Conference Organization:
Conference Co-Chairs: Professor Frieder W. Scheller, Institute of Biochemistry & Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany (T:+49-331-977-5121; F: +49-331-977-5050; E: fschell@rz.uni-potsdam.de); Professor Christian Wandrey, Institute of Biotechnology, Research Centre Jülich, Germany (T: +49-2461-61-5557; F: +49-2461-61-3870; E: c.wandrey@fz-juelich.de); Professor Oreste Ghisalba, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland (T: +41-61-324-3084; F: +41-61-324-2103; E: oreste.ghisalba@pharma.novartis.com).

Organizing Committee
Frances H. Arnold (Division of Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA), Harvey W. Blanch (University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA), Stephen J. Benkovic (Penn State University, USA), Hak-Sung Kim (Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Taejon, SOUTH KOREA, Allen Laskin (United Engineering Foundation, NY, USA), Atsuo Tanaka (Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JAPAN), Itaru Urabe (Faculty of Engineering, Biotechnology Department, Osaka University, Osaka, JAPAN), Li Gao Xiang (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microbiology, Beijing, CHINA).

2001 Genencor Award in Enzyme Engineering
The 2001 Genencor Award in Enzyme Engineering will be presented by the chair of the 2001 Awards Committee, Prof. Maria-Regina Kula. The awardee will deliver a lecture at the conference.

Poster Presentations and Competition
Poster presentations will be an important part of the conference. Poster session I (Monday) and poster session II (Tuesday) will be held in the afternoon (before dinner). The social hour after dinner will take place in the poster area to allow a continuing informal discussion of the posters. Poster presenters are encouraged to bring a quantity of meaningful handouts concerning their poster

Each participant will receive two vote cards per poster session (best poster and second-best poster). The vote cards will be collected and tabulated. The two posters receiving the most audience votes will have an opportunity for an oral presentation (20 minutes each) in session VII (Thursday afternoon). The authors of the selected posters will be provided with any assistance they need to set up an overhead or beamer presentation using the material of their poster.

Pre-Conference Workshop
"Linking the Pharmaceutical Industry with Academia" is the title of the pre-conference workshop sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Basel, Switzerland. The Workshop will be held on Sunday afternoon, October 7 from 16:00 - 18:00. The Workshop chairs are Andreas Fischer and Andreas Wickli. No pre-registration is necessary. See attached description (an Adobe pdf file).

Workshop on New Techniques and Submission of Drafts
On Thursday afternoon, October 11 from 12:30 to 16:30 there will be a workshop on new techniques, i.e., cell-free protein synthesis, electroenzymology, catalytically active antibodies, etc. The intent of the workshop is to bring together participants who can offer interesting new techniques or interesting problems where new techniques are needed. Techniques and/or problems will be introduced to workshop participants with two to three overhead transparencies. After this short introduction, participants can discuss the topic.

Conference Abstract Book
In order to be considered as an oral or poster presentation, authors needed to declare that the material they are going to present has not been published elsewhere. In addition, authors prepared meaningful two-page abstracts that will be the basis of the abstract book distributed to conference participants. There will be no post conference proceedings book. Authors are free to publish their material - after the conference - in a journal of their choice.

United Engineering Foundation Conferences Fellowship Program
The Engineering Foundation sponsors a Conference Fellowship Program. Applicants are limited to those currently active in engineering or related professions with a direct interest in the conference topic. They must be within ten years of their first professional degree at the time their applications submitted. The stipend is sufficient to cover the conference registration fee and on-site room and board. Transportation expenses are not included. Application information may be obtained from the WWW or by fax from the Foundation (1-212-591-7441) and must be submitted by July 15, 2001.

United Engineering Foundation Conferences
The United Engineering Foundation Conferences program was established in 1962 to provide an opportunity for the exploration of problems and issues of concern to engineers, scientists and researchers from many disciplines. The format of the week-long conference provides morning and evening sessions in which major presentations are made. Available time is included during the afternoons for ad hoc meetings, informal discussions, and/or recreation, and is designed to enhance rapport among participants and promote dialogue on the developments of the meeting. We believe the conferences have been instrumental in generating ideas and disseminating information to a greater extent than is possible through more conventional forums. All participants are expected both to attend the entire conference and to contribute actively to the discussions. The recording of lectures and presentations is forbidden. As Engineering Foundation conferences take place in an informal atmosphere, casual clothing is the usual attire.

Potsdam is one of the cradles of Romanticism. In their desire to complement natural beauty with art, the Hohenzollern kings of the 18^th and 19^th centuries had their garden architects create a series of parks and gardens and adorn them in the taste of the time. As a result, Potsdam is surrounded by landscaped parks planted with great varieties of trees and other flora.

Because of Frederick the Great, a patron of the arts and a man of letters, Potsdam is considered to the Versailles of Germany. Sanssouci ("without a care") and the Neues Palais are two of the prestigious monuments for which he is responsible. Sanssouci Park, a UNESCO World-Heritage Site, is a 740-acre park that contains various palaces and pavilions. This huge complex combining architecture with the landscape is the best example of its kind in Germany. Sanssouci Palace is one of the treasures of Europe, extravagantly Rococo, with scarcely a patch of wall left unadorned. One of its guest rooms was reserved exclusively for Voltaire. Johann Sebastian Bach was also a frequent visitor.

Neues Palais is much larger (200 rooms) and grander than Sanssouci. A summer residence of the royal family, it has an indoor grotto hall, a Jules Verne-like extravaganza of walls and columns set with shells, coral, and other aquatic decoration. Another palace on the Sanssouci grounds is Schloss Charlottehof with its classical, almost Roman appearance. Near Charlottehof are the Roman Baths (1836) and a Chinese Teahouse.

The town itself retains its historic imperial character. Nikolaikirche, a Baroque church; an Egyptian obelisk; and the former city hall surround the central market square, Alter Markt. Along the adjacent streets are handsome restored burghers' houses. The Wasserwerk is an unusual building, resembling a mosque, complete with minarets. It is a pumping station, which supplies water to the fountains, pools and cascades in Sanssouci Park.

The Albert Einstein Science Center is open to visitors on weekends. The restored Einstein Tower has been declared a technical monument, a major example of expressionist architecture. It was used by Einstein for experiments to provide practical evidence of his theory of relativity and still serves as a solar observatory today. history.

More information on Potsdam can be found at www.potsdam.de

Note: The National Horticulture Show of the Federal Republic of Germany is being held in Potsdam and ends on October 7. Those arriving early would have the opportunity to visit this interesting show. For more information, the website is www.bugapotsdam2001.de/index_cont.html

Conference Excursion to Berlin: There will be an optional excursion to Berlin on Wednesday afternoon, October 10. We are hoping to schedule a tour through the old and new building of the German parliament ("Reichstag"). The glass dome ("Glaskuppel") of the Reichstag is a famous architectural construction and quite impressive.

More information on Berlin can be found at
www.berlin.de
www.europe-travel-guide.com/27/Germany_Berlin_index.htm;
http://travel.excite.com/show/?loc=14209;
www.berlin-info.de/index_e.html;
www.net4berlin.com/Berlin_ScenesZones.e.html;
www.net4berlin.com/about_Berlin.e.html

Seminaris Seehotel, Potsdam
The conference will be held at the Seminaris Seehotel Potsdam, An der Pirschneide 40, D-14471 Potsdam, Germany (www.seminaris.de). All room reservations for conference participants will be made through the United Engineering Foundation.

The hotel (225 rooms) is on the outskirts of Potsdam, directly on Lake Templiner. All rooms have shower/bath, WC, hairdryer, desk, telephone with fax and computer/modem connection, satellite television, radio and minibar. There are some non-smoking rooms available. Parking is available. There is a business office with photocopy and fax services. There is a fitness and wellness area with a swimming pool, Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, solariums, and bowling/game center. There are bicycles for hire. Outside there are walking and jogging routes, playground for badminton, volleyball and basketball; rowing, sailing, surfing, and fishing.

Transportation to Potsdam
By air:
Three airports (Tegel, Schoenefeld, and Tempelhof) are all within 50 km of the hotel.
For those coming from the United States, it is well worth considering the direct Lufthansa/United Airlines flight from Washington, DC to Berlin-Tegel.
There is a taxi shuttle service (DM 70 one way) available if one books it in advance through the hotel. Please see attached transportation form (an Adobe pdf file). This service is recommended as the taxi fare is approximately DM 120. Public transport is also available but there are three changes by the time you reach the hotel.

By train:
Those coming from Berlin by train would exit at the Potsdam-Pirscheide station (800 meters from the hotel).

By auto:
By auto take the A10 Berliner Ring, exit Gross-Kreutz, on road B1 to Potsdam.

*Early bird special for those who register before September 1, 2001. These conference fees are:
Participant (Sharing room with another participant) US$1165
Participant (Single room or sharing with guest) US$1285
Local Participant - No Hotel US$ 925
Bona fide Graduate Students US$ 770
Local Graduate Student - No hotel US$ 500

For those who register after September 1, 2001. These conference fees are:
Participant (Sharing room with another participant) US$1265
Participant (Single room or sharing with guest) US$1385
Local Participant - No Hotel US$1025
Bona fide Graduate Students US$ 870
Local Graduate Student - No hotel US$ 600

Fees for # guest*** sharing room with participant:
Room, reception and many meals (eaten with conferees) US$ 520

*Fax us your registration form. Payment need not accompany registration but must be received by September 1, 2001.
** Graduate students must include proof of status with registration (photocopy of current ID card is acceptable)
# Participant bringing a guest must pay participant single room price plus guest price.
*** Guests are not permitted to attend conference sessions or discussion groups.

For further information, please contact:

ALL PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND INVITED SPEAKERS) ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER.

Please send us your registration form as soon as possible.

All participants are required to complete and return the enclosed registration form and payment information form (an Adobe pdf file) by September 1, 2001. There is a discounted price for registering before this date and, in addition, we cannot guarantee hotel space for any registrations received after this date.

All conference payments must be received by September 15, 2001. We can only guarantee you a room at the hotel if payment for the conference has been received by this date. ROOM RESERVATIONS WILL BE NOT MADE WITHOUT PREPAYMENT, PURCHASE ORDER, OR SIGNED ORGANIZATIONAL PLEDGE OF PAYMENT.

Because of contractual obligations made with the hotel for room and meal functions, no shows, late arrivals, missed meals and early departures cannot receive fee adjustments.

The Foundation will reserve your accomodations for the conference period. If you wish to guarantee pre or post conference accomodations see attached
Pre and Post Conference Reservation Request Form (An Adobe pdf file)

Payment must be made by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars, payable to the UNITED ENGINEERING FOUNDATION. Checks or money orders in any other currencies are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Payment is to be sent to:

WIRE TRANSFER PAYMENT INFORMATION:

Account Name: Bank: ABA: BIC: Account Number:

United Engineering Foundation Chase Manhattan Bank Midtown East Region 111 West 40th Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10018 021-0000-21 CHASUS33 014-1-141929

Important: To help UEF track the receipt of your wire transfer internally and credit your payment, we ask you to send a brief message (email, fax or with registration card/payment information form) with the following information:
  1. your name and organization
  2. date the payment was made
  3. name of bank from which you made the wire transfer payment
  4. wire transfer reference number
  5. total payment amount
  6. specific reference about the payment (i.e. invoice number, conference title)
OR fax a copy of your actual wire transfer to our office

Cancellation Policy: Cancellation must be received in writing at least two weeks prior to the start of the conference in order for a full refund to be issued. Cancellations received thereafter are subject to a $200 cancellation fee and any direct expenses incurred by the Foundation. A transfer of registration may be made at any time.

If you have a disability and may require accommodation in order to participate fully in this conference, please make a note on the registration card. A Foundation representative will contact you to discuss your specific needs.

If you have special dietary requirements (e.g., vegetarian or a food allergy), please make a note on your registration card. The chef needs to know this information in advance if we are to accommodate you.

Should you have specific questions regarding your registration, please contact Donna Milone at the United Engineering Foundation at 1-212-591-7836. You may also send your questions by fax (1-212-591-7441) or e-mail (engfnd@aol.com).

Information on United Engineering Foundation Conferences can be found on the UEF web site: http://www.engfnd.org

For further information, please contact: