Meeting Update

Have you made your plans to join us in Providence, Rhode Island?

A lot of exciting things are happening in preparation for the 2013 In Vitro Biology Meeting. Check out what’s new and exciting and make your plans to join us! Register NOW!

NEW Research Technician Registration Rate

You spoke and we listened! SIVB is now offering all research technicians and assistants a special rate of 50% off the regular registration to attend the meeting. To receive this rate, the research technician’s will need to provide a letter from their supervisor confirming their status as a research technician in their lab. Letters can be sent to sivb@sivb.org or faxed to (919) 562-0608.

Share your research!

The Program Committee requests abstracts of your research for presentation at the 2013 In Vitro Biology Meeting. Don’t miss out on your chance to share your scientific research with hundreds of scientists working in the fields of in vitro tissue culture and biotechnology. The abstract submission deadline to submit your abstract for poster presentation is March 31!

NEW Advanced Tissue Culture Workshop – Saturday, June 15

Join us on Saturday, June 15 for a special workshop. The aim of this workshop, Best Practices in Plant and Animal Cell Cultures, is to acquaint participants with best practices in plant and animal cell culture techniques. The course is modular proving concurrent presentations for the plant and animal cell culture components. Speakers will cover the basics in cell culture of both plants and animals. Students choose between concurrent course components (A or B) on Plant and Animal Cell Culture. The concurrent courses comprise five (5) 45 min. lectures following a brief fifteen minute introduction and overview. This course is eligible for course credit and separate registration is required.

Don’t forget to register for the Special Events!

The Local Organizing Committee of the 2013 In Vitro Biology Meeting’s Program Committee has arranged a number of special events for the enjoyment of the attendees. For more information on these events or to register, read below!

A tour of the new MA Biomanufacturing Education Center (http://cpe.wpi.edu/betc/) in Worcester, MA, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will be held on Saturday, June 15. In partnership with state and industry leaders, WPI built the WPI Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC) – the first of its kind in the Northeast. The BETC is a 10,000 sq ft facility featuring large- and small-scale bioprocessing areas, support labs, and classrooms. It is located at WPI’s Gateway Park, which is a growing center of research, innovation and commerce. The park is anchored by WPI’s 125,000 sq. ft. Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, which opened in 2007 and is fully occupied with graduate research laboratories, life science companies, state-of-the-art core facilities, and WPI’s Corporate and Professional Education division. Gateway’s commitment to sound, research-based, market-driven economic development is helping Worcester and Massachusetts grow their economies and create jobs. This new pilot-scale biomanufacturing center builds on about a decade of the university operating a smaller facility and working with companies on workforce development programs. The new center will provide day and evening programs for workers transitioning into the biotech industry and incumbent workers who need training on particular processing operations or cross-training. Attendance is limited. This afternoon tour is $40 and will include round trip transportation to the event, description of the different available activities, tour of the hands-on pilot scale training facilities and lunch. Register now online for this event.

A fun and casual authentic evening clambake outside at Squantum Association (www.squantumassociation.com) will be held on Tuesday, June 18. Attendees will be bused to the coast where they will enjoy the opportunity to walk around the manicured gardens, stately waterfront trees, and waterfront dock of Squantum Association where they can enjoy some of the best views Rhode Island has to offer of their trademark sailboats. Guest will then participate in a ceremony including the firing of a historic cannon. Next, they will experience a traditional New England Clam Bake. Special menu options will be available for vegetarian participants attending the event and a local winery may be on hand to offer wine tastings. If you are vegan, please inform our office upon purchasing your tickets. In 1870, the owner of Huckleberry Island objected to use of his island for clambakes and a rocky promontory just north of the island was chosen by the Benefit Street Boys and the Rowseville Boys to hold future events. The land was purchased and the Squantum Club was created. To this day, they continue to hold traditional clambakes for members and guests. The price for this special evening event is $95 and includes round trip transportation, self-guided tour, cannon ceremony, and dinner. Register now online for this event.

A scientific tour of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI – www.whoi.edu) and Marine Biology Lab (MBL – www.mbl.edu) in Woods Hole, MA will be held on Wednesday afternoon, June 19. The WHOI is dedicated to research and education to advance understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicating this understanding for the benefit of society. Knowledgeable WHOI volunteers will guide you on a walking tour through the WHOI dock area and other restricted village facilities. The tour provides excellent background on the research conducted at WHOI and on the history of the Institution.

The MBL is an international center for research, education, and training in biology, biomedicine, and environmental science. The oldest private marine laboratory in the country, the MBL has a year-round staff of more than 270 scientists and support personnel working in such fields as cell, developmental, and regenerative biology, ecology, microbiology, genetics and metagenomics, neurobiology, sensory biology, and biodiversity informatics. Each summer, an additional 1,700 scientists and advanced students from around the world come to the MBL to study and conduct research. The MBL’s educational program, which offers seven major summer courses and approximately twenty special topics courses throughout the year, plays a significant role in training the world’s biologists and environmental scientists. The price for this tour is $40 and will include round trip transportation, tours of both WHOI and MBL, and lunch. Register now online for this event.