About the Program

This year, the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting is being held in conjunction with the 12th International Association of Plant Biotechnology (IAPB) Congress. The scientific program at this year's meeting will continue to offer sessions on subjects pertinent to both animal and plant biotechnology while providing all participants with the high quality science and one-on-one interactions that SIVB members have come to expect. Although the IAPB’s sessions will focus more on plant biotechnology and research, each day they will hold plenary lectures focusing on joint plant/animal topics. Additionally, each day SIVB will hold a number of sessions focused on animal research. The SIVB animal program will begin on Monday afternoon, June 7, and continue until Thursday evening, June 10.

About the Location

St. Louis is a place where history and imagination come together to create a Midwest destination like no other. Red brick buildings, cobblestone streets, terra cotta friezes and stained glass are part of the tapestry of St. Louis’ amazing architectural heritage. From its beginnings as a simple French village founded in 1764, St. Louis has grown into a charming, exciting and character-filled community. St. Louis offers free family attractions, music, dining, nightlife, great sports, history, arts and entertainment and colorful neighborhoods. Click on these links to find out more information about St. Louis: www.slfp.com and www.explorestlouis.com/visitors/visitorServices.asp.

Abstract information

Researchers at all levels -- scientists, representatives from industry and government, professors, post-docs, and students -- are encouraged to present a poster at the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting/12th IAPB Congress. Instructions and guidelines are available on the abstract submission form.

YOU MUST REGISTER FIRST FOR THE 2010 MEETING BEFORE SUBMITTING AN ABSTRACT. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CHOOSE THE SIVB MEMBER VERSION OF THE REGISTRATION FORM, EVEN IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND THE IAPB SESSIONS. Abstract submission begins on August 1, 2009.

Registration for the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting/12th IAPB Congress will be available beginning August 1, 2009. Each SIVB member will receive one free abstract submission as a presenting author. SIVB Members who submit more than one abstract as a presenting author will be charged a $100 fee. Non-members will be charged a $100 fee. This fee is non-refundable.

To be considered as a symposium speaker for an oral presentation: Submit by February 15, 2010. If selected, you agree to a 15-minute presentation in front of an audience and you agree to the date and time of your presentation as determined by the review committee. Travel funds, hotel costs, registration, and/or honorarium are not available. You will be notified after April 1, 2010 if you have been selected. You agree to the date and time of your presentation as determined by the review committee.

Deadline to submit poster presentation only (and not for consideration as a symposium speaker or oral presentation) and to be included on abstract flash drive: submit by March 1, 2010.

For details on how to format your abstract for the meeting or to submit your abstract, please visit: http://www.iapb2010.org/abstracts.html

Disabilities info

The 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting’s scientific sessions will be held at the America’s Center in St. Louis, MO. For information on disabled accessibility in St. Louis and the America’s Center, please contact: (Voice) - (314) 622-3686; (TDD) - (314) 622-3693

Exhibits

The 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting, being held in conjunction with the 12th World Congress of the IAPB, will convene a five-day meeting in St. Louis the summer of 2010. The SIVB meets yearly and the IAPB meets quadrenially. Together the meeting expects nearly 1,500 attendees spanning up to 90 countries. The conference will encompass presentations from leading international scientists in a vast array of plant and animal biotechnology areas, including both biotic and abiotic stress, alternative fuel production, photosynthesis efficiency, plant output traits, metabolic engineering, biodiversity, biosensors, 3D Models, stem cells in vitro, epigenetics, innate immunity and biopreservation. The underlying technologies from this type of research would include biotechnology, molecular biology, microscopy, biochemistry, physiology, micropropagation, transformation, mass spectroscopy and more.

There will be an ideal audience at this conference for your products. Exhibition dates and times begin Sunday, June 6, at 4:00 p.m. and continue all day Monday through Thursday. See the IAPB Congress website for more details on reserving your spot.

Hotels

Everyone who attends the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting in St. Louis will stay at the nicest properties downtown St. Louis has to offer and all will be within walking distance to the America’s Center. All guest rooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access. We ask that attendees please book at one of the hotels offered on this site. This will keep you within our hotel block and help us fulfill the sleeping room commitment we have made to each hotel. In exchange for hotel room occupation, hotels offer the IAPB and SIVB a certain amount of free meeting space. All of this helps to keep the cost of hosting the meeting within budget and helps us keep membership fees low. We thank you for your consideration. The hotel reservation deadline is May 3, 2010.

Share-a-Room Program
SIVB is offering a Share-a-Room program. If you would like to share accommodations with another SIVB meeting attendee to diffuse costs, please contact us with your name, contact information, and housing needs (gender, days you need to share). Once we find an appropriate applicant, we will connect you. Once introduced, it is up to the two of you to make your own hotel reservations together, directly with the hotel. NOTE: You, the respondent, and not the SIVB, will assume all responsibility for any arrangements made afterwards. SIVB is not liable for any rooming costs incurred with shared rooms in this program.

Book Your Hotel

Registration

REMEMBER: When you register for the meeting, choose the SIVB member version of the registration form, even if you are planning to attend the IAPB sessions. Each SIVB member registration count towards the society’s success at the meeting.

Registration to the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting is being processed by the MU Conference Center. Early Bird Registration ends on February 1, 2010 for Members and Nonmembers; Post Doc and Student Early Bird Registration Ends on April 30, 2010.

Students and Post Docs
Students and Post Docs are eligible for special discounted rates to attend the meeting. All students will be required to show a valid and current University ID at registration. Post-Docs will need to provide a letter from their University stating that they are at the post-doctoral level. If neither is provided at registration, full registration will be required onsite.

There are five ways to register for the meeting:

Register online by clicking below (credit card only). Remember to choose the SIVB Member version of the registration form.The MU conference office accepts Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

Register for the Meeting

WIRE TRANSFERS: All payments must be made in U.S. funds. If you do not have a U.S. bank check, you may send the registration fee by wire transfer. For details on how to send a wire transfer please contact Emily Mangano at the MU Conference Office by e-mail (manganoe@missouri.edu), phone +1 (866) 682-6663) or fax +1 (573) 882-1953). If you do not receive a faxed confirmation letter after sending your wire transfer, please follow up by contacting the MU Conference Office prior to the meeting. DO NOT leave for the meeting without your confirmation. A wire transfer fee will be applied to each transaction.
To mail in a completed form and check. Check must be drawn on a US bank. Check or money order should be made payable to "University of Missouri" and mailed to:

IAPB 2010
MU Conference Office
348 Hearnes Center
Columbia, Missouri, USA 65211

Click for a Printable Form
Register by phone with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover) at +(573) 882-9554 or +1 (866) 682-6663 International participants, use the country code "1" for the United States. Refer to dialing instructions within your own country.
Fax completed form with accepted credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover) information to: +(573) 882-1953. .

Click for a Printable Form

Special Events

Plans are underway for a number of special tours and events on Wednesday, June 9. You can choose to stay at the meeting to hear particular symposia or take a pre-arranged tour with the tour provider, Destination St. Louis. These tours are optional and the price is separate from registration. You will book the tour and pay for it directly with Destination St. Louis. There will be a Destination St. Louis table near the SIVB/IAPB registration area in the America’s Center for you to check in and get updated information. Tours will depart from and return to America’s Center. All tours have limited capacity. For more information on the tours available and to book your tickets, please visit: http://www.iapb2010.org/WedTours.html#

Student Opportunities

The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) is committed to the future endeavors of science and encourages the continued growth of scientists and their students. To support the Society’s vision to encourage education and scientific informational exchange, SIVB offers a number of special opportunities to assist students and their ability to grow through their scientific community, including: Student Registration Fellowships, Student Awards, and Oral Presentation Competitions.

Transportation

The official travel agent for the 2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting/12th World Congress is Great Southern Travel who has arranged special airfares through American Airlines as the meeting's preferred air provider. All guests and attendees that attend the meeting can enjoy a 5% discount on American Airlines when traveling to St. Louis, MO from Sunday, June 6 through Friday, June 11, 2010. You may make your reservations through the agency by calling + (573) 442-2200 or +1 (800) 688-4909 and ask for the "IAPB desk" or by following the link: mmckenzie@greatsoutherntravel.com.

Special air rates will be negotiated for the SIVB guests, however, they will not be available until September 1, 2009. Please contact Great Southern Travel after this date to secure special airfares.

Shuttle Service to the Meeting
Trans Express Transportation provides shared van service to Downtown hotels. Purchase tickets and board at: Main Terminal, Exit Main Terminal 12; East Terminal, Exit; East Terminal 12. Tickets are $15.00 one-way, $25.00 round trip.

International Travel and Visas

In 2004, the United States instituted the US-VISIT program, requiring most foreign visitors to have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph taken to verify their identity at the port of entry. A departure confirmation program, as part of US-VISIT, is currently being tested. This program applies to all visitors, including those from visa waiver countries.

Contact Sandi Strother via email at muconf2@missouri.edu if you require a letter of intended participation for your visa application.

Visa Waiver Program/ESTA
As of January 12, 2009, a valid ESTA approval is required for all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to travel to the United States. You will not be able to board the plane without this ESTA approval in hand. The Department of Homeland Security, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP. It collects the same information as the paper I-94W form that VWP travelers fill out en route to the United States. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. An ESTA authorization generally will be valid for up to two years. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries into the United States. DHS recommends that travelers submit an ESTA application as soon as they begin making travel plans. ESTA applications may be completed FREE online at the official DHS website, which is: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Review the important DHS Advisory Warning about unauthorized third-party ESTA application related web sites. Learn more at ESTA.

New countries added: The Visa Waiver program was expanded to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Republic of Korea, and the Slovak Republic. Review the visa waiver program quick reference handout.

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS: Specific passport requirements apply to all VWP travelers. See What do I need to know about VWP MRP and e-Passport requirements?

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. See http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html for more information.

Experiencing a Delay in Travel Visa Processing?
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has developed a page on its web site to collect detailed information about international scientists experiencing significant visa delays. This could prove useful to scientists still trying to cope with the many changes in protocol brought on by the SEVIS student-tracking system and the enhanced security of the US VISIT program. Visa applications that are delayed by more than 20 days will be reported to the State Department. Please visit the NAS web site at http://national-academies.org/visas.

2010 In Vitro Biology Meeting General Information