Journées internationales de biologie

JIB 2006: the Response to the Expectations of a Profession in Constant Evolution

The 51st Journées Internationales de Biologie (JIB) will be held on November 8, 9 & 10, 2006 at the CNIT Convention Centre in Paris.

Each year, the JIB attract a growing number of medical biologists from the private and hospital sector: biomedical engineers, laboratory technicians and secretaries, all keen to learn more about new practices and equipment. In 2005, the JIB have registered more than 7,800 visitors, with an international attendance of 15%, who had come to discover the latest technological developments of 155 exhibiting companies.

The success of this major annual clinical biology event, organised on the initiative of the Syndicat des Biologistes, is due to both its capacity to adapt to and anticipate the needs of a profession in constant progress and to its desire to welcome a larger international audience from countries around the world. After Belgium, Spain and Portugal, then Italy, Tunisia will be the guest of honour at the JIB 2006..

A Scientific Programme reflecting current scientific debates and laboratory practices

JIPPIF (Journées de l’Internat des Hôpitaux de Paris), SFVB (Société Française Vitamines et Biofacteurs) and SFERETE (Société Française d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Eléments Traces Essentiels) have joined the Journées Biologiques de Lariboisière, the SFBC (Société Française de Biologie Clinique) and theInserm for the organisation of their scientific days.
In 2006, the Scientific Programme of the JIB will be organised around 12 sessions and 85 top level speakers.

Among the highlights of the Scientific Days: epigenetic mechanisms in metabolic anomalies; general principles of molecular imagery and its main fields of application in Biology; genetic aspects of diabesity; new types of aerosol insulin, a small revolution for diabetic patients treated with injectable insulin; apoptosis and cancer; substitutive hormonal treatment; the role of vitamins and trace elements in the aging process; …

The JIB on the Internet

The Web site, www.jib-sdbio.fr, accessible in French and English, provides extensive information about the event, as well as practical details about participating in the JIB 2006 and on-line registration.

The Journées Internationales de Biologie are organised by Reed Expositions France on the initiative of the Syndicat des Biologistes.


N.B. Next JIB 2006 press release in June.

JIB 2005: Stability, Modernity and Success

More than 7800 visitors, 1300 conference delegates and 155 exhibitors - with an exhibition space of 5120 m² - have been gathering at the CNIT Convention Centre in Paris to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the JIB. The international participation was 15 % - around 1150 visitors.

Jean BENOIT, President of the Syndicat des Biologistes, declared in his opening address: “It is rather exceptional to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an event, and we are proud and happy to celebrate the 50 years of the JIB. Being 50 means to be at an age of accomplished maturity, at an age where your dynamism is guided by experience. It is also the time to look back on your life, but, most importantly, to project yourself into the future.”

Past and Present

It all started in 1955, at the Lariboisière Hospital, when a team of hospital pharmacists specialised in analytical biology resented the need to share their experience with private medical laboratory biologists. They created the “Dimanches de Lariboisière” to provide some practical training, essentially about technical aspects. A little later, the “Association des Pharmaciens Directeurs de Laboratoire (APDILA)”, took the leadership of the organisation of these training days. Then, an exhibition was added to the event, allowing manufacturers and distributors of laboratory equipment and reagents to join in. Over the years, the APDILA event had grown, and the biologists had taken the habit to gather once a year in Paris. Besides, “Dimanches de Lariboisière” elaborated their scientific programme that was held at the same time.

The Journées Internationales de Biologie have been named for the first time in the 80th, when the event changed its organisation with Henri Thouvenin.
In 2000, the JIB took a new start, when the Syndicat Des Biologistes, newly created by merging the four national organisations, decided to ask Reed Expositions, a leading show and event organiser, to manage both the exhibition and the Scientific Programme.
Over the past 5 years, the JIB have gone through a major transformation and have grown to become the most important European event in medical biology. The event reflects the most extraordinary evolution of this medical discipline that has a major role to play in the prevention, the diagnostic and the follow-up of related therapies. Biologists are constantly adapting to the progress made in their area and improving the service to patients all along the year.

The JIB Success Story

The JIB have been able to accommodate the expectations of a profession in permanent evolution. Each year, the topics proposed in the scientific programme are matching both the technologic and scientific state of the art, as well as the reality in the field. To illustrate this fact, the scientific programme of the JIB 2005 has proposed a combination of practical and prospective aspects in medical biology, and addressed issues like therapeutic expectations and considerations about the future of stem cells. The scientific conferences have been attended by more than 1300 participants (compared to 1100 in 2004).

The "patient" was in the centre of the debate at the "Café Scientifique”. This original concept of discussion forums with free debates between presenters and professional visitors has gathered over 780 participants. Among the “star” topics: follow-up of AIDS-contaminated pregnant women and prevention of contamination at child-birth; heart insufficiency and NT-proBNP; screening and treatment of dyslipidemias.

The JIB – Intensifying their International Dimension

Italy was the guest of honour this year, following Belgium, Spain and Portugal. For the third consecutive year, the JIB have been offering their platform to a particular country. The perspective is to broaden their understanding about health issues in Europe, and to learn about similarities or differences occurring in other European organisations.
During this “Italian Day”, specific subjects have been debated, such as: Advances and perspectives of molecular medicine; Quality control and trouble-shooting methods.
In 2006, the JIB will put Tunisia in the limelight.

For the first time at the JIB, European associations of laboratory technicians have had their dedicated space: the European Pavilion of laboratory technicians, hosting 5 associations from various countries of the European Community: ABTL (Association Belge des Technologues de Laboratoire), A.C.L.D. (Association of Clinical Laboratory Directors and Biomedical Scientists, Cyprus), ANTAB (Association Nationale des Techniciens Biologistes), S.C.T.S. (Sindicato das Ciênças e Tecnologias da Saúde - Portugal) and SIMeL (Societa Italiana Medicina di Laboratorio).

During this “Day of European Technicians”, the representatives of these associations have presented their national specificities and discussed topics linked to their profession, for example: haemostasis and the professional responsibility of the technicians.

50th Anniversary Special Events

A flash-back on half a century of progress gave the opportunity to visitors to re-discover a variety of devices used from 1950 till today, some of which had revolutionised the profession.
Photo-gallery of the JIB – depicting bygone sceneries from hospital wards and laboratories.
The special 50th Anniversary Quizz had lucky winners each day at the booth of the Syndicat des Biologists.

The JIB at the Edge of Modernity

Les JIB 2005 have been innovating this year by proposing an “electronic badge” to facilitate the access to the exhibition and the scientific conferences. This new service has been highly appreciated by the delegates and visitors, in as much as 74 % have used it, and 98% were satisfied having avoided long queuing lines. The organisers have promised to do it again!


Rendez-vous at JIB 2006: November 8, 9 and 10, 2006
at the CNIT Convention Centre, Paris