The Genentech Center for the History of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Biotechnology: Past, Present & Future
September 21 - 23, 2008
Registration Deadline: September 12, 2008
Abstracts are not required or being accepted for this meeting

Organizers:
Mila Pollock & Jan Witkowski, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Advisors:
Sydney Brenner, Peter Feinstein, Walter Gilbert,
Lee Hood, Tom Maniatis & Richard Roberts

We are pleased to announce a special Cold Spring Harbor meeting on Biotechnology: Past, Present & Future supported by the Laboratory's Genentech Center for the History of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology which will begin at 7:30 pm on Sunday, September 21 and end in the late afternoon of Tuesday, September 23, 2008.

Biotechnology is a science that dates back to the fermentation and breeding practices of the ancient Egyptians. The discoveries of Pasteur and Mendel in the 19th century furthered this scientific field. Today we recognize the developments of the latter part of the 20th century as the origins of the modern Biotechnology era. The application of recombinant DNA technologies sparked the “Biotech Revolution” and ushered in the rapid growth of a new industry. At this conference we will have a unique opportunity to study the growth of a new industry from its creation to the extraordinary impact it has had on our quality of life. We will hear prominent industry participants examine how the scientific and business worlds came together and how they will continue to impact the industry’s future. These scientists, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, all of whom were essential to the industry’s growth, will be joined by the sociologists, economists and historians who have analyzed the extraordinary impact the products of the biotech industry have had on our lives.

Sunday 21 September (6.00pm)
Arrival Reception Dinner

Session I: Origins of Biotechnology (7.30pm)
Keynote Address: Sydney Brenner
Biotechnology: past, present and future

Keynote Address: Robert Bud
Prehistory, from ancient times to 1970

Keynote Address: Stelios Papadopoulos
Financial challenges of the biotech industry in the past present and future

Monday 22 September
Session II: Early Days in Biotechnology (9.00am)

Ron Cape - Early days at Cetus
Charles Weissmann – Early days at Biogen
Herbert Heyneker – Early days at Genentech

Session III: Developing Technology

Lee Hood
Instrumentation and technology companies

Don Comb
Role of support companies

Maryann Feldman
The commercialization of academic research

Lunch

Session IV: Interactions of Biotechnology and Society (2:00 p.m.)

Robert Steinbrook
Influence of government policies

Alan McHughen
Influence of public: Genetically-modified organisms

John Leamon
DNA sequencing and personal genomes

Session V: The Raw Data: Biotechnology Documentation (4:00 pm)

Kenneth Thibodeau
How to preserve and catalog electronic data

Panel Discussion: The preservation of, and access to, the documents of Biotechnology

Cocktails

Dinner

Tuesday 23 September
Session VI: Lessons for the Future (9:00 am)

Christoph Westphal
Starting a biotech company in the 21st Century

Yuk-Lam Lo
Emerging markets: perspective from China

Marc Van Montagu
Plant biotechnology: economics and the developing world

Session VII: Not Forgetting - Promoting the History of Biotechnology

Panel Discussion

Lunch (12:00 pm)

We look forward to seeing you at Cold Spring Harbor in September.

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Regular packages are all inclusive and cover registration, food, housing, parking, wine-and-cheese party, lobster banquet, etc. No Housing packages include all costs except housing. Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the meeting.