ASM’s Committee on Awards is currently accepting nominations for the 2009 bioMerieux Sonnenwirth Award. This award honors a distinguished microbiologist for the promotion of innovation in clinical laboratory science, dedication to ASM, and the advancement of clinical microbiology as a profession. Nominations are due by October 1.

The August issue of News and Views, the newsletter of the American Academy of Microbiology, is now available online.

The American Academy of Microbiology recently released a new report entitled, “Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Infrequent Human Pathogen or Public Health Threat?” The report points out that the cause of Crohn's Disease is unknown, and the possible role of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), which could conceivably be passed up the food chain to people, has received too little attention from the research community.

ASM’s Communications Department is regularly scanning online news for coverage of the Society as well as any of its products including meetings, journals, books, award or reports.