Pouring into the San Francisco Airport this past December, thousands of cell biologists (easily spotted by the poster tubes strapped to their backs) were arriving to attend the American Society for Cell Biology's (ASCB) 48th Annual Meeting. Poster tube in hand, I also made my way to the enormous Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco.

At the meeting I presented a poster on identifying physical protein interactors with the Mucolipins, a family of transmembrane proteins found in the endocytic pathway. Using the Split Ubiquitin Yeast 2-Hybrid System we have been able to perform screens for novel interactors with the aim of gaining a more detailed understanding of lysosomal trafficking events.  A more detailed understanding of these events may also prove valuable for developing treatments for patients with lysosomal storage disorders such as Mucolipidosis Type IV.

The meeting began with the undergraduate poster session, which was a great opportunity for me to meet and discuss research with other undergraduate attendees from around the world. For many, including me, the conference was our first national scientific meeting, and therefore in addition to sharing information regarding our research, we were able to share both our excitement and anxiety about what to expect in the next few days.

Throughout the five days of the meeting, I attended numerous lectures and posters on many different topics.  My favorites included endocytosis, nuclear organization, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Interacting with scientists at their posters as well as at my own was an invaluable experience -- bringing up new questions regarding my own project and discussing current research with the actual scientists conducting the experiments.

Harry Potter-themed and titled “Harry Drosophila and the Deathly Knockout”, Celldance, an ASCB film contest, was an enjoyable break between poster sessions. Fantastic images and movies submitted by scientists from all over the world were featured and judged by an ASCB panel. Included were live cell and computer generated images, as well as a film depicting mitosis using synchronized swimming.

Dr. Erin Campbell, a postdoc from my lab, and I along with some of her former colleagues, were able to explore downtown San Francisco outside of regular conference hours.  Representing institutions from all over North America, we enjoyed some of the food and nightlife that San Francisco's downtown area has to offer.

Only through the generosity of the UBRP and WISE travel funds program, and support from my lab, was it possible for me to attend the ASCB 48th Annual Meeting. Participating in the meeting has allowed me to contribute my small share to the scientific community and improve my ability to present and discuss my research. Attending the ASCB meeting was an invaluable opportunity, which has further developed my career goals and scientific interests.

Talya Lepow, UBRPer in Dr. Hanna Fares' lab, Molecular & Cellular Biology