SUMMIT ON SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2009: The Microbial World and Beyond June 16-19, 2009 For conference information and registration, go to: http://www.vcu.edu/csbc/systemsbiologysummit/ ***You are invited to submit a 1-page abstract by May 7, 2009. Abstracts must be submitted as electronic files. Please use the format outlined in the template (download from the website, http://www.vcu.edu/csbc/systemsbiologysummit/abstracts.html) to prepare the abstract and email it directly to both zzhao@vcu.edu and sysbiosummit@vcu.edu. Please use "Summit on Systems Biology: Abstract Submission" as the email subject line. Authors of accepted abstracts will also be invited to submit a paper for potential publication in a special issue in Chemistry and Biodiversity. 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 21st 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@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@vcu.edu