NCSSSMST - Thursday Conference Tour's

VT Tour Biotechnology and Bioinformatics - Thursday, March 13, 2003. morning tour repeats as afternoon tour .

Fralin Biotechnology Center & VBI Tour 24 participants max!

Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Tour
Participants will visit two state-of-the-art facilities conducting cutting-edge biology research on the Virginia Tech campus:
• The Fralin Biotechnology Center at Virginia Tech is a cross-college, cross-departmental center that brings together scientists developing innovations in medicine, agriculture, environmental science, and bioinformatics. The Center has a tripartite mission of biotechnology-based research, education, and outreach. Tour participants will do a brief, hands-on biotechnology activity, tour the facility's research, teaching, and outreach labs, and meet with several scientists to hear about current advances in biotechnology research. Highlights include seeing a gene gun in action and visiting a plant growth room that houses tobacco producing human proteins.

• Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI), a Commonwealth of Virginia shared resource established at Virginia Tech in July 2000, serves as a flagship bioinformatics research institute wedding cutting-edge biological research with state-of-the-art computer science. VBI encourages research collaboration to increase the understanding of molecular, cellular, and environmental interactions that affect human health, agricultural systems, and the environment. The tour will feature the Core Laboratory Facility, which houses several microarray printers as well as large-scale DNA and protein sequencers for conducting genomics and proteomics research

VT Tour WARE Thursday, March 13, 2003. morning tour repeats as afternoon tour .

The WARE Engineering Lab
The Ware Lab is a space of about 10,000 square feet in the Military Laundry Building that was transformed into the Joseph F. Ware Jr. Advanced Engineering Laboratory, where undergraduates from all engineering departments and other colleges can design and construct their own projects. The lab, which was opened to students in 1998, hosts a computer automated design lab, a machine shop with numerically controlled machine tools, a welding shop, eight caged work bays, a project showroom, and a classroom. Current projects in the Ware Lab include the SAE Formula Car , the Steel Bridge Team, The Hokie Satellite, the Autonomous Vehicle, The Human Powered Sub Team and the Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Tour participants will see how engineering students get hands-on learning in this lab.
Tour X = 9:00am-12:00noon Tour Y = 12:30pm-4:30pm

Conference Participants will travel from Roanoke to the Virginia Tech campus for the Tour. Each tour takes 1/2 day. The tours will repeat in the afternoon. Participants may register for a morning tour or an afternoon tour - or both. Transportation will go from Roanoke to Blacksburg in the morning, again at the lunch break and return to Roanoke after the last tour. Participants are responsible for their own lunch. There are numerous places to eat.

Saturday Activities:

Science Museum of Western Virgina - We have arranged for a special discount price for all NCSSSMST conference participants. The museum has many hands-on-displays and is located inside the Center in the Square.

Lynchburg College - Claytor Nature Study Center Tour (Saturday - March 15) - limit to first 15 paid participants.