ISSOL is the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life and Astrobiology Society. As of 2009, the society has over 500 members representing over 20 countries in disciplines as varied as astronomy and molecular biology. The society’s supporting journal, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres (OLEB), has been publishing work in the field since 1968 and is the longest established and most authoritative journal for Astrobiology and origins of life research. ISSOL: the International Astrobiology Society has two current members who were awarded the Nobel prize for 2009 in Medicine (shared) and Chemistry, Jack W. Szostak and Ada Yonath, respectively. The leadership of the organization strives to be inclusive of ethnicity and gender, having elected the first woman president for 2008–2011.
