Abstract
The Northeast Regional Life Sciences Core Directors (NERLSCD) annual meeting is a forum that provides an exceptional opportunity for life sciences core facility directors and managers to network with colleagues, to learn about biotechnology advances and applications, and to discuss the challenges and results of regional implementation of shared research resources. The NERLSCD meeting was established in 2006 as a grass roots effort by core directors. The meeting was held last year at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA. The sixth annual NERLSCD meeting will be held at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, Nov. 9–11, 2011. The goal of the meeting is to facilitate regional networking and sharing of resources and to help reduce regional duplication of costly biotechnology research infrastructure. The meeting provides a structured yet informal setting for addressing the operational and technical challenges of life sciences core laboratories. There are plenary sessions, workshops and discussion forums on financial and management issues facing biotechnology core laboratories. There are technical workshops on genomics, functional genomics, proteomics, imaging, bioinformatics, bio-IT, and other technologies. A core facility poster session offers an opportunity for learning about regional life sciences shared resources and services. The number and diversity of attendees reflects the broad appeal and usefulness of this meeting for core directors at many institutions in the region. The meeting supports a diverse array of core directors and managers who play a crucial role in facilitating advances in knowledge and understanding in a wide variety of life sciences research areas. This regional networking meeting for life sciences core facility directors can serve as an example for the organization, funding, structure, and content of regional meetings for core facility directors in other regions of the United States and in other countries.