaking countries, and also relevant and of interest for scientists from the neighbourhood countries. The meeting provides a platform for interaction and exchange between scientists from all disciplines. Moreover, it includes workshops and facilitates contacts between young and established researchers as well as experienced laboratory animal experts. The meeting is recognised as a major instrument to draw scientific and public attention to the importance of animal based biomedical research.

The parallel held Advanced Training Course of the IGTp (Community of interest of animal caretakers an technicians) provides the opportunity for animal caretakers and technicians to get information about recent results and developments as well as to communicate within workshops and to gain practical skills.

The meeting is organised annually rotating by teams of animal facilities at main scientific locations. In 2008, the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics and the Experimental Center of the Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of the Technische Universität Dresden are in charge of the organisation.

The council of the GV-SOLAS as well as the organisers wish to encourage all scientists involved in animal experimentation to attend the meeting and to present recent results of their research. The schedule of the scientific programme will allow for intense discussions. At the same time everyone is very welcome to actively participate in the Advanced Training Course of the IGTp which offers plenty of communication possibilities.

Heinz Brandstetter	Jussi Helppi	Roland Jung