The AVS2004 Biomaterials Interfaces Symposium

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this R13 Proposal to the NIH is to seek conference support for the program of the Biomaterial Interfaces (BI) Division at the American Vacuum Society's 51st International Symposium in Anaheim, Nov. 14 -19, 2004. The AVS is an international society dedicated to all aspects of Surface Science and has 5 Divisions, of which the BI Division is the youngest and fastest growing Division of the AVS. In this proposal, we request funds from the NIH to accomplish the following Specific Aims: (1) travel support and conference registration for junior faculty, especially under-represented minorities, women, and post-doctoral fellows and graduate students; (2) supplement the existing funds in hand to enable registration and travel support for a total of 10 invited speakers. The justification for the Biointerfaces Program at the AVS International Symposium and for its support by NIH is that there is no single organization or conference that focuses on the fundamental aspects that underlie all of (Bio)-Materials and-Interface Science In the area of Bio-interface Science, most meetings are either dominated by industry sponsored events or with meetings that are largely phenomenological in nature. In contrast, the vision of the Biomaterial Interfaces Program at the AVS is to bring together recent advances in materials science and molecular biology with sophisticated surface and interface analysis methods, and theoretical and modeling approaches to biological systems to allow predictive, model driven research, similar to the interfacial understanding that has been successfully developed for semiconductor and catalytic processes. This unique focus of the BI sessions at the AVS Symposium provides a cross-disciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of molecular level and quantitative research in Biointerface Science and we believe, therefore merits support though the R13 mechanism.