In a hurry?

• Register for the conference. (registration closed)
• Reserve your room (SynBERC discounted rates) at the Le Meridien. (Remember to share if possible.) You'll be asked for your credit card info to guarantee your reservation and pay for personal incidental charges. Check in by Friday, Sep 24 and check out by Monday, Sep 27.
• Send your travel request early (download form, bottom of page) to UC Berkeley's travel agency - if you're flying from outside the Boston area.
• With the exception of IAB members, SynBERC will pay roundtrip economy class airfare and hotel costs (Sep 24-26) for PIs, SynBERC-funded students/researchers, SAB, and staff.

REGISTRATION:
Please take a moment to register for the conference. This will help us greatly!

WHEN:
Saturday, September 25 - Monday, September 27, 2010
(final meeting on Monday morning: only among PIs, SAB, IAB, and SLC)

SCHEDULE:
Agenda (view/download)

WHERE:
Stata Center, Room 32-123 (MIT campus map)
32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (GoogleMap)

WHO ARE ATTENDING:
SynBERC PIs/faculty and student researchers, Industry Partners, Scientific Advisory Board, invited guests engaged in synthetic biology 

STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS:
BRING A POSTER. Special awards and prizes will be given to recognize exemplary work. The target size is 36" x 48" (plus or minus a little bit is fine). Use this poster template (download, bottom of page) in PowerPoint. Also, please use the SynBERC logo as appropriate. Mark your poster "CONFIDENTIAL" on the bottom if you anticipate filing a patent or invention disclosure. All research is protected by non-disclosure and industry partnership agreements, and confidential work will be removed from public view.

BOOKING TRAVEL:
SynBERC Central will pay directly for up to two students/postdocs per lab to come to the meeting (we welcome more than two per lab, but individual labs will need to support their travel costs). Book economy class flights by filling up a Travel Request Form (download form, bottom of page) and sending (fax or email) it to UC Berkeley's travel agent, Carlson Wagonlit. The travel agency will then email your flight itinerary to SynBERC Central for approval and ticketing. As much as possible, book your flights four weeks prior to September 24 to obtain good connections and low fares. In so doing, you also help reduce costs and enable more to attend. You can also book your own travel and submit your receipts for reimbursement the old fashioned way. If you have other travel related questions, send email to fdelro@berkeley.edu.

NOTES:

• We strongly encourage students to find a travel partner to share a room with. This will help reduce costs and hopefully allow more people to attend from each lab.
• SynBERC Central will cover round-trip economy class air fare and hotel costs for PIs, SynBERC-funded students, and SAB members.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:
SynBERC reserved a block of rooms at discounted rates ($145/room/night) at the Le Meridien Hotel, a few blocks from Stata Center. Reserve through the hotel's online reservation link. You'll be asked for your credit card info to guarantee your reservation and pay for personal/incidental charges. You can also call 617-577-0200 and mention UC Berkeley/SYNBERC Meeting. Reservation cutoff to avail the discounted rates is September 9, 2010. SynBERC will pay discounted room rates plus taxes for September 24 check in and September 27 check out. You will be responsible for any personal/in-room/incidental charges.

Other recommended hotels close to Stata Center:
Boston Marriott Cambridge
50 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel 617-494-6600
Kendall Hotel
350 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel 617-577-1300
Residence Inn by Marriott
6 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel 617-349-0700

AIRPORT & GROUND TRANSPORTATION:
From Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), airport shuttles and taxicabs are available for a 30-45 minute journey (depending on traffic conditions) to the Le Meridien Hotel or Stata Center. An alternative mode of public transportation is the subway line (Silver and Red lines). Look for the MBTA ticket/information kiosk at the airport's arrival area.

PARKING:
Parking around Stata Center is very limited. Attendees are urged to use public transportation or take a short walk from your hotel. If you have questions about parking, please contact Gwen Wilcox at chemical Engineering Department, tel. 617-258-0471 or gwilcox@mit.ed