1987
Professor L. Joe Berry undertook the first moves aimed at the establishment of an Endotoxin Society. Replies to the first inquiries sent to about 50 colleagues were supportive, and some were quite enthusiastic. The first committees were appointed, but at the time when unmistakable signs of early success became evident we lost our friend, mentor and leader of this effort, Prof. Joe Berry. His philosophy continued. A Governing Council was formed, a constitution adopted, and on November 21, 1987, the International Endotoxin Society (IES) was established.1
The aims of the IES are several fold, but the primary goal is the promotion of scientific knowledge regarding all aspects of ET research. The IES is and shall remain an open Society, whose objectives are to reach and involve everyone interested in this scientific field, with particular emphasis on young investigators. The IES shall provide an environment where all researchers will benefit from frank exchanges of data, views, and experiences.1
2005
The IEIIS: A New Name and a New Direction
The Governing Council of the IES polled its members and there was a consensus that the name of the Society be changed to reflect a broader interest in innate immunity and microbial stimulants in addition to endotoxin. At the business meeting at the 8th Conference of the International Endotoxin Society, held in Kyoto, Japan in November 2004, the members voted to change the name of the Society to the International Endotoxin and Innate Immunity Society (IEIIS). This name change bridges our old and new goals and interests. While many in our Society continue to study the chemistry of LPS and the regulation of its synthesis by microorganisms, many others are actively studying the role of LPS and other non-LPS TLR agonists in the innate immune response to infection.2
1 Containing excerpts from the first Endotoxin Newletter, Vol 1, No 1, Fall 1989. Written by Alois Nowotny, PhD., IES President 1988-1990
2 Containing excerpts from the Endotoxin Newletter, Vol 15, No 1, Summer 2005. Written by Stefanie Vogel, PhD., IES President 2004-2006