The relatively new field of systems biology has emerged to establish a bridge between molecular level information and systems level understanding. The novelty of systems biology lies in the emphasis on analyzing complexity in networked biological systems using integrative rather than reductionist approaches. By its very nature, systems biology is a highly interdisciplinary field that requires the effective integration of scientists and engineers with different technical backgrounds and the interdisciplinary training of students to meet the rapidly evolving needs of academia, industry, and government.
The Third International Conference on Foundations of Systems Biology in Engineering (FOSBE 2009) sponsored by the CACHE Corporation will address emerging challenges and opportunities in systems biology. FOSBE 2009 will take place August 9-12, 2009 at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Denver, Colorado, continuing the two-year cycle of the FOSBE conference series, with successful conferences previously held in Santa Barbara, California (August, 2005) and Stuttgart, Germany (September, 2007). It is believed that the FOSBE conference series fills an important void within system biology conference offerings, with considerably more emphasis on bioengineering approaches, interdisciplinary education, and industrial applications than larger series such as the International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB). The primary objectives of FOSBE 2009 will be to provide an in-depth review and critical assessment of the current state-of the-art, to discuss current and future needs of research, education and training, and to identify new directions, opportunities, and challenges in systems biology.
FOSBE 2009 is expected to have strong attendance from academia, industry, and government. The conference setting will provide an ideal opportunity for systems biology researchers, practitioners and policy makers to exchange ideas and establish collaborations. A large group of graduate and post-doctoral students is expected to attend the conference and present research results in the two poster sessions. A unique feature of FOSBE 2009 will be a training workshop for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, young professors and industrial researchers. The objective of the day long workshop is to provide tutorial introductions to several important areas of systems biology. One hour lectures will be given by eight leading systems biology researchers and practitioners. The workshop will be held Sunday morning and afternoon before the opening reception.
