CALL FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, GRADUATE STUDENT, AND POSTDOC ABSTRACTS - 2009 SACNAS Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting
Submission Deadline 5:00 pm (MST) Friday, August 14, 2009

Event:
The 2009 SACNAS Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting, August 28-29, 2009, will be held on the Auraria Campus in Denver Colorado.  The meeting is coordinated in conjunction with Colorado State University, Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver Otero Junior College and University of Northern Colorado, and University of Colorado Denver.

About SACNAS
SACNAS is a national membership organization that comprises community college, undergraduate and graduate students; postdocs; professors; administrators and researchers from academic, federal, and industry sectors; and precollege (K-12) educators and students from all scientific and ethnic backgrounds. The mission of SACNAS is to encourage Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue graduate education and obtain the advanced degrees necessary for science research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels.

About Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting
The first SACNAS Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting offers opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post doctoral fellows to present cutting-edge research taking place in our local scientific community. Our focus is on the development of a new generation of researchers and leaders who will be instrumental in shaping future directions and applications of scientific research.

Abstracts
SACNAS Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting is accepting abstracts for poster presentations.  Abstracts will be reviewed and selected on the basis of scientific merit, originality of research, and compliance with abstract guidelines and deadlines.  Accepted abstracts will be published in the program.  Exemplary presentations will receive recognition at the Awards Ceremony.

Poster Abstract Submission Guidelines:
Prior to submitting your abstract, be certain to have read and understood all of the following guidelines, as well as the steps for abstract submission.  All individuals are encouraged to view the SACNAS National website for the online abstract writing tutorial and resources at http://www.sacnas.org/confNew/confClient/presentationResources.asp

Overview

• All poster presentation abstracts must be submitted as an email attachment (PDF or Word format) by the submission deadline Friday, August 14, 2009 to be considered for review.
• Abstract word limit is 500 words (maximum).  Do not use tables, graphs or charts in the abstract. 
• Poster board dimensions are 8 ft (wide) by 4 ft (tall).  Posters may be smaller, but no larger than this.
• No audiovisual equipment, electrical outlets laptops, or tables are permitted for a poster presentation.

Structure

• Abstracts should include the following: hypothesis, purpose or objective (as appropriate for your discipline), methods, results/expected results, discussion and conclusion (as appropriate by discipline).
• Resources for abstract writing, poster creation, sample posters, presentation tips and more can be access at the SACNAS National website at http://www.sacnas.org/confNew/confClient/presentationResources.asp

Steps for Abstract Submission

• Register for the SACNAS Rocky Mountain Region Meeting
• Ask your Principal Investigator/advisor/research mentor to review and approve your abstract before submission.
• Prepare all the materials you need to complete your abstract submission.  The name and email address for your Principal Investigator/research mentor.
• General information about the abstract/research (abstract title and discipline) and the author (contact information, active email address, university, and education level).
• Completed abstract text including the basic abstract components (hypothesis, methods, results/expected results, discussion, and conclusion, as appropriate by discipline); an explanation of the importance of the research (stated in the introduction of the abstract); and a description of what you are doing/how research is being conducted.

Abstract Submission

• Abstracts are due by 5:00 pm (MST) Friday, August 14, 2009
• Email attachment as a MS Word or PDF, as well as copied into the body of the email
• Abstracts will be published exactly as submitted, please proof read and spell check before submitting
• All margins should be 1 inch
• 500 word maximum
• Font size 12 , font type New Roman
• Title should be capitalized, bold faced and centered
• Full names of author(s), Principal Investigator/research mentor and their departments should be listed and centered
• Educational level of student should be listed and centered
• Name of University and location of institution should be listed and centered
• Abstracts should be one paragraph and not indented

For additional information and questions contact:

Maximiliano Vallejos
CSU-SACNAS, Alumni Adviser
College of Natural Science
1801 Campus Delivery, 117 Statistics Bldg
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1801
Phone: (970) 491-2036
Fax: (970) 491-6639

Email address only for Presentation and Poster Abstract Submission: sacnas_colorado@mail.colostate.edu

Example of an abstract

CHARACTERIZATION OF SUBSTRATE ANALOGS FOR TRYPTOPHAN SYNTHASE
Maximiliano Vallejos and Michael F. Dunn, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Student
Department of Biochemistry
University of California
Riverside, California

My research concerns protein architecture, dynamics, channeling and allostery in the enzyme tryptophan synthase. This bienzyme complex catalyses the last two steps in the synthesis of L-tryptophan. These processes depend on the channeling of indole between the a- and b- subunits of this enzyme through a 25 Ã…-long tunnel. A diode array UV/Visible spectrophotometer was used to measure spectral changes that characterize the reactions of three substrate analogs at the b-site. 2-Aminophenol was found to react with the aminoacrylate form of the enzyme giving a large absorbance at l=468 nm; this finding establishes that the analog covalently reacts to give the quinonoid form of the enzyme. Concentration studies gave a dissociation constant of 3.13 mM. To examine the dependence of the structure of this analog on this reaction, the related compounds, 2-amino-4-chlorophenol and 2-amino-4-methylphenol, were investigated for the same reaction.  They also were found to react with the aminoacrylate species; however, the binding was resolved to be weaker than with 2-aminophenol. Further tests will be carried out to determine their dissociation constants.

Abstract Review Criteria
The poster presentations provide students and postdocs with opportunities to develop the professional presentation skills necessary for a scientific research career. Throughout the presentation process—from submission of the abstract through presentation at the meeting—the Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting follows SACNAS focus on creating a meaningful mentoring experience.
Whether you are presenting for the first time or a seasoned presenter, you can expect to receive constructive feedback from reviewers, mentors, and judges. Upon submission, each abstract will be reviewed by two professionals in the area of the abstract discipline. The following criteria will be used to review the abstracts; understanding the criteria may aid submitters in developing a superior abstract:

• Abstract states the purpose/objective/hypothesis clearly
• Methods/materials explained clearly
• Results and findings support the conclusions and/or expected results/direction
• Abstracts scientific content, as well as proper English grammar

(Modeled after SACNAS National Conference and McNair Scholars Program, Colorado State University - Call for Abstract)