Invitation On behalf of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (ISSOL), we have the great pleasure to invite all those interested in the scientific aspects of the origin of life and related issues to attend the 15th International Conference on the Origin of Life scheduled to take place in Florence, Italy, from 24 to 29 August, 2008. Because of the multidisciplinary character, the study of the origin and early evolution oflife, the aim of the conference is to discuss and integrate recent discoveries in manifold scientific fields of exo/astrobiology, including interstellar chemistry, comparative planetology, Precambrian paleobiology, chemical evolution and prebiotic chemistry, microbial evolution, genomics, extremophiles, the search for life in the Solar System, as well as historical and educational aspects related to the origin of life. Your participation and contributions are most welcome. We are sure you will enjoy your stay in the city of Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, and we are confident that both the scientific and the social programs will ensure a happy and productive academic exchange. The First Circular including the registration form and the corresponding deadlines is planned for the end of 2006. Information of the venue of the meeting is available at: http://www.dbag.unifi.it/issol2008 For further information please contact: Professor Enzo Gallori, Department of Animal Biology and Genetics, University of Florence, Italy, enzo.gallori @unifi.it Professor Renato Fani, Department of Animal Biology and Genetics, University of Florence, Italy, renato.fani @unifi.it (come misura antispamming abbiamo inserito uno spazio prima del carattere @, toglietelo per rispondere agli organizzatori) Paolo Coccia