We’re getting excited about the 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting and we can’t wait to share!

SIVB IS PACKING UP FOR THE MERMAID CITY

With less than 3 months before SIVB arrives in Norfolk, we are getting everything ready for your arrival. Have you made your plans to join us for our annual meeting from June 7 – 10? Check out the latest news and updates so you don’t miss out!

HERE COMES HARBORFEST!

SIVB is thrilled to be arriving during Harborfest! This event is the largest, longest-running, free maritime festival in the nation. For three memorable days along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront, Harborfest celebrates all the elements that make Norfolk and Hampton Roads a historic maritime and naval community. On both land and sea, thrilling activities and live music take center stage at Harborfest, including the annual Parade of Sail featuring international tall ships, one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast, a mesmerizing drone show, interactive family games and activities, Navy exhibits and demonstrations, artisan foods and beverages, national and regional live entertainment and much more. Learn more about Harborfest 2025!

MAKE YOUR ARRANGEMENTS NOW AND SAVE!

Final deadlines for hotel room reservations and early event registration are coming up! Don’t miss your opportunity to save time, money, and reduce your stress by ensuring all your arrangements are completed in advance.

Meeting Registration
When you register in advance, your arrival process will be streamlined and more enjoyable. On-site registration rates are higher for everything, including the special events, so register now to save money for all the wonderful restaurants and places of interest Norfolk has to offer!

Hotel Reservations
The Hilton Norfolk The Main is the official hotel of the 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting, and we can’t wait to welcome you there! Space is running out quickly in our block of rooms. Don’t delay making your reservations, as these rooms will be available at this group rate until April 28 or the block is filled, whichever comes first.

This exceptional hotel is located in the heart of Downtown Norfolk within walking distance to many of Norfolk’s top attractions, shopping, and dining such as the MacArthur Memorial Museum, Nauticus, National Maritime Museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, MacArthur Center Shopping, and the MacArthur Square Tram. You can take advantage of:

- Three wonderful restaurants showcasing the city’s local flavor.
- A 5,000 sq. ft. Health and Wellness Area with an indoor swimming pool and extensive fitness center.
- State-of-the-art business center open 24 hours a day providing complimentary Internet access.
- And so much more!

ON-DEMAND ACCESS

For those who are unable to travel to Norfolk, SIVB is offering an On-Demand Limited Access version of the program which will provide access to pre-recorded presentations from some of the key highlights of the 2025 program. This will include the daily plenary sessions, the Saturday Joint and Plant workshops and roundtables, a student-organized symposium, select plant symposia, and the Keynote Presentation by Dr. S. Eliza Lockwood. These pre-recorded presentations will be made available for your viewing approximately 2 weeks after the live 2025 Meeting concludes and will remain available through September 30, 2025. On-Demand Access is also provided to all in-person registrants. Sessions that are planned for inclusion in the on-demand content are marked by an asterisk (*) on the program page of the 2025 Meeting. Please note that this selection is subject to change.

THE PROGRAM IS TAKING SHAPE

Join your SIVB colleagues to learn the latest in in vitro biology and biotechnology research. Check out this year’s program including the Keynote Speaker Dr. S. Eliza Lockwood who is speaking on “One Health: From Plague & Pestilence to Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides & Public Health.” Learn more from this year’s Program Committee about about the exciting sessions and activities of the the Program.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Local Organizing Committee of the 2025 In Vitro Biology Meeting has made great efforts to arrange very exciting activities for the education and enjoyment of all attendees. Learn about these special events below and purchase your tickets as soon as possible. You can purchase tickets when you register for the meeting or you can reserve your space separately if you’re already registered. Don’t delay! Space is limited for the remaining events and you won’t want to miss out on these special experiences.

Cruising with the Spirit: Dining and Dancing on the Elizabeth River
Join us on Tuesday, June 10 from 5:45 pm – 8:45 pm, for a very special cruise aboard the Spirit of Norfolk. Relax with your colleagues after a dynamic meeting to enjoy amazing views while cruising along the Elizabeth River. From the moment you are welcomed aboard, there will be no need to stay in your seat. This casual, yet festive, atmosphere will offer dining from an extensive buffet, dancing to DJ entertainment, and enjoying games on the skyline deck. Or just relax on the rooftop lounge while taking in the incredible views of the Battleship Wisconsin, Hampton Roads Harbor, and Norfolk Naval Base as the sun begins to set. It all adds up to the perfect Norfolk experience! This special evening event begins only two short blocks from the Hilton Norfolk The Main. You and your colleagues will meet at the boat dock to board at 5:45 pm and the cruise will end at 8:45 pm.

The cost for this special evening is only $110 and includes the boat cruise, entertainment, views, and dinner. A cash bar will be available. A limited number of discounted tickets will be made available to student registrants at the rate of $55.00.

Wednesday Scientific Tour: Science and Cells in Hampton Roads
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, SIVB will offer its first all-day scientific tour exploring some of the best plant and animal science to be found in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA area.

The first of the three locations to be visited is LIfeNet Health in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Enhance your understanding of allograft tissues and biospecimens by exploring the donation process and the science and technology behind tissue processing. Discovery how LifeNet Health’s global team gives healing every advantage. This visit will conclude with a refreshment break before boarding the bus to travel to the second tour location.

Next, you will travel to to William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. William & Mary (W&M) was founded in 1693, the second oldest college in US history (second after Harvard University). The Department of Biology supports the greenhouse and herbarium with staff, student volunteers, and work time, and other resources as required for its educational and research missions. The W&M Arboretum is a project initiated by the University President and is a collaboration of W&M Administration, Facilities Department, and the School of Arts & Sciences/Biology Department. There you will visit the following locations:

- The greenhouse is divided into research bays for faculty and student projects and educational areas housing plants that represent a range of plant families, providing living examples of pantropical species.
- The herbarium currently houses over 85,000 vascular plant specimens primarily representing naturally occurring flora of the southeastern coastal plain physiographic region. Their collection is used by researchers within the herbarium and world-wide, as it is imaged and shared on-line as part of several digital website portals.
- The W&M arboretum is a newly envisioned project to catalogue the campus woody plantings and provide access to the community at large. Their mature landscape is the result of work from academic predecessors who planted a rich green heritage to inspire, instruct, and beautify the campus.

Finally, you will return to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, to enjoy a private showing in the Michael and Kimthanh Lê Planetarium. Guiding the curiosity of Hampton Roads and beyond, this planetarium serves as a beacon of exploration, education, and inspiration. With a commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of the cosmos, they strive to ignite wonder and a lifelong passion for astronomy through captivating, immersive experiences. The mission of the planetarium is to connect people of all ages to the mysteries of the cosmos and empowering them to explore, discover, and appreciate the beauty of the Universe in which we live. Immerse yourself in a journey through space and time in their breathtaking 122-seat theater. From the comfort of a plush, reclined seat you’ll feel like you’re flying through Earth’s atmosphere to the far reaches of the universe.

Tour Schedule:

8:00 am            Depart from the Hilton Norfolk The Main
8:30 am            Tour LifeNet Health (including coffee/refreshment break)
10:30 am          Depart for Wiliam and Mary University
11:30 am          Tour William and Mary’s Greenhouse, Herbarium, Arboretum
2:30 pm            Depart for Old Dominion University
3:30 pm            Enjoy the Planetarium show, “Birth of Planet Earth”
5:00 pm            Depart for the Hilton Norfolk The Main
5:30 pm            Tour concludes with drop off at Hilton Norfolk The Main

The cost for this tour is $97.00 and will include visits to LifeNET Health; William and Mary’s Arboretum, Herbarium, and Greenhouses; and Old Dominion University’s Michael and Kimthanh Lê Digital Theater and Planetarium, plus a mid-morning coffee break, boxed lunch, and bus transportation.

ABSTRACTS AND MORE…

Final Abstract Submission Deadline: March 31
The final submission deadline to have your abstract considered for a Late Breaking Oral Presentation, Interactive Poster, Virtual Poster, or Poster presentation is March 31! Don’t miss the opportunity to share your research with hundreds of scientists working in the fields of in vitro biology, tissue culture, and biotechnology.