Computational Biology Conference

Mon Apr 27 18:01:31 EDT 1992

<This will be of interest to those of us on connectionists who are using
artificial neural networks for this kind of work>

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    UPDATE: SECOND ALBANY CONFERENCE ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

		"PATTERNS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION"

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION

	The Second Albany Conference on Computational Biology will be held
October 8-11, 1992 in Rensselaerville near Albany, New York.  The aim of
this conference (like that of the 1990 Albany Conference) is to explore
the computational tools and approaches being developed in diverse fields
within biology, with emphasis this year on topics related to organization
and self-assembly.  The conference will be designed to provide an
environment for a frank and informal exchange among scientists and
mathematicians that is not normally possible within the constraints of
topical, single-discipline meetings.  The theme of the Conference, 
"Patterns of Biological Organization", will be developed in five sessions
on topics ranging from the level of sequence to the level of embryo
development.  Leading specialists in the various disciplines are being
invited, with the degree of involvement in novel computational approaches
as one of the most important criteria for selection. 

	We are seeking an interdisciplinary audience, mathematicians, and
computer scientists as well as biologists.  All participants will be
invited to submit abstracts for posters, although submission is not
mandatory.  Also, if funding permits, we will sponsor "young investigator"
travel awards as we did in 1990 for the first Albany Conference on
Computational Biology. 

CONFERENCE FORMAT

     The conference will consist of three morning and two evening sessions
over a period of three nights and days (Thursday afternoon through Sunday
morning).  Each session will be comprised of four 30-minute talks
interspersed by question-and-answer periods of 15-20 minutes.  Afternoons
are free for discussion and workshops (some planned, others impromptu).
Tentative workshop topics include visualization tools and structure data
bases.  In addition, a workshop is planned for Thursday afternoon that will
introduce non-biologists to the main issues of macromolecular and cellular
structure to be addressed at the meeting. 

	The following is an outline of the conference sessions, including
a partial listing of confirmed speakers: 

Keynote Address:  Prof. Hermann Haken
---------------   Institute for Theoretical Physics and Synergetics
		  University of Stuttgart

Session 1  Sequence analysis and secondary structure
----------------------------------------------------         

Discussion leader: Charles Lawrence 
		   Wadsworth Center, and State Univ. of New York, Albany
		   518-473-3382
		   CEL at BIOMETRICS.PH.ALBANY.EDU 		

Speakers: David L. Waltz
	  Thinking Machines, Inc., and Brandeis University 
	  Waltham, MA

	  Jean Michel Claverie 
	  National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, 
	  Bethesda, MD	  

	  Michael Zucker
	  Stanford University
	  Stanford, CA

	  Stephen Altschul
	  National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, 
	  Bethesda, MD 	  	  

Session 2  Tertiary structure prediction
---------------------------------------- 	

Discussion leader: George Berg
		   State Univ. of New York, Albany
		   518-442-4267
		   BERG at CS.ALBANY.EDU

Speakers: Rick Fine
	  Biosym Technologies, Inc.
	  San Diego, CA

 	  Stephen Bryant
	  National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH
	  Bethesda, MD

	  James Bowie
	  University of California
	  Los Angeles, CA

	  Francois Michel
	  Centre de Genetique Moleculaire, CNRS
	  Gif-sur-Yvette, France 

Session 3  Macromolecular function
----------------------------------
Discussion leader: Jacquelyn Fetrow
		   State Univ. of New York, Albany
		   518-442-4389
		   JACQUE at ISADORA.ALBANY.EDU

Speakers: Judith Hempel
	  Biosym Technologies, Inc.
	  San Diego, CA

	  Fred Cohen
	  University of California
	  San Francisco, CA

	  Chris Lee
	  Stanford University
	  Stanford, CA

Session 4  Recognition and assembly
-----------------------------------
Discussion leader: Joachim Frank
		   Wadsworth Center and State Univ. of New York, Albany
		   518-474-7002
		   JOACHIM at TETHYS.PH.ALBANY.EDU

Speakers: David DeRosier
	  Brandeis University 
	  Waltham, MA

	  Phoebe Stewart
	  University of Pennsylvania 
	  Philadelphia, PA

	  John Sedat
	  University of California
	  San Francisco, CA

Session 5  Development
----------------------
Discussion leader: John Reinitz
		   Yale Univ., New Haven, CT
		   203-785-7049
		   REINITZ-JOHN at CS.YALE.EDU

Speakers: Michael Levine
          University of California
	  San Diego, CA

	  John Reinitz
      	  Yale University
	  New Haven, CT

	  George Oster
	  University of California
	  Berkeley, CA

	  Brian Goodwin
	  Open University
	  Milton Keynes, UK

Questions about individual sessions may be sent to the respective
Discussion Leaders (phone numbers and email addresses provided above).
For general conference information, you may contact any of the
discussion leaders or any other member of the Organizing Committee
(chair: Carmen Mannella) or Program Committee (chair: Joachim Frank). 
Phone numbers and email addresses of the other members of these
committees are listed below: 

Jeff Bell, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
518-276-4075
BELL at VAX1.CHEM.RPI.EDU

Stephen Bryant, National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, 
Bethesda, MD
301-496-2475 (ext. 65)
BRYANT at NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

Carmen Mannella, Wadsworth Center and State Univ. of New York, Albany
518-474-2462
CARMEN at TETHYS.PH.ALBANY.EDU

Patrick Van Roey, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY
518-473-1336
VANROEY at TETHYS.PH.ALBANY.EDU

CONFERENCE SITE

     The conference, one of the Albany Conference series held annually since
1984, will take place at the Rensselaerville Conference Center, located 30
miles southwest of Albany, NY in the Helderberg Mountains.  The Institute
offers on-campus facilities including a large auditorium with all necessary
audio-visual equipment, and smaller conference halls for informal workshops
and poster sessions.  The Weathervane Restaurant, located on-campus and
formerly the carriage house of the Huyck estate, provides meals and
refreshments, while overnight lodging is available in the modern and classic
estate houses. Rooms are assigned in advance to registrants, and
transportation to and from Rensselaerville is provided from the airport, as
well as train and bus stations.  The rural, secluded setting of the
conference, the limited number of participants and the scheduling of sessions
in the morning and the evening -- leaving the afternoons free -- are intended
to facilitate informal discussions among conference participants. 

REGISTRATION  INFORMATION

CONFERENCE FEE: $475 includes registration, accomodations (double occupancy), 
meals and transportation between the conference center and Albany airport.  A 
limited number of single occupancy accomodations are available for an extra 
$100.  Payment of the full fee will be required by AUGUST 31, 1992.  Please 
note that neither the Albany Conferences nor the Rensselaerville Conference 
Center accepts credit cards.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 31, 1992.  

For further registration information and a copy of the application form
for the 1992 Albany Conference on Computational Biology, please call the
conference coordinator, Carole Keith, 518-442-4327, FAX 518-442-4767,
Bitnet: CAROLE at ALBNYVM1, or write to The 1992 Albany Conference, P.O.
Box 8836, Albany, NY 12208-0836. 

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Individuals may also use the following "E-Mail application form" to 
register for this meeting:  

Name:

Organization:

Business Address:

City:                               State:        Zip:

Business Phone:                     Fax:

Because attendance is limited, please describe briefly your research
interests or activities which explain your interest in participating in
this conference.  If you plan to submit a poster, please include its title
and (if ready) a short abstract.  (You will be asked to provide a
one-page, camera-ready version of the poster abstract, using 1.5 inch
borders, for the meeting workbook.) 

Send this E-mail application to CAROLE at ALBNYVM1 before the registration
deadline (July 31). 

TRAVEL AWARDS

Graduate students and postdocs who would like to be considered for a Young 
Investigators travel award should submit with their registration form a
brief letter explaining his/her research interests. Graduate students
should also include a letter of recommendation from a faculty advisor.  
Applications from members of groups that are underrepresented in this 
field (women and racial minorities) are encouraged. 

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