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This email and the attached documents are intended to serve as an
invitation for you and your colleagues to actively participate in a
conference, the third Summit on Systems Biology, which will be held June
16-19, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. This will be the third in a planned
continuing series of Summits on System Biology, with different themes
each year. In 2007, our theme was 'Basic, Clinical and Translational
Research' with a focus on heart disease and cancer. We received broad
support for the 2007 conference and the response from attendees was
excellent. This year our focus is Microbial Systems Biology and we
invite you to participate. details are provided below. Submit your
abstract online and join us!!
*Abstract submission deadline: May 7, 2009*
*SUMMIT ON SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2009: The Microbial World and Beyond June
16-19, 2009*
The Third Annual Summit on Systems Biology will be held on June 16-19,
2009, in historic Richmond, Virginia located two hours south of
Washington, DC. The Summit is comprised of five scientific sessions and
two workshops to bring together computational and experimental
scientists in the area of microbial systems. The third summit will
discuss research directions and latest findings in the "omics" domain,
as well as promote collaborations in microbial systems biology and
related disciplines. Dr. Leroy Hood, Director of the Institute for
Systems Biology, and Dr. Stuart Kauffman, of the University of Calgary,
and a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Award, and Albert-László
Barabási, Director, Center for Complex Network Research, Northeastern
University, all pioneers in Systems Biology, are members of the Summit
Steering Committee.
*The five scientific sessions are: *
. Microbial Engineering
. Metagenomics and Microbial Ecology
. Host-Pathogen Interaction
. Human Microbiome
. Technological Advances in Systems Biology
*The two workshops are:*
. Tree of Life and Microbial Systems Biology
. Gene Networks and Diseases
*Program Design*
The three day program is divided into five (5) main sessions and two (2)
workshops. The workshops will be held on the day preceding the formal
opening of the conference. Web will also host two poster sessions, one
for students and one for more senior researchers. There will be a */New
Technology Workshop /*as a pre-conference event, in concert with the
student poster session on Tuesday evening, June 16. Instrument
manufacturers will provide presentations and virtual demonstrations on
the latest technology and applications.
*Technical Symposia*
*Session I: Microbial Engineering *
The first session provides a broad overview of synthetic biology,
systems biology and biological engineering and their applications to
health, clean and renewable energy, and the environment. Specific topics
include synthetic gene networks and the biosynthetic capacity of
microbial systems. This session brings together a diverse group of
participants from a variety of disciplines.
*Session II: Metagenomics and Microbial Ecology*
The second session of the summit highlights the latest developments in
our understanding of the emergence and evolution of pathogenic and
non-pathogenic microbes with a particular emphasis on insights gained
through genomic analyses of microbial communities.
*Session III: Host-Pathogen Interactions*
The third session focuses on how innovative approaches and
high-throughput techniques are used to study the complex interactions
between bacterial pathogens and their eukaryotic hosts. Participants
studying a range of pathogens using various host systems come together
to discuss integrated systems approaches.
*Session IV: Human Microbiome*
The fourth session provides the opportunity to discuss the latest
advances in sequencing the human microbiome. The session underlines the
importance of the metabolic function of microbiota and the role of
symbiosis in health and disease.
*Session V: Technological Advances in Systems Biology *
The final session focuses on how emerging technologies are driving
advances in metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics
at the microbial community level. The session features cutting-edge
research on quantitative mass spectrometry and the latest advances in
DNA sequencing.
*Interactive Workshops*
*New Technology Workshop *This event will involve presentations on the
latest technology and applications by instrument manufacturers and
active researchers on the opening evening of the conference, and will be
held concurrently with the student poster session and reception.
*Workshop I: Gene networks and disease *The past decade has witnessed an
exponential growth of biological data including genomic sequences, gene
annotations, expression and regulation, and protein-protein
interactions. We will include discussions on the relationship between
oral pathogens and cardiovascular disease, with special interest in the
virulence of Streptococcus sanguinis. This workshop focuses on the
reconstruction and analysis of gene networks and pathways of human
pathogens and their application to disease.
*Workshop II: Assembling the Microbial Tree of Life *During the 21^st
century, the advances on microbial systems biology will be closely tied
to phylogenomics approaches to unravel the evolutionary relationships of
the microbial world. By involving an interdisciplinary group of
scientists and students from outside the tree of life community,
including mathematicians, statisticians, clinicians, computer
scientists, chemists, physicists, and engineers, the workshop will
foster the development of new questions and lines of research
contributing to the generation of a robust microbial phylogenetic framework.
*Venue and Accommodations:*
The Omni Richmond Hotel
100 South 12th Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 344-7000, Fax: (804) 648-6704 Toll Free 1-888-444-OMNI
The Omni Richmond Hotel, a luxury hotel, offers Southern hospitality in
a contemporary setting. Overlooking the scenic James River in the heart
of Richmond's financial and historical districts, the Omni Richmond is
located in lively, historic Shockoe Slip.
_http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/Richmond.aspx_ */Government rate
for Summit attendees for early registration./*
For conference information and registration, go to:
_http://www.vcu.edu/csbc/systemsbiologysummit/_
Program contact: Zhongming Zhao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Psychiatric
Genetics
Email: _zzhao from vcu.edu_ <mailto:zzhao from vcu.edu>
Gregory A. Buck, Ph.D.Chair, Steering Committee
Director, Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia
Commonwealth University.
By phone: 804-827-0026 or email _sysbiosummit from vcu.edu_
<mailto:sysbiosummit from vcu.edu>
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Zhongming Zhao, Ph.D.
Asst. Professor of Bioinformatics
Depts. Psychiatry and Human Genetics and Center for the Study of Biological Complexity
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO Box 980126, Richmond VA 23298-0126
Phone: (804) 828-8129 Fax: (804) 828-1471
http://bioinfo.vipbg.vcu.edu/
