It’s time to take the fast track to #DiscoverBMB!

Scientists’ lives are all about planning and thinking ahead. Amid grant deadlines, teaching schedules, assignment due dates, experiment planning and conferences, their calendars fill up fast. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology devised a program for scientists to fast-track their way to #DiscoverBMB 2024, society’s annual meeting, to be held March 23–26 in San Antonio.

The early-decision abstract program allows scientists at all career stages to have their abstracts evaluated right away. Submit an abstract by Oct. 12 and be notified of a decision by Nov. 1.

More than 250 researchers have taken advantage of the program in recent years.

Courtesy of Oluwaseyefunmi Adeniran

Oluwaseyefunmi Adeniran presented a poster titled "Evaluation of the antiglycation effect and AGEs-protein cross-link breakage ability of cinnamon stem-bark water extract" at Discover BMB 2023 in Seattle. See the full compendium of abstracts. 

The ASBMB originally created this program with international researchers in mind to allow them to get a jump start on the visa process, but anyone can take advantage of it.

The program helped Oluwaseyefunmi Iyabo Adeniran, a part-time lecturer of biochemistry at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in the Republic of South Africa, secure her visa as well as a travel award.

“The early-decision program helped enhance my confidence because my abstract was accepted quickly, and I did not have to sit anxiously waiting for response,” Adeniran said. “Second, getting the approval to present my work at the ASBMB annual conference gave my research more visibility. … I was able to interact with other researchers and exchange ideas. An international journal even approached me to publish the data I showed during the conference.”

Walid Houry presented a poster titled "The role of Hsp90-R2TP in ciliogenesis" at Discover BMB 2023 in Seattle. See the full compendium of abstracts.

Walid Houry, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Toronto, ASBMB publications committee member and Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board member, attends several conferences per year. He said that he takes advantage of this program to plan meetups with his friends and colleagues at Discover BMB.

The program has been heavily utilized by students, postdocs and faculty members in the U.S. It allows extra time for securing travel accommodations, time off work, child and eldercare and more.

Rebecca Roberts, a professor of biology at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, took advantage of the program to secure travel funds and encourage her undergraduate students to attend the meeting.

“I suggest that any faculty who rely on internal institutional travel awards to take advantage of the early-decision program,” Roberts said. “It makes going through the process of securing funding that much easier when you can show that your abstract already has been accepted.”

One thing to note: If you participate in the program, you'll be notified about acceptance or rejection by Nov. 1 but will not learn about the presentation format (oral or poster presentation) until January.

ASBMB members pay reduced abstract submission and registration fees. Join or renew now to secure the reduced member rates.

Courtesy of Rebecca Roberts

Rebecca Roberts presented a poster titled "The Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab (BASIL) provides a framework for learning Michaelis-Menten kinetics" at Discover BMB 2023 in Seattle. See the full compendium of abstracts.