Intellectual Merit. The 2012 Rustbelt RNA Meeting will be held October 19-20, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton, Ohio. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting is the major Midwest regional meeting of RNA researchers. The intellectual objective of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is to provide an inexpensive, high-caliber, interdisciplinary meeting for RNA researchers in the Midwest. The field of RNA structure, function, and processing is growing at a rapid pace. RNA now has a demonstrated role in many important biological phenomena, such as carcinogenesis and development. Exciting new research areas, for example, to find functions for long noncoding RNAs, are bursting with new information that reaches into unexpected areas of cellular biochemistry. These functions are well beyond the obvious prominent role for RNA as a product of transcription, a template for translation, or as structural/catalytic components of spliceosomes and ribosomes. At the same time, the methods used to study RNA are becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from synthetic and physical chemistry to biochemistry, genetics, and biophysical approaches all the way to cellular imaging and computational methods. Exchange of information on topics such as these offers an excellent opportunity for improving understanding of basic mechanisms of gene expression mediated by RNA.
Broader Impacts. The broader impact of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is in trainee and junior faculty development. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting strongly emphasizes trainee participation. One major feature of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is the participation of graduate and undergraduate students from a wide range of institutions (from large research-intensive universities to small, primarily undergraduate colleges). In addition to offering opportunities for interactions with principal investigators and other trainees, the Rustbelt RNA Meeting provides invaluable experience for trainees to present their research in an educational and supportive atmosphere. Importantly, trainees account for the majority of both poster and oral presentations. Such presentations instill confidence in the trainees and inspire trainees in the audience to present their results orally in the future. Students feel more comfortable to ask questions when the speaker is a fellow student. The smaller size of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting also benefits trainee presenters because of the greater attention paid to them by principal investigators. To encourage top-notch presentations, prizes are awarded for outstanding oral and poster presentations. Finally, the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is an excellent forum for junior investigators to network as well as to showcase their emerging research programs and develop new collaborations.
Rustbelt RNA Meeting 2012 The Rustbelt RNA Meeting 2012 (RRM2012) was held October 19-20, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dayton, Ohio. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting (www.rustbeltrna.org) is the premier regional meeting for RNA researchers located in the Midwest. The Rustbelt RNA Meetings began in 1998 with sixty-seven participants with a primary focus on student and postdoctoral trainees. Maintaining this tradition, RRM2012 had 183 participants: 34 principal investigators (PIs), 34 postdoctoral fellows, 114 graduate students, and 11 undergraduate students. These participants were drawn from large and small research intensive universities (such as The Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon University) to primarily undergraduate institutions (such as Denison University) across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky. The intellectual merit of RRM2012 was that is served as a platform for state-of the-art, interdisciplinary RNA research in the Midwest region presented by students and trainees. The relatively inexpensive registration fee of $90 covered the cost of overnight accommodations and food for the trainees (postdoctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students). Although smaller than larger national meetings, RRM2012 provided a comparable atmosphere with the format and size even more conducive to fostering discussions and collaborations between research groups. The meeting provided a forum where trainees themselves presented results from ongoing research projects. Through these presentations, all participants were informed of the latest results and techniques that encompass a broad range of RNA research areas. Presentations – both oral and in poster formats – were primarily by trainees, and these covered the spectrum of chemical, biochemical, biological and even computational research relating to RNA. Given the significance of RNA in the regulation and function of cells and living organisms, this research has direct implications in the development of new scientific methods and technologies with potential applications for health and human wellness. The broader impact of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is that it tremendously enables trainee and junior faculty development. All but three of the talks were presented by trainees. Research presentations by trainees – through talks as well as posters that are discussed in person with other participants - provided valuable experience and confidence in presenting scientific information. Besides being able to disseminate research results, trainees are able to interact with peers and PIs, who can provide constructive feedback and suggestions on the research. Such opportunities for students to present their work, particularly in oral presentations is not a major focus of larger national and international conferences but remains the primary goal of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting. Two talks were presented by new faculty members who could showcase their emerging research programs and engage with the regional community of researchers. The invited keynote speaker provided the trainees an opportunity to listen to and directly interact with a distinguished researcher.
