The BMOS

The Brazilian Meeting on Organic Synthesis (BMOS) is a biennial event that brings together researchers from the field of synthetic organic chemistry in Brazil, from several countries in Latin America, as well as some members from the USA, Europe and Asia. The speakers are the main exponents of the area now in world sense.

It is a meeting that brings together senior scientists and juniors, and postgraduate and undergraduate students, all of them having their Organic Synthesis research theme. In this meeting, there is a wide and deep discussion of research topics in the area, as well as new frontiers of knowledge, always with the presence of new talents and internationally consolidated researchers, both Brazilian and foreign. The choice of the speakers is always guided by the excellence of the guests and their areas of action, bringing to the direct contact of the participants of the event border issues and current challenges of the area science.

The facilitation of the participation of undergraduate and graduate students has always been one of the main driving force of the BMOS, to encourage their interaction with Brazilian and foreign researchers, stimulating the exchange of ideas and students, to avoid endogeny. In fact, several sandwich and postdoctoral doctoral programs were established because of this initiative, including several current researchers in Organic Synthesis in several national institutions, were benefited from the possibility of contact and the execution of postdoctoral studies in the from previous BMOS.

In this meeting, the English language is established as official language and the meetings are itinerant and always involving a good concentration of organic synthetic chemicals. In addition, they were held in places where all participants could be "confined" in one place to make interactivity as effective as possible.

Considerable progress has been made over the last 36 years in which many of us have cherished the dream of having a community of synthetic and competitive synthetic organic chemicals in the country: several groups are consolidated, regularly published in national and international journals and have the recognition of their peers from Brazil and abroad. These facts lead to the comforting sensation that the generation that started the event we know today as Brazilian Meeting on Organic Synthesis did a magnificent job and resulted in an invaluable legacy to Brazilian science. The generation that succeeded them is now responsible for the continuity of the BMOS and has the task of continuing with the consolidation of the organic synthesis in Brazil. But, of course, much remains to be done. We must continue to contribute to our research area with innovative and challenging ideas, adequately training our students and preparing the new generations so that they contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and scientific cooperation between Brazilian and foreign groups in the broadest sense

 

History of Event

The first attempt to get Brazilian synthetic organic chemists together took place at the University of Brasília in 1982 as an initiative of prof. Peter Bakuzis and prof. Olivia Campos, when about 15 organic chemists met to discuss their research projects.

In 1986, Prof. João V. Comasseto organized an informal meeting at the Institute of Chemistry, USP that attracted around 100 participants among senior and junior researchers, as well as graduate and undergraduate students, all having organic synthesis as their subject of research. At this meeting, the basis of a periodical meeting of the organic chemists dedicated to organic synthesis in Brazil was established, it being agreed that the next meeting would be in Porto Alegre, under the coordination of prof. Valter Stefani. This meeting was successfully carried out in 1987, with around 200 participants. In Porto Alegre, it was agreed that the following meeting would take place in São Carlos in 1988, and that Prof. José Tércio B. Ferreira would act as the general secretary. The 3rd BMOS changed the scope of our meetings as nine outstanding international synthetic organic chemists were invited as guest, with English as official language. Another goal was international advertisement of the event.

The number of participants remained stable at around 200, establishing the orientation of facilitating the participation of undergraduate and graduate students, to encourage their interaction with Brazilian and foreign researchers, stimulating the exchange of ideas and of students, to avoid endogeny. In fact, several sandwich and postdoctoral doctoral programs were established because of this initiative. In this meeting, the English language was established as the official language and the meetings were renamed BMOS (Brazilian Meeting on Organic Synthesis). Another recommended practice was that these meetings should be itinerant and always involving a good concentration of synthetic organic chemicals. In addition, they were held in places where all participants could be "confined" in one place to make interactivity as effective as possible.

Thus, in 1990, 4th BMOS was organized in Teresópolis, and Prof. Vitor F. Ferreira (IQ-UFF) as Secretary General. In 1992, Unicamp hosted the 5th BMOS, and in 1994, USP (São Paulo) was the seat of 6th BMOS, with Ronaldo A. Pilli (IQ-UNICAMP) and João V. Comasseto (IQ-USP), respectively. In 1996, 7th BMOS was held in Rio de Janeiro, with Prof. Joaquim F. M. Silva (IQ-UFRJ) as secretary general and Prof. Angelo da Cunha Pinto (IQ-UFRJ) as chairman.

The 8th BMOS occurred in 1998, in the hydro spa resort of São Pedro, in the interior of São Paulo, and Prof. Luiz Carlos Dias (IQ-UNICAMP) as Secretary General. These meetings were attended by a considerable number of participants, particularly the 5th, 6th and 8th BMOS, which registered more than 300 participants. This was certainly since these three meetings took place near university centers with large numbers of students and the facilities offered by the organizers for the participation of local students and those from other localities. The 9th BMOS, which took place in the city of Curitiba, had Prof. Fábio Simonelli (IQ-UFPR) as general secretary and Prof. João V. Comasseto (IQ-USP) as chairman.

The 10th BMOS was held in 2003, again in the São Pedro mineral resort, and had Prof. Carlos Roque Duarte Correa (IQ-UNICAMP) as Secretary General. In 2005, the 11th BMOS was held, and Prof. Antônio Luis Braga (IQ-UFSC) the secretary general. The 12th BMOS was held in Itapema (SC) in 2007 and had as general secretary Prof. Hugo Gallardo. The 13th BMOS was held once again in São Pedro in the year 2009 and had Profa. Arlene Correa (IQ-UFSCar) as general secretary. On that occasion, it was decided by a vote among the members present that the next meeting (14th BMOS, 2011) would be held in Brasilia, returning to its origins, and would have as general secretary Prof. Carlos Kleber Z. Andrade (IQ-UnB), being Prof. Peter Bakuzis (IQ-UnB) the chairman. The organization of the 15th BMOS was in charge of the general secretary Prof. Alcindo A. dos Santos (IQ-USP) and was held in the city of Campos do Jordão (SP) in 2013, surpassing 400 participants. Returning to the state of Rio de Janeiro, the 16th BMOS was held in Búzios, in 2015, and for the first time the meeting surpassed the mark of 500 registered, showing the development and the bidding of the meeting.

Considerable progress has been made over the last 25 years in which many of us have cherished the dream of having a community of synthetic and competitive synthetic organic chemicals in the country: several groups are consolidated, regularly published in national and international journals and have the recognition of their peers from Brazil and abroad. These facts lead to the comforting feeling that the generation that initiated these events did an excellent job and that those who succeeded it will continue to consolidate the scientific community of our country with the same or greater enthusiasm. But, of course, much remains to be done. We must continue to contribute to our research area with innovative and challenging ideas, properly training our students and preparing the new generations to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in its broadest sense.