The University of Nevada, Reno is hosting the first-ever Sierra Systems and Synbio Symposium. It provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to present and learn about research in the field of systems biology and synthetic biology.

"It is a really exciting opportunity for undergraduate students," Veronica Zepeda, a lecturer in the Biochemical and Molecular Biology department, said. "In addition to the projects they develop, it gives them the chance to network and even collaborate with other students and professors from different universities."

Students from universities and colleges in northern Nevada and northern California are invited to the two-day symposium Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30. The event is being co-organized by Zepeda, as well as faculty from the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley.

Individual students and student research teams are invited to submit an abstract for the event. To make the symposium accessible to students, there is no cost for registration, meals or lodging. Lodging will be provided by the Whitney Peak Hotel.

"A lot of times students, especially undergraduate students, do not have the funds to travel to a scientific conference," Zepeda said. "We wanted to invite students from schools that are close by and provide them the opportunity to attend a conference that is cost effective."

The first day of the event will be held in the Joe Crowley Student Union. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the day will include presentations by students, a keynote speaker and a workshop to help prepare students to apply to graduate school. The second day will be held in the lobby of the Center for Molecular Medicine Building with poster sessions and a closing ceremony which will end at noon.

The symposium is being sponsored and funded by the University's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, the College of Science, UCSF Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, Synberc and the RNA Center for Systems Biology.

"Both the College of Science and the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources have been very supportive," Zepeda said. "The deans are excited about promoting undergraduate research both here and in the scientific community."