Meeting background
Recently the related family of neurotrophins and their receptors have been found to be important in mediating a number of peripheral and central nervous system disease states. Conversely they are also putative therapeutic agents.
This meeting will cover the newest aspects of the discoveries surrounding the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in inflammatory pain and the recruitment of the TRV1 capsacin receptor. Sequestration of NGF as a therapeutic solution, and the screening and design of small molecules to act as antagonists at the tyrosine kinase (TrkA) receptor will be reviewed.
In addition the common neurotrophin receptor p75 is involved in cell death, perhaps influenced by the binding of pro-NGF and pro-BDNF; this may have implications for both peripheral and central nervous systems. NGF is implicated in the cholinergic cell death seen in Alzheimers disease. p75 may play a role in this as these neurons almost exclusively express this receptor in the forebrain. NGF and agonists at the TrkA receptor may be of therapeutic benefit in Alzheimers disease whereas BDNF and BDNF mimetics may be of benefit in Huntingtons disease.
Recently BDNF has been shown to gate the sodium ion channel Nav1.9 and is now thought to be involved in synaptic plasticity. In addition, one of the truncated forms of TrkB has recently been shown to regulate calcium influx in glial cells. One recently discovered polymorphism in the pro region of the BDNF protein results in abnormal neuronal trafficking leading to impaired episodic memory in man. Furthermore, in Huntingtons disease mutant huntingtin has been shown to downregulate BDNF expression leading to neuronal death. Additionally BDNF and TrkB are now known to be crucial players in the control of obesity. Thus the neurotrophins are centre stage of a range of physiological process in the mature nervous system and development of drugs that act at the neurotrophin receptors may be of benefit in a wide variety of disease states.
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Venue
This Focused Meeting is being held in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol.
The School of Chemistry
University of Bristol
Bristol
BS8 1TS
UK
Telephone: +44 (0)117 928 7645
Fax: +44 (0)117 925 1295
Map of the School of Chemistry.
Registration for the meeting will be in the School of Chemistry's foyer and all talks will be given in Lecture Theatre II. Posters, exhibitors, lunch and refreshments will also be in the large foyer.
The School of Chemistry is building number 77 and can be located in Block G6. See the Map of University of Bristol.
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Bristol University
University College Bristol, founded in 1876, was the first institution in the United Kingdom to offer places to women to study in higher education on the same footing as men. The Bristol Medical School, founded in 1833, soon became associated with the College and became part of it in 1893. In 1909 the College combined with the Merchant Venturers' Technical College to become the University of Bristol and was granted a Royal Charter.
For most Bristolians the University is the Wills Memorial Building which dominates the skyline. But the University has many other buildings. The Science, Engineering and Medical Departments are housed in purpose designed buildings, with most of the Arts Departments in large, skilfully adapted Victorian houses close to the Main Library and Computing Service.
Royal Fort House, a splendid 18th-century mansion, and the delightful Royal Fort Gardens lie between the Chemistry and Physics buildings offering a peaceful spot for reading and relaxation on a fine day. Only the gatehouse now remains of the Royal Fort itself, which stood on the site during the Civil War.
Along Queen's Road is the University Union, one of the biggest in the country, with an enormous range of clubs and societies catering for all interests. Not far away are three of the Halls of Residence, including the 18th-century Goldney House and Clifton Hill House. A further five Halls are close to the parkland of the Downs and to the University playing fields.
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Bristol
Bristol is an exciting city, overflowing with intriguing, traditional and occasionally off the wall things to do and see. Its harbourside location lined with attractions, boats, restaurants and museums makes it unforgettable. But what really makes it special is its energy, the mix of historic and new, and having been designated a European Centre of Culture, the city continues to celebrate in style with a year round calendar of events and festivals.
The selection of restaurants, cafes and bars provides something for every taste and budget, and you'll enjoy some of the best shopping in Britain with high street stores, markets and an incredible range of independent shops, galleries, boutiques and antiques.
The surrounding coast and countryside are all within easy reach of the vibrant city centre.
The huge choice of places to stay makes Bristol the perfect short break destination. With everything from waterfront hotels and penthouse apartments to family run guest houses and farm cottages.
At-Bristol is a unique destination bringing science, nature and art to life together
An immense 97 million project, At-Bristol is the core of a 450 million urban rejuvenation scheme, covering 11 acres at the heart of Bristols Harbourside area.
A place of discovery and surprise, home to three magical attractions; Explore At-Bristol, Wildwalk At-Bristol and IMAX Theatre At-Bristol.
See the This is Bristol website for more details about the City and what it has to offer.
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Registration fees and forms
Registration fees (before 6 March 2006)
Full member/Young researcher - 95
Student - 70
Non-member - 145
Registration includes lunch and refreshments for the duration of the meeting.
The early registration deadline (6 March 2006) has now passed - 30 have been added to the cost of the registration.
If you would like to bring a poster to the meeting and save 30 (when registering after the early registration deadline), please contact Natalie Sterman on meetings@biochemistry.org or call 020 7280 4150. Please be aware that, in this case, we cannot garantee that your abstract will be printed in the programme and abstract book.
Registration can be carried out either online or by sending a registration form by fax or post to 'Neurotrophins - mechanisms in disease and therapy ', Portland Customer Services, Commerce Way, Whitehall Industrial Estate, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8HP, UK. Fax: +44 (0) 1206 799 331.
A printable PDF of the registration form can be downloaded here.
Only those who register before 30 March 2006 will be included in the Meeting Attendee List.
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Payment of fees
All payments must be made prior to the meeting.
The following methods will be accepted:
Credit card/Debit card
(Preferred method of payment, and the only acceptable form of payment for online registration)
Most credit and debit cards are accepted with the exception of Diners Club.
The following credit/debit cards will be accepted:
American Express, Eurocard, Mastercard, Switch, Visa
Cheques
Please include payment with your registration form. Types of cheques accepted (made payable to Portland Customer Services) are:
Sterling cheques, drawn on a UK bank.
US dollar cheques, drawn on a US or London bank.
Euro cheques drawn on an EU bank.
Bank drafts are accepted as follows:
Drafts must be in pounds sterling, drawn on a UK bank or US dollars drawn on a US or London bank. Must be made payable to Portland Customer Services.
Bank transfer
Registration fees can be accepted by bank transfer.
Please make sure you include the reference 'SA034 reg. fees' and your family name. Please indicate on the registration form that you will be paying by bank transfer.
Bank:
Bank: NatWest, 25 High Street, Colchester CO1 1DG
Sort Code: 60-06-06
Account: Portland Press Limited
Account Number: 01863630
SWIFT code: NWBKGB2112B
IBAN code: GB65NWBK60060601863630
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Confirmation email
All registered delegates will be sent a confirmation email to confirm registration details.
This email 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 this email with you to the meeting.
If you have not received a confirmation/acceptance email two weeks prior to the meeting please contact Portland Customer Services on +44 (0) 1206 796 351
PLEASE NOTE: As the confirmation email may be from an unrecognised email address (registrations@portland-services.com) your mailbox may filter it as spam.
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Registration at the meeting
The Biochemical Society registration desk will be situated in the School of Chemistry's foyer for the duration of the meeting.
Please bring your confirmation email to present at the registration desk. Badges will be issued and, for security reasons, must be worn throughout the conference.
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Student Travel Grants
Society Focused Meeting Travel Grants
The maximum grant available for application for a 1-day Focused Meeting is 150 and includes:
Registration fees (up to 50)
Accommodation (up to 50)
Travel (up to 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 Society by the closing date for poster abstract submission (31 January 2006) for the particular meeting.
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 Ph.D. graduates for two years after graduation and to foreign student members in respect of travel in the UK and Irish Republic.
How to apply:
A registration form for the Meeting should be completed and submitted to Portland Customer Services (details below). A copy of this form should also be sent to the Meetings Office (address at bottom of page) along with the student grant application form
Grant applications requesting a cheque received four weeks prior to the meeting will be available for collection at the meeting. You may also 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 is now closed. If you would like to bring a poster to the meeting and save 30 (when registering after the early registration deadline), please contact Natalie Sterman on meetings@biochemistry.org or call 020 7280 4150. Please be aware that, in this case, we cannot garantee that your abstract will be printed in the programme and abstract book.
Has my abstract been accepted?
After abstract submission you should receive a unique 5 digit submission number which will identify your abstract.
If you do not receive a submission number, then please email meetings@biochemistry.org immediately.
Approximately 2 weeks after the abstract submission deadline has passed, you will receive an email informing you whether your poster has been accepted.
General poster sessions will be allocated at the meeting (12:30 - 14:00). All poster authors should stand beside their posters during these sessions.
- Poster board sizes: 2m high x 1m wide (portrait)
- All poster abstracts will be available to view online two weeks prior to the meeting.
- Velcro to mount your poster will be provided at the meeting.
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Science programme
The latest programme information can be found here.
When registering you will be provided with a programme book which will include the programme as well as the abstacts of all the speakers and poster presenters.
The lectures will take place in Lecture Theatre 2. The lectuer theatre is equiped with tables.
It is advisable for all attendees to bring a pen and paper to write on as this will not necessarily be available at the meeting.
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Lunch and refreshments
At the meeting
Lunch and refreshments will be provided for all delegates.
Dietary requirements
Should you have any special dietary requirements, please indicate this on the registration form. Alternatively, please inform Portland Custumer Services (registration@portland-services.com) before the meeting as changes to the menue cannot be made at the meeting.
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Sponsors and trade exhibition
Sponsors of the meeting:
Biochemical Society Transactions
Portland Press Ltd
Trade exhibitors at the meeting:
Fisher Scientific UK
Invitrogen UK
GE Healthcare UK
If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this meeting, please contact Natalie Sterman (meetings@biochemistry.org) for more information.
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Travelling to Bristol
Road
Bristol is at the crossroads of the M4 and M5 motorways, within easy reach of London, Birmingham, the South West and South Wales.
Map of Bristol
Visit these route planning websites for detailed journey directions:
www.rac.co.uk or www.theaa.co.uk
Bristol has a good Park & Ride scheme. There are a number of out-of-town car parks with corresponding bus services into the City Centre. Car parks are located off the following roads:
A4 Portway Bus service: 902
Long Ashton Bus service: 903
A4 Bath Road Bus service: 904
Tollgate Park & Ride Bus service: 905
For more information please visit the Bristol City Council Park & Ride website:
www.bristol-city.gov.uk/parkandride
Coach
Coaches arrive and depart from the main Bristol coach station on Marlborough Street, conveniently situated close to the City Centre - just a couple of minutes away from the Broadmead shopping complex. The University (and the School of Chemistry) is situated close to the Coach Station, up a steep hill. Some delegates may prefer to book a taxi or take another bus (see information below regarding buses).
Please note that the coach station is being redeveloped. Check with your travel company for further information, particularly if you are travelling on Sundays or at night.
You can find out more details about travelling by coach from the following websites:
www.nationalexpress.com
www.bakersdolphin.com
www.megabus.com
National Express coaches run a direct service, taking approximately 2 hours, from London Heathrow Airport to Bristol University. There is also a service from London Victoria to the University that takes approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
Rail
There are two mainline railway stations in Bristol, Temple Meads and Parkway. Temple Meads serves the city centre and Parkway the northern suburbs.
Bristol Temple Meads station is the nearest to the University (about 1 1/4 miles away). There is a busy taxi rank at the station and a choice of buses to the university (see information below regarding buses).
For more information about train timetables, routes and prices visit these websites:
www.thetrainline.co.uk
www.rail.co.uk
If travelling from or through London see www.tfl.gov.uk (Transport for London) for information on Underground and bus services.
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Travelling to Bristol by air
Air
Bristol International Airport now flies around 5 million passengers a year from a brand new terminal, with most major airlines operating into the airport. The airport is only 13 kilometres to the south of the city, situated beside the A38.
Map of Bristol International Airport
Bristol International Flyer is the only express coach link between Bristol railway station (Temple Meads), Bristol bus station and Bristol International Airport. There is a comfortable Flyer lounge at Temple Meads train station. The journey time is approximately 30 minutes. There is no need to pre book, simply pay on board.
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports. It is just 14 miles west of central London, situated next to Junction 4A of the M4 motorway or Junction 14 of the M25 (London Orbital) motorway.
There is a direct National Express Coach Service between Heathrow and Bristol. Alternatively, you can take the Heathrow Airport Express to London Paddington and from here take the train to Bristol Temple Meads.
For more information please visit London Heathrow Airport or call +44 (0) 8700 00 01 23
Some useful websites:
London Gatwick
London Stansted
Stansted Express Train
When taking any of the Express trains from any of the London airports towards the city centre, you will have to travel to Paddington station (by underground) in order to continue your journey to Bristol Temple Meads.
The Gatwick Express goes to London Victoria station. Change onto the westbound Central line for Paddington.
The Stansted Express terminates at Liverpool Street Station. From here, take either the westbound Central line or the westbound Hammersmith and City line to Paddington.
For more information on travelling in London, visit the Transport for London website.
Birmingham International Airport
The airport rail station, Birmingham International, is only a two minute ride away on the free Air-Rail Link and is served by frequent national, regional and local rail services.
Many airlines now offer very cheap flights to destinations like Bristol, such as:
Aer Lingus
British Airways
EasyJet
KLM Airlines
Ryan Air
All people coming from the US please note that there is a direct flight from New York to Bristol with Continental Airlines.
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Travelling in Bristol
Once you arrive in Bristol it's easiest to leave the car behind and walk, cycle or take public transport.
Bus & Coach
Marlborough Street Bus Station is served both by National Express and Bakers Dolphin. The megabus coaches stop at Colston Hall in the city centre.
Regional and local services are supplied by First. Bristol's open top buses offer guided commentary and a hop-on, hop-off all day service - a great way to see the city.
Marlborough Street Bus Station is situated in the centre of Bristol close to the University precinct.
To get to the University from the bus station you can
- catch the Hospital and University Shuttle Bus
- take a taxi (there is a taxi rank just outside the station)
- walk (about 10 minutes up hill). Leave the bus station via the Whitson Street exit. Turn right up Lower Maudlin Street, passing Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Childrens Hospital on your right hand side. Turn right into Upper Maudlin Street and you come into the University area further up the hill. The School of Chemistry is on Cantock's Close, off Woodland Road.
See this map for further details. (Note: map points to the location of the School of Chemistry.)
Taxis
Taxis displaying the 'Welcome Host' sign have completed a special course on attractions and places of interest in Bristol, as well as a customer care course. They also operate modern, clean vehicles.
Water
A great merchant city that made its fortune on the oceans is now a thriving modern city looking to the historic Floating Harbour for fun and relaxation.
The Bristol Ferry Boat Co. and others operate regular ferry services to and from all the waterfront attractions. It's a wonderful way to get around. Upstream the harbour joins with its source, the River Avon, and from there to the Kennet & Avon Canal and the city of Bath.
From Spring to Autumn companies such as the Bristol Packet run guided trips, some all the way into Bath. The historic steamer Balmoral and the paddlesteamer Waverley are also registered in Bristol and run occasional day excursions into the Bristol Channel. Alternatively, if you want to do it yourself hire a narrow boat and take your own time.
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Disabled access
Disabled access is available. If you require assistance, please contact the Meetings Office (meetings@biochemisty.org) in advance.
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Accommodation
Speakers will be accommodated in the Victoria Square Hotel.
Delegate accommodation is not included in the registration fee for this meeting.
Details of different types of accommodation in the Bristol area can be found by following the links below:
www.visitbristol.co.uk
www.touristnetuk.com
www.cheapaccommodation.com
www.whatsonbristol.co.uk
www.devonlink.co.uk
www.hotelnet.co.uk
Hostels:
www.yha.org.uk
www.stillwell.co.uk
www.bristolbackpackers.co.uk
There are a number of hotels within a 20 minute walk of the venue:
Travelodge, Anchor Road, Bristol, BS1 5TT
Tel: +44 (0) 870 191 1722
Holiday Inn Bristol, Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6HY
Tel: +44 (0) 117 976 9988
Brigstow Hotel, Welsh Back, Bristol, BS1 4SP
Tel: +44 (0) 117 929 1030
Jurys Bristol Hotel, Prince Street, Bristol, BS1 4QF
Tel: +44 (0) 117 923 0333
Thistle Hotel, Broad Street, Bristol, BS1 2EL
Tel: +44 (0) 870 333 9130
Berkeley Square Hotel, 15 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1HB
Tel: +44 (0) 117 254 000
The Clifton Hotel, St Pauls Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1LX
Tel: +44 (0) 117 736 882
The Rodney Hotel, 4 Rodney Place, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4HY
Tel: +44 (0) 117 973 5422
The Seeleys Hotel, 17 27 St Pauls Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1LX
Tel: +44 (0) 117 973 8544
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Social programme
A drinks reception will be held at the end of the day in the foyer of the School of Chemistry. All delegates are invited to join.
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Refunds
Cancellations will be accepted in writing until 10 days before the meeting (23 March 2006), and a refund less 15 administration charge will be issued.
After this date, neither full nor partial refunds can be given. Please note that no refunds of less than 15 can 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's 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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Contact us
If you require any further information, please contact:
The Meetings Office
Biochemical Society
Third Floor
Eagle House
16 Procter Street
London
WC1V 6NX
Telephone (Meetings Office): 020 7280 4150
Telephone (Main Reception): 020 7280 4100
Fax: 020 7280 4167
Email : meetings@biochemistry.org
www.biochemistry.org
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