The 2011 Rustbelt RNA Meeting will be held October 21-22, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton, Ohio. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting is the major Midwest regional meeting of RNA researchers. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting was created in 1999 to address the need of RNA researchers in the Midwest for a regional meeting that includes not only faculty but also postdoctoral fellows and students (trainees). The intellectual objective of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is to provide an inexpensive, high-caliber, interdisciplinary meeting for RNA researchers in the Midwest. Novel functions beyond the classical role for RNA as a product of transcription, a template for translation, or as structural/catalytic components of spliceosomes and ribosomes are constantly being discovered. 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. Consequently, research groups need a forum where they can hear and discuss new results and techniques covering a broad range of RNA research areas that can ultimately result in furthering an individual lab's aims. The topics presented at the Rustbelt RNA Meeting are selected from the submitted abstracts.
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. Trainees account for the majority (approximately 90%) of both poster and oral presentations. 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.
2011 Rustbelt RNA Meeting (2011 RRM) The 2011 Rustbelt RNA Meeting (www.rustbeltrna.org) was held October 21-22, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dayton, Ohio. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting is the major regional meeting attended by RNA researchers located in the Midwest. The Rustbelt RNA Meeting was created in 1999 to address the need for a Midwest regional meeting that focuses on RNA research and that highlights the work of postdoctoral fellows and students (trainees). The 2011 Rustbelt RNA Meeting had 230 participants including 52 principal investigators, 37 postdoctoral fellows, 111 graduate students, and 24 undergraduate students. Attendees came from universities ranging from research intensive to primarily undergraduate institutions in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky and New York. The intellectual objective of the 2011 Rustbelt RNA Meeting was to provide an inexpensive, high-caliber, interdisciplinary meeting for RNA researchers in the Midwest. The registration fee for participants was $90, and the meeting covered the cost of the overnight accommodations for the trainees (postdoctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students). The size and agenda of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting was excellent for promoting active discussions between research groups, including those among principal investigators, principal investigators and trainees, and among trainees themselves. Also, the meeting provided research groups with a forum where trainees were exposed to the latest results and techniques covering a broad range of RNA research areas that could ultimately result in furthering an individual lab's aims. Primarily trainees gave oral and poster presentations, and they covered nearly the entire breadth of RNA biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. The applications of the research ranged from potential healthcare applications to the development of new scientific technologies. The broader impact of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting is aimed toward trainee and junior faculty development. Trainees presented all but three of the research talks this year. By allowing trainees to present their research in poster and talk formats, they gain valuable experience and confidence in presenting scientific information and are able to interact with other trainees and PIs, who can provide constructive feedback and suggestions regarding the presented research findings. The opportunity for students to present their work orally is not a major focus of many larger national and international meetings and conferences but is the primary goal of the Rustbelt RNA Meeting each year. New faculty members presented two of the talks, and a well-established researcher presented a keynote lecture. Allowing junior faculty members to present provided them an excellent forum to showcase their emerging research programs and develop new collaborations through networking with researchers from other institutions. The keynote speaker interacted extensively with trainees, who approached the podium following the lecture, providing these trainees with an exclusive opportunity to network with a leading scientist in RNA research.
