Good things come in small packages: a review of the proceedings of the 2005 Academy of Molecular Imaging Meeting

1Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3808, Durham, NC 27710. Address correspondence to J. M. Provenzale. he 2005 annual conference of the Academy of Molecular Imaging (AMI), held in Orlando, Florida, on March 18–23, 2005, was a unique forum in which various types of advances in the fields of molecular diagnostics and therapeutics were highlighted. The AMI consists of four institutes, each representing a different facet of molecular imaging. The Institute for Molecular Imaging represents basic scientists in such fields as molecular and cell biology, chemistry, physics, and molecular genetics. The Society for Non-Invasive Imaging in Drug Development represents scientists from academic institutions and industry working in molecular imaging for drug development and testing. The Institute for Clinical PET represents clinical scientists, practicing physicians, and technologists involved in the clinical practices of PET, PET/CT, SPECT, and other imaging sciences related to molecular imaging. The Institute for Molecular Technologies represents corporations involved in invention, manufacture, and provision of molecular imaging devices, products, and services. Thus, the AMI represents a broad spectrum of individuals and institutions concentrated in various types of molecular imaging, ranging from widely accepted practices already in widespread use (e.g., PET and SPECT) to innovative and experimental imaging methods. This article reports some of the novel molecular imaging techniques discussed at the conference that, while still in the various stages of development, may eventually be of clinical importance to radiologists.