Organiser reports favourable response to first annual RNAi event, held in London, and announces dates for second event in Amsterdam in September 2005
The first annual RNAi Europe conference and exhibition, organised by Select Conferences (18-19 October 2004, London), attracted over 160 attendees including representatives from large pharmas, biotech companies academia and technology providers.
The delegates were able to hear high quality speakers present the latest advances in technology and understanding of RNAi and its applications and potential applications in drug research and discovery.
As well as the 21 presentations, delegates were also able to view poster presentations submitted by a variety of companies and academics, visit the exhibition and make use of the networking opportunities provided by a cocktail reception and buffet lunches.
Bettina Hadrich from Qiagen, who presented at the event and also helped staff the company's stand, commented: "We are really happy with the conference, there are a lot of attendees; I think one of the best RNAi conferences in Europe definitely, and we would be happy to attend next year".
The presentations provide insight into technologies, research and applications of RNAi, most presentations provoking comments and questions from the delegates.
A highlight of the event was a presentation given by Craig Mello, co-discoverer of RNAi.
Mello, from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts presented his current RNAi work in C elegans and the use of RNAi in studying the development of cells.
"I have found the conference very interesting and also very entertaining and a good opportunity to meet the key people in the field." commented Bernd Korn, of the German Resource Centre.
The exhibition was well attended by the delegates and exhibitors were pleased with the amount and quality of delegates visiting their booths, says the organiser.
Andy Walker from MRC Gene Service commented: "we have managed to get hold of some good contacts and I think perhaps we will get some leads further down the line". The event included plenty of time for networking and viewing the exhibition.
The quality of delegates was deemed to be high with many of the key companies represented.
Michael Keller of IC-Vec found the event very interesting and said: "It was well organised and all the key players are here which is very good for networking and getting to know people and exchanging views and news".
Andre Lochter from Atugen commented on the future of RNAi technologies: "There has been hype for quite some time and we are at a crucial point, over the next couple of years to see how robust the technology is and how it will work across the board for different companies for in vivo applications.
"We have to await the first clinical data, but clearly the potential is enormous".
The general feeling among delegates was that the potential of RNAi is vast but there is still a lot of work to be done, says Select Conferences.
The 2nd annual RNAi Europe conference and exhibition will be held in Amsterdam, 28-29 September 2005
