The 2011 In Vitro Biology Meeting is coming up very soon. On June 4-8, we will be convening at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, NC. Our Annual Meetings provide us with an excellent way to connect with nationally- and internationally-recognized scientists from many different research areas including those involved in agriculture, biomedicine, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Additionally, we will have speakers and attendees from academia, industry, and government. This potpourri of participants allows us to offer meetings in which novel ideas, recent innovations, and state-of-the art technologies can be readily discussed to assist in the advancement of a variety of research, teaching, and regulatory programs.

The program for our upcoming meeting is wide ranging in scope and therefore will have something for everyone in our society as well as non-member attendees. We have Plenary Sessions that will focus on RNAi, cell line identification and contamination issues, bioinformatics/statistics, and systems biology. The topics introduced during these plenary sessions will be further fleshed out during the remainder of the meeting either in symposia or workshops devoted to them (e.g., RNAi and cell line contamination) or in individual talks in which studies using these approaches or techniques are described. Additionally, symposia and workshops organized jointly or individually by the Plant Biotechnology (PB) and In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences (IVACS) sections will be representative of a wide cross-section of our membership. These will include two joint sessions (single molecule sequence technologies; herbal medicines) which will have implications not only for specific research programs, but also for our lives. Furthermore, the 19 sessions being organized by our sections will showcase research from a variety of areas in addition to the ones previously mentioned: biotechnology (transformation technologies I-III, GE crop impacts, bioenergy feedstocks, tree and cotton biotechnology, in vitro plant model systems), toxicology (functional neurotoxicology), pharmaceuticals and biomedicals (drug development using stem cells, plant-derived pharmaceuticals/vaccines, bioengineered 3D tissues), physiology (physiological disorders in tissue culture), and practical technologies (imaging technologies of live cells).

In addition to serving researchers in a variety of fields and career levels, we have sessions targeting educators and students. The Education Committee is hosting a half day workshop on practical ways of bringing science into the high school and undergraduate classrooms. This session will provide opportunities to network with companies involved with developing tools for the classroom as well as with other professionals who can assist teachers with curricula development.

For students and post-docs, the Student Committee is organizing a scientific paper writing symposia, a networking luncheon, and a career expo. More information on these activities can be obtained from contacting members of the “SIVB Student Section” on Facebook. Additionally, student and post-doc presentation competitions will be held during the meeting.

Established in 1792 and voted the best place to live and work in 2008, Raleigh is known as the “City of Oaks” and often is described as “a park with a city in it.” When you’re looking for the excitement and attractions of a great city combined with the affordability, approachability and appeal of a classic Southern town, look no further than Greater Raleigh. Best known for its world-class museums, best of Broadway shows and live concerts, Capital area historic sites, professional and amateur sporting events and shopping mecca status with nine major retail areas, Greater Raleigh truly offers a variety to do all in one park-like, scenic setting. Take a stroll through one of Raleigh’s galleries, or wake up your wild side at one of the eclectic eateries, late-night clubs or high-octane sports matches. It’s a place built to be open, engaging and unique.

As one of the three “corners” of the Research Triangle, Raleigh’s academic research network begins with North Carolina State University in Raleigh and is enhanced by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University and North Carolina Central University in Durham. All of these North Carolina Universities are within a 30-minute commute of each other and are only 10-15 minutes from Research Triangle Park, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious planned research centers and home to several high-tech pharmaceutical companies such as: BASF, Bayer CropScience, GlaxoSmithKline, Syngenta and more.

Lastly, to remain up-to-date on our 2011 Meeting, please read follow-up e-mails as well as consider becoming a friend to the Society of In Vitro Biology on Facebook.