Venue information
This Biochemical Society Focused Meeting will take place at the
GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Centre in Stevenage, UK. The Medicines Research Centre is set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds and was formally opened in April 1995 by Her Majesty, The Queen.
GlaxoSmithKline was formed in January 2001 as the result of a merger between GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is a world leading research-based pharmaceutical company with a powerful combination of skills and resources that provides a platform for delivering strong growth in today's rapidly changing healthcare environment.
GlaxoSmithKline
Gunnels Wood Road
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2NY
Tel: +44 (0)1438 745 745
Fax: +44 (0)1438 764 502
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Travelling to the venue
By Car
The town is located on the A1(M) just 30 miles from central London and only 15 minutes from the M25 London orbital and therefore at the heart of the nation's motorway network.
If you are travelling to Stevenage by car please visit the either the AA (www.theaa.com) or RAC (www.rac.co.uk) web sites for a route planner.
By Train
Rail connections to Stevenage are good, with the town being situated on the main East Coast London to Edinburgh line. A 25 minute train journey from London Kings Cross puts Stevenage in touch with major UK and European cities.
Trains to Stevenage are operated by both First Capital Connect and GNER. General information about train services, including timetables, can be found at National Rail Enquiries.
By Air
London Luton is the nearest airport to Stevenage. However, there are no direct train links between Luton and Stevenage and passengers will need to travel into London Kings Cross and change for the Stevenage service.
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Social programme
Drinks reception
Monday 18 January 17:30 – 18:30
The drinks reception will be served in the pre-function room. All delegates are welcome to attend. For more information please contact the Conference Office.
Conference Dinner at Knebworth Barns
Monday 18 January 19:00 onwards.
The Conference Dinner will take place at the Knebworth Barns. Coaches will collect delegates from outside the main reception at 18:45.
The coaches will also collect the speakers and delegates from Knebworth Barns at 22:00 after the conference dinner. Drop offs will be made at the Novotel hotel, GSK site and at Stevenage train station.
The Knebworth House is one of England's most beloved stately homes, it is famous worldwide for its rock concerts and as the home of Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer Lytton; author of the words "The pen is mightier than the sword." This beautiful gothic mansion is situated 29 miles north of London off the A1(M) at Stevenage.
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Round Table Discussion
The round table discussion, scheduled for the afternoon of 18 January at 15:50-17:20, will focus on the topic:
Finding new solutions to old problems in drug discovery: Can stem cell technologies help and how?
The speakers listed below will give a 5 minute presentation based on their experiences/views on this topic and then participate in a question and answer session. All delegates are encouraged to attend.
Speakers:
Julie Holder (GSK, UK)
Paul Duffy (AstraZeneca, UK)
Julie Kerby (Pfizer, UK)
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Registration fees and forms
Earlybird registration deadline: 18 December 2009
Registration is now closed. For reasons of security, it is not possible to register on the day.
Note for registered delegates: Registration includes lunch, refreshments and the conference dinner. Accommodation is not included in the registration fees and delegates are advised to make their own arrangements.
View list of hotels in Stevenage.
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Payment of fees
All payments must be made prior to the meeting. Please note that invoices for registration fees will not be issued.
Credit card/Debit card
(Preferred method of payment, and the only acceptable form of payment for online registration).
The following credit/debit cards will be accepted:
Mastercard and Visa.
If you wish to pay by cheque, bank draft or bank transfer please contact the Conference Office
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Confirmation email
As the final stage of the online registration process, all registered delegates will receive a confirmation page and a separate email to confirm registration details. This confirmation should be checked carefully to ensure that all requirements are correct. In particular, the spelling of names and affiliations should be checked, as this information will be used to create badges.
Confirmation emails also act as a receipt. Please bring a copy of the email with you to the meeting.
If you have not received a confirmation email two weeks before the meeting, please contact the Conference Office.
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Registering at the meeting
Please bring your confirmation email to present at the registration desk at the meeting. Badges will be issued upon registering and, for security reasons, must be worn for the duration of the meeting.
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Student travel grants
The maximum student travel grant available is £150 and includes:
Registration fees (up to £50)
Accommodation (up to £50)
Travel (up to a maximum of £50)
The following principles apply to application for a Student Travel Grant:
1. Students can apply for a Travel Grant if they are a member of the Biochemical Society by the poster abstract submission deadline and have submitted a poster abstract.
2. Students can only apply for one Student Travel Grant in a year.
3. Students are not eligible for a Student Travel Grant if they have already received funding from the General Travel Fund in that same year.
4. All student members of the Biochemical Society are entitled to apply for these Travel Grants and this entitlement will extend to PhD graduates for up two years after graduation and to foreign student members in respect of travel in the UK and Irish Republic.
How to apply:
The online registration form for the meeting should be completed along with the Student Travel Grant Application Form.
Grant applications received four weeks prior to the meeting will be available for collection at the meeting (cheque only); however, you may apply for a grant at the Registration Desk, or up to four weeks after the meeting.
Subject to approval, applicants will receive a cheque for the appropriate amount. The maximum amount for travel expenses that will be reimbursed will be at the level of the current Young Persons Railcard fare. If the application does not use up the full amount of the Grant, the balance cannot be transferred to another meeting.
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Poster abstract submission
Abstract submission deadline: 11 November 2009
Online abstract submission is now closed. If you wish to submit an abstract please contact the Conference Office. Late abstracts will not appear in the programme book.
BJ ChemBio poster prize
The Biochemical Journal kindly sponsored a BJ Structure poster prize of £250 for the best posters displayed at the meeting. The Prize was awarded to Ole Wiskow (University of Cambridge, UK).
Has my abstract been accepted?
After submitting your abstract you should receive a submission number which will identify your abstract. If you have not received a submission number, then please email Conference Office immediately.
Approximately 2 weeks after the abstract submission deadline has passed, you will receive an email informing you whether your poster has been accepted or not and informing you of your poster number and session time.
All poster abstracts will be available to view online two weeks prior to the meeting.
Poster Board size: 1.2m wide x 1.8m high (portrait).
Velcro to mount your poster will be provided at the meeting.
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Accommodation
Please note: No accommodation is included in the registration fee for this meeting. The following are suggestions to help you secure accommodation for the duration of the meeting. The Biochemical society takes no responsibility for the availability or quality of the hotels.
All of the hotels below are a short taxi ride from the venue.
Archways Lodge Hotel
11 Hitchin Road
Stevenage SG1 3BJ
UK
Phone: +44 (0)1438 740 389
Holiday Inn Stevenage
Danestrete
Stevenage SG1 1XB
UK
Phone: +44 (0)1438 344 300
Novotel Stevenage
Knebworth Park
Stevenage SG1 2AX
UK
Phone: +44 (0)1438 346 100
Abbington Hotel
23 Hitchin Road
Stevenage SG1 3BJ
UK
Phone: +44 (0)1438 315 241
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Refreshments
At the meeting
Lunch and refreshments will be provided for all attendees and will be included in the registration fee.
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Dietary requirements
Should you have any special dietary requirements, please indicate this on the registration form. Alternatively, please inform the Conference Office as changes to the menu cannot be made at the meeting.
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Disabled access
Disabled access is available. If you require assistance during the meeting please contact the Conference Office.
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Sponsors and trade exhibition
The following companies will be sponsoring the meeting:
Biochemical Society Transactions
Portland Press Ltd
BJ ChemBio
GlaxoSmithKline
Invitrogen
Millipore
Peprotech
R&D Systems
STEMCELL Technologies
Enzo Life Sciences
Active Motif
Cyntellect
Please feel free to view our sponsorship and trade exhibition opportunities at this meeting.
If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the meeting please contact the Conference Office.
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Refunds
Cancellations will be accepted in writing until 4 January 2010, and a refund (less £15 administration charge) will be issued.
After this date, neither full nor partial refunds can be given. Please note that refunds of less than £15 cannot be issued.
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Official letters of invitation
Official letters of invitation, which are intended to assist with administrative arrangements in certain countries will only be issued when the individual has completed the following criteria:
1) Submitted an abstract which has been approved by the meeting scientific organizer for inclusion into the relevant meeting
2) Sent a letter from the head of their academic department on University headed paper saying why they need to attend the meeting in relation to their research
3) Registered and paid for the meeting
Such letters do not imply commitment of financial or other support by the organizers
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Tweeting and blogging at Biochemical Society conferences
With increasing frequency, conference attendees at scientific conferences are using Twitter or blogs to share and highlight interesting information discussed at conferences, and also to network with each other. The Biochemical Society has created the following policy with regards to the use of networking sites at Biochemical Society conferences.
The Biochemical Society’s Twitter and blogging policy
Harden Conferences
Proceedings and abstracts of Harden Conferences are unpublished, in order to promote the exchange of novel information and ideas. Delegates are asked to respect the closed nature of the conferences, and not to report information discussed via Twitter, Facebook, blogs and similar social networks.
Focused Meetings and Annual Symposia
The Biochemical Society encourages the discussion of its conferences via Twitter, Facebook and similar social networks. In order to promote discussion and the exchange of information, delegates who wish to tweet are asked to use the Biochemical Society hashtag:
#biochemsoc
Speakers will be made aware of this policy, and have the right to ask delegates not to disseminate their research via the Internet. If a Speaker makes this request, delegates are asked not to discuss the relevant work in this way. Delegates are respectfully asked to refrain from communicating using mobile devices whilst lectures are in progress.
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Contact Us
If you require any further information, please contact:
The Conference Office
The Biochemical Society
Charles Darwin House
12 Roger Street
London WC1N 2JL
UK
Email: conferences@biochemistry.org
Telephone (Conference Office): +44 (0)207 685 2450
Telephone (Main reception): +44 (0)207 685 2400
Fax: +44 (0)207 685 2467
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