A brief history

During the conference on "Analytical and Pathophysiological Aspects of Tryptophan Metabolism" held at Höhenried near Munich on September 27th and 28th, 1971 and organized by Prof. H. Schievelbein (Germany) the idea emerged to further continue the exchange of experiences among the scientists interested in the metabolism of tryptophan.
Therefore, it was decided to constitute a study group for tryptophan research with the aim of intensifying the exchange of information and experiences by means of regular international meetings and by opening the possibility of cooperation on research projects and mutual exchange of coworkers to the various research groups.
Thus, Prof. Schievelbein, after having received approval from Prof. Luigi Musajo, wrote a letter on January 31st, 1972 saying: "It is necessary to elect an Executive Committee to elaborate some proposals." The following scientists proposed by Schievelbein were elected: R.R. Brown (USA), O. Hayaishi (Japan), W. Kochen (Germany), L. Musajo (Italy) and C. Streffer (Germany), with Kochen as chairman (letter of May 5th, 1972). Prof. Kochen proposed to constitute the "International Study Group for Tryptophan Research (ISTRY)", denomination approved by Musajo in a letter dated October 14th, 1972.
Prof. J.M. Price (USA) suggested organizing the 1st International Meeting of ISTRY in Padova (Italy) to honour the pioneering work of Prof. Luigi Musajo. The motion of Prof. Price was accepted (letter from Kochen to Musajo on July 11th, 1972).
Prof. Musajo confirmed his availability to hold and organize as chairman the Meeting (letter of July 15th, 1972).
On February 3rd, 1973 Prof. Schievelbein came to Padova and together with Prof. Musajo and his coworkers (Graziella Allegri, Carlo V.L. Costa, Antonio De Antoni) drafted the following protocol:

In fact, the 1st International Meeting of ISTRY was held at the University of Padova (Italy) from May 2nd to 4th, 1974, with great success and with a participation of 170 scientists from 20 countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Great Britain, USA). The Organizing Committee was composed by Prof. Musajo (Chairman), G. Allegri (Secretary), A. De Antoni (Treasurer), and C. Costa (Adjoint secretary).
The Executive Committee was formed by W. Kochen (Germany) as President, R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), O. Hayaishi (Japan), L. Musajo (Italy), H. Schievelbein (Germany), and C. Streffer (Germany).
The Proceedings of the 1st International Meeting of ISTRY on "Triptophan Metabolism: Biochemistry, Pathology and Regulation" were issued in "Acta Vitaminologica et Enzymologica" (Milano), 1975, 29:1-352 (eds. G. Allegri, A. De Antoni, and C. Costa).
Unfortunately, after the Meeting, on November 18th, 1974, Prof. L. Musajo, director of the Pharmaceutical Institute of the University of Padova and Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, one of the pioneers on tryptophan research along with Prof. Yashiro Kotake, died leaving a great sorrow for his loss in all of us.
Subsequent meetings of ISTRY were held every three years.
The 2nd International Meeting was held in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A., in 1977, chaired by Prof. R.R. Brown with the assistance of a local organising committee consisting of D.P. Rose, W.E. Knox, and T.L. Sourkes. Prof. C.P. Berg was honoured at this meeting. The Executive Committee of ISTRY was formed by W. Kochen (Germany) as President, and G. Allegri (Italy), R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), O. Hayaishi (Japan), and C. Streffer (Germany).
The 3rd International Meeting of ISTRY on "Tryptophan Metabolism: Biochemistry, Pathology and Regulation" was in Kyoto, Japan, from August 4th to 7th, 1980, and was organised by Prof. O. Hayaishi (chairman), R. Kido (Secretary), Y. Ban, T. Deguchi, T. Hashimoto, T. Hino, K. Inagami, I. Ishiguro, Y. Ishimura, A. Ichiyama, K.Iwai, N. Koga, M. Kosaka, Y. Kotake, T. Kawachi, Y. Matsumura, I. Nakagawa, Y. Nishizuka, M. Osanai, Y. Sakamoto, T. Segawa, S. Senoh, Y. Shibata, K. Soda, T. Sugimura, K. Tada, H. Takahashi, K. Takai, T. Tokuyama, Y. Tsukada, T. Ueda, Y. Umebachi,, H. Wada, O. Yoshida, and Y. Yugari, honouring the late Prof. Yashiro Kotake. The Executive Committee of ISTRY was formed by W. Kochen (Germany) as President, G. Allegri (Italy), R. R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), O. Hayaishi (Japan), and C. Streffer (Germany).
The Proceedings on "Biochemical and Medical Aspects of Tryptophan Metabolism" were published by Elsevier/Noth Holland Biomedical Press. Developments in Biochemistry, 1980, 16:1-373 (eds. O. Hayaishi, Y. Ishimura and R. Kido).
The 4th International Meeting of ISTRY was located at Martinsried near Munich, Germany, from April 18th to 22th, 1983, organised by Prof. Kochen, H. Schlossberger, B. Linzen, and H. Steinhart to honour the distinguished work of Prize-winner Prof. A Butenandt. The Executive Committee was formed by R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.) as President, G. Allegri (Italy), O. Hayaishi (Japan), M.H. Joseph (U.K.), W. Kochen (Germany), H. Steinhart (Germany) as Secretary/Treasurer.
The Proceedings on "Progress in Tryptophan and Serotonin Research" were issued by Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 1984, pp. 1-889 (eds. H.G. Schlossberger, W. Kochen, B. Linzen, H. Steinhart).
At this meeting, a Constitution and By-Laws (see scan below) which provided guidelines for the election of officers, for the admission of members, and for the regular scheduling of meetings every three years, were approved by the meeting attendees.

The 5th International Meeting of ISTRY was held in Cardiff, Wales, U.K., July 28th-August 1st, 1986, with Dr. A.A-B. Badawy heading a planning committee composed by D.A. Bender (Treasurer), K.J. Collard, G. Curzon, M.H. Joseph, and C.I. Pogson, honouring Prof. Gowland Hopkins, the discoverer of tryptophan.
The Executive Committee was composed by G. Allegri (Italy) as President, R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), O. Hayaishi (Japan), M. H. Joseph (U.K.), W. Kochen (Germany), H. Steinhart (Germany) as Secretary/Treasurer.
The Proceedings on "Progress in Tryptophan and Serotonin Research 1986" were published by Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin, New York, 1987, pp. 1-429 (eds: D.A. Bender, M.H. Joseph, W. Kochen, H. Steinhart).
The 6th International Meeting of ISTRY was held in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., from May 9th to 12th, 1989, with Dr. R. Schwarcz heading the local organizing committee composed by C. Speciale and E. Okuno, honouring Prof. B. Witkop.
Executive Committee: R. Kido (Japan) as President, G. Allegri (Italy) A. A-B. Badawy (U.K.), R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), G. Curzon (U.K.), W. Kochen (Germany), R. Schwarcz, H. Steinhart (Germany), S.N. Young (Canada).
The Proceedings on "Kynurenine and Serotonin Pathways. Progress in Tryptophan Research" were issued in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1991, 294: 1-715 (eds.: R. Schwarcz, S.N. Young and R.R. Brown).
The 7th International Meeting of ISTRY was held in Toyoake near Nagoya, Japan,June 6-10, 1992, with Prof. Ishiguro as Chairman, T. Nagatsu, Y. Nagamura (Secretary), and K. Takai (Program chief) to honour the distinguished work of Prof. Osamu Hayaishi, who delivered the Kotake Memorial Award Lecture "My life with tryptophan –Never a dull moment".
Executive Committee: R. Kido (Japan) as President, G. Allegri (Italy), A.A-B. Badawy (U.K.), R.R. Brown (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), G. Curzon (U.K.), W. Kochen (Germany), R. Schwarcz (Maryland, U.S.A.), H. Steinhart (Germany) as Secretary/Treasurer, S.N. Young (Canada). The Proceedings on "Advances in Tryptophan Research 1992" were published by Fujita Health University Press, Japan, 1992, pp. 1-458 (eds. I. Ishiguro, R. Kido, T. Nagatsu, Y. Ohta).
It was appropriate that ISTRY meeting returned to its birthplace in Padova (Italy) to celebrate its 21st year in 1995 and to commemorate Prof. L. Musajo twenty years after he passed away. Therefore, the 8th International Meeting of ISTRY on "Recent Advances in Tryptophan Research" was held in Padova, Italy, June 25-29, 1995, and was organised by Prof. G. Allegri Filippini (Chairperson), A. Bertazzo, M. Biasiolo, C.V.L. Costa (Secretary/Treasurer), F. Moroni, R. Pellicciari, F. Rossi Fanelli, C. Speciale, and P. Traldi. In this occasion the University of Padova struck a medal in memory of prof. Luigi Musajo who was one of the pioneers in tryptophan research, one of the founders of ISTRY, and who taught and researched in the University of Padova. Prof. Osamu Hayaishi was awarded in honour of his pioneering work in the field of tryptophan research and of his outstanding contributions. Prof. O. Hayaishi delivered the Musajo Memorial Award Lecture "Tryptophan oxigenase and sleep" during the opening ceremony.
Executive Committee: S. N. Young (Canada) as President, G. Allegri Filippini (Italy), F. Artigas (Spain), A. A-B. Badawy (U.K.), Secretary, M.P. Heyes (Maryland, U.S.A.), I. Ishiguro (Japan), R. Kido (Japan), R. Schwarcz (Maryland, U.S.A.), and H. Steinhart (Germany).
The Proceedings on "Recent Advances in Tryptophan Research: Tryptophan and Serotonin Pathways" were published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1996, 398: 1-766 by Plenum Press, New York, edited by G. Allegri Filippini, C.V.L. Costa, and A. Bertazzo who dedicated this book to Prof. L. Musajo, their great and unforgettable teacher in recognition of his pioneering work in tryptophan metabolism.
The 9th International Meeting of ISTRY on "Tryptophan-Basic Aspects and Practical Applications" was held in Hamburg, Germany, October 10-14, 1998, and was organised by Prof. H. Steinhart (Germany) as Chairman, M. Besler, G. Huether, W. Kochen, and T.J. Simat. During the opening session the Musajo Memorial Award was given to Prof. W. Kochen for his outstanding contributions to ISTRY.
Executive Committee: S. N. Young (Canada) as President, G. Allegri Filippini (Italy), F. Artigas (Spain), A. A-B. Badawy (U.K.) Secretary, M.P.Heyes (Maryland, U.S.A.), I. Ishguro (Japan), R.R. Kido (Japan), R. Schwarcz (Maryland, U.S.A.), and H. Steinhart (Germany).
The Proceedings on "Tryptophan, Serotonin, and Melatonin. Basic Aspects and Applications" were published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1999: 467, 1-852, by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York (eds. G. Huether, W. Kochen, T.J. Simat and H. Steinhart).
The 10th International Meeting of ISTRY on Tryptophan Research was held in Padova, Italy, June 27-30, 2002, organised by G. Allegri (Chairperson), E. Anklam, A. Bertazzo, M. Biasiolo, P. Caliceti, C.V.L. Costa (Secretary), B. Gatto, P. Giusti, P. Manzini, S. Moro, and F. Moroni. During the opening session the Musajo Memorial Award was given to Prof. G. Allegri for her distinguished research on tryptophan metabolism. Prof. O. Hayaishi delivered the Musajo Memorial Award Lecture entitled "Metabolism to function-an odyssey with tryptophan".
Executive Committee: H. Steinhart (Germany), President, G. Allegri (Italy), A.A-B. Badawy (U.K.), F. Bengtsson (Sweden), M.P. Heyes (Maryland, U.S.A.), Y. Nagamura (Japan), R.J. Reiter (Texas, U.S.A.), K. Takai (Japan), S.N. Young (Canada).
The Proceedings on "Developments in Tryptophan and Serotonin Metabolism" were published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2003, 527: 1-774 by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York (eds. G. Allegri, C.V.L. Costa, E. Ragazzi, H. Steinhart, L. Varesio).
The 11th International Meeting of ISTRY was held in Tokyo, Japan, July 4-7, 2006, organised by Prof. K. Takai as Chairman, H. Steinhart; K. Goda (Secretary), Y. Nagamura, T. Shimizu, S-I. Fukuoka, H. Hasegawa, H. Iizuka, Y. Minatogawa, M. Nakagawa, K. Nakagomi, Y. Ohta, E. Okuno, K. Saito, H. Sanada, K. Shibata, H. Taguchi, O. Takikawa, S. Tone, T. Yajima, J. Yamada, F. Yamakura, H. Yokogoshi, S. Yuyama. The Musajo Memorial Award Medal was given to Prof. R. Kido for his distinguished work on tryptophan research. Executive Committee: H. Steinhart (Germany) as President, G. Allegri (Italy), A.A-B. Badawy (U.K.), S. N. Young (Canada), R. J. Reiter (Texas, U.S.A.), K. Goda (Japan), Y. Nagamura (Japan), K. Takai (Japan).
The Proceedings on "The Interdisciplinary Conference on Tryptophan and Related Substances: Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine" were issued in International Congress Series 1304 by ELSEVIER, 2007, pp. 1-428 (ed. K. Takai).
The 12th International Meeting of ISTRY was held in Florence, Italy, July 9-11, 2009, organised by Prof. F. Moroni (Chairman), D. Pellegrini-Giampietro, A. Chiarugi, G. Mannaioni, V. Carlà, and A. Cozzi. The Musajo Memorial Award Medal was given to Prof. S. N. Young for his distinguished research on tryptophan.
Executive Committee: A. A-B. Badawy (U.K.) as President, K. Goda (Japan) as President Elect, F. Moroni (Italy), Vice President, D.M. Dougherty (U.S.A.), G. Guillemin (Australia), Y. Nagamura (Japan), K. Takai (Japan), and S.N. Young (Canada).
The next meeting of the International Society for Tryptophan Research (ISTRY) will take place in Sydney, Australia, in 2012 and will be organised by A/Prof. Gilles Guillemin.

During these meetings of ISTRY, the following Professors served as Presidents: W. Kochen from 1974 to 1980, R.R. Brown from 1980 to 1983, G. Allegri from 1983 to 1986, R. Kido from 1986 to 1992, S.N. Young from 1992 to 1998, H. Steinhart from 1998 to 2006, A.A-B. Badawy from 2006 to 2009, and K. Goda from 2009 to now.

One reason for the success of ISTRY Meetings is the diversity of topics and disciplines represented, ranging from tryptophan metabolism to neurochemistry of serotonin and kynurenine, aspects of tryptophan in pathology, toxicology, psychiatry, teratology, immunobiology, nutritional aspects of tryptophan, pigments, analytical chemistry, methodology, and enzymology.
I am persuaded that the ISTRY meetings will be increasingly useful for the advantage of our knowledge in tryptophan research and will promote better understanding among scientists from many countries.

 Graziella Allegri
 Prof Emeritus-University of Padova (Italy)
 Honorary Member of ISTRY