Science in the Heartland –
The 2010 SIVB Meeting/IAPB Congress
Before you know it, the 2010 Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) meeting will be upon us. This year’s meeting is being held June 6-11 in St. Louis, Missouri, in conjunction with the 12th International Association for Plant Biology (IAPB) Congress. IAPB congresses are held at four-year intervals and typically attract research scientists from wide-ranging fields of plant and agricultural biotechnology from around the world. SIVB annual meetings are international events focusing on the science, novel technologies, and advances of in vitro biology for both plants and animals. The scientific program at this year’s meeting will continue to offer sessions on subjects pertinent to both animal and plant biotechnology while providing all participants with the high quality science and one-on-one interactions that SIVB members have come to expect. Although the IAPB’s sessions will focus more on plant biotechnology and research, each day they will hold plenary lectures focusing on joint plant/animal topics. Additionally, each day SIVB will hold a number of sessions focused on animal research. The SIVB Animal program will begin on Monday afternoon, June 7, and continue until Thursday evening, June 10.
Approximately 60 plenary and keynote lectures are scheduled this year; attendance is anticipated to be approximately 1500 people. The meeting is to be held in downtown St. Louis at the Convention Center which is within walking distance to many interesting attractions.
St. Louis is a place where history and imagination come together to create a Midwest destination like no other. Red brick buildings, cobblestone streets, terra cotta friezes and stained glass are part of the tapestry of St. Louis’ amazing architectural heritage. From its beginnings as a simple French village founded in 1764, St. Louis has grown into a charming, exciting and character-filled community. St. Louis offers free family 
attractions, music, dining, nightlife, great sports, history, arts, shopping, entertainment and colorful neighborhoods. Popular attractions include the Gateway Arch, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art museum, Busch Stadium and St. Louis Cardinals baseball – just to name a few. For those interested in venturing further from Downtown, there are lots of other attractions including The Butterfly House in St. Louis County’s Faust Park, The World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, and The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site across the Mississippi River in Collinsville, Illinois.
St. Louis is also a technology center, and is home to notable universities and institutes including Washington University and the Danforth Center, plant biotechnology companies such as the Monsanto, scientific supply companies, food and beverage companies, and other life sciences enterprises.
St. Louis offers a unique venue for this year’s SIVB Meeting/IAPB Congress. We hope to see you there!
Submitted by T. Michael Spencer and Cynthia L. Goodman, 2010 SIVB Meeting Program Co-Chairs
