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It is time to start making plans to attend the 52nd annual Wind River Conference on Prokaryotic Biology. This year’s meeting will begin on Wednesday, June 11th and conclude on Sunday, June 15th. As the 2008 Program Director, it is my pleasure to invite you not only to attend The Wind River Conference, but to be an active participant by presenting your latest findings as either an oral or a poster presentation. In its fifty-two years, The Wind River Conference has met amongst the heights of the Rocky Mountains and provided a forum where scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and most importantly, students can informally and openly discuss their most recent findings in prokaryotic molecular biology, physiology and genetics. Many of these discussions are in small group settings and occur over a cup of coffee or other beverages, a friendly game of pool, or during a hike through the Wild Basin of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It is also a conference where many students, some for the first time in their careers, present their work and gain valuable new insights and ideas for their research endeavors.
This year's conference will feature exceptional plenary speakers to supplement the high quality papers and posters presented by the conference participants. The four speakers are:
Roberto Kolter
Neil Welker Memorial Student Invited Speaker
The Control of Cell Fate in Bacillus subtilis Biofilms
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Graham Hatfull
Making Changes: Recombineering Mycobacterial Genomes
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Robert Belas
Roseobacter-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis: A Microbial Tango
Center Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland
William Jacobs
The Death of the Tubercule Bacillus- There Must Be 50 Ways to Kill the Bug
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Along with the scientific program, free time is provided during the conference to allow participants to enjoy the attractions of the area. The Aspen Lodge is located on Colorado Highway 7 approximately 15 minutes southwest of Estes Park. The Lodge adjoins the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park, is close to the Wild Basin, Long's Peak, and Twin Sisters trailheads, and is only a short drive from the main entrance to the National Park. The attractions include touring the park, hiking (ranging from easy to extreme), horseback riding, trout fishing, shopping in Estes Park or simply relaxing among colleagues and friends. The Lodge itself also provides horseback riding, hiking trails, mountain biking, fishing, tennis and racquetball courts, a sauna and heated outdoor swimming pool, a weight room, plus a variety of games and other activities for the whole family. For additional information regarding the Lodge and its accommodations contact the Lodge at 800-332-6867 option #4 lodge or visit their website at www.aspenlodge.net.
As you make plans for 2008 I encourage you to mark the following DEADLINES on your calendar.
To participate, please do three things, each by the deadline indicated below:
April 1, 2008 - Aspen Lodge registration and room reservations. The Lodge reservation form (included with the announcement) and a check for the first night's lodging must be sent to Aspen Lodge at the address provided on the form. Alternatively, room reservations may be made over the phone with a credit card (call the Lodge at 970/577-5418, ask for Marcie or Fax 970/577-5409). All meals, coffee breaks, appetizers during mixers and poster sessions and use of recreational facilities are included in the lodging fees. This date is firm because it is the only way to ensure adequate accommodations at the Lodge.
April 1, 2008 - Conference registration. The conference registration form (here) and a check for the registration fee should be sent to Rychelle Tomlin at UNLV. Checks should be made payable in US funds to "The Board of Regents of UNLV". Also, if you are a student or post-doc requesting a travel award, you need to include a letter from your PI on departmental letterhead confirming your current status. As those of you who have attended the Wind River Conference know, this meeting is very much driven by student/post-doc participation, and travel awards of an amount determined by the availability of funds (with thanks to the National Science Foundation for their generous support) will be made to students and post-docs who present (oral or poster) at the meeting. Because these funds are distributed generally, they will not cover all expenses, but this approach allows us to help the greatest number of people.
April 16, 2008 - Abstracts must be submitted to me no later than April 16. For both oral and poster presentations, abstracts can be submitted preferably by email. Please submit them to Don Ennis (dge5893@louisiana.edu) as an attached Microsoft Word document. Include preference for poster or oral presentation, the TITLE in ALL CAPS, the authors with an asterisk denoting the presenter, and all institutional affiliations. Please use 1-inch margins and restrict the abstract to a single page. If possible use the Arial 11 point font (the same font used to produce this document) and full justification. If you miss this deadline but are properly registered, you will not be left out; please bring ~120 copies of your abstract, in the same format and on yellow paper.
The environment at Estes Park is worth mentioning. Although the meeting will be in early June, the mountain weather can be very unpredictable (e.g., it has been both sunny and has snowed during several of the previous conferences!). Therefore, bring clothing suitable for all sorts of weather conditions. The Aspen Lodge is just over 9,000 feet above sea level and at that altitude, air is somewhat scarce. Although not serious, some attendees may experience headaches due to the altitude. The Lodge assures us that these symptoms can be prevented or at least reduced with extra doses of vitamin E.
We have an exciting scientific program lined up and I encourage you to begin now making plans to attend the Wind River Conference in 2008. I assure you that you will not be disappointed and if you happen to be a 1st timer, chances are you'll be back! Please contact me (dge5893@louisiana.edu) or Ron Yasbin (yasbinr@unlv.nevada.edu) with any questions you have.
Don Ennis
Department of Biology
University of Louisiana
PO Box 42451
Lafayette, LA 70504-2451
Voice: 337-482-5008 / Fax: 337-262-9865 / e-mail: dge5893@louisiana.edu
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