About Us | Press Releases | 2005 | February 9

The BIO IT COALITION ANNOUNCES ITS 4 th ANNUAL EVENT: SEQUENCING THE GENOME: CREATING AN INDUSTRY AND A WORKFORCE - APRIL 26, 2005 AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

The BIO IT Coalition will present its 4th Annual Spring Event--- Sequencing the Genome: Creating an Industry and a Workforce, on April 26, 2005. This three-part program, starting at 10:00am consists of a BIO IT Job/Career Fair, an awards ceremony, including an award to the BioEntrepreneur of the year in the DC region; and in the evening, a world premiere performance of The Sequence , an original play about the story of the race to crack the code of life.

Those interested in what has been estimated to be one of the best growth industries in the world - the life sciences industry- are encouraged to take part in the Job/ Career Fair. "We have a solid program set for April 26. The career fair will add tremendous value for companies looking for qualified workers and for potential employees, those starting their careers as well as the more seasoned professionals," said Steve Mandell, a partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP and the chairman of the Coalition. "We have an excellent line-up of events for the day and a strong partner in GMU." He added, "The play is the story of the industry and how it has developed, and how it should continue to develop." The Sequence was originally commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The play will be performed and produced in conjunction with GMU's Theatre of the First Amendment.

Paul Mullin, the award-winning playwright of The Sequence , will be on hand April 26 to discuss the play. He commented about the merger of art and science, and the ethics of leaving science to the scientists. "Sometimes I think of art and science as two siblings that used to share a room and now, as grown ups, barely talk to each other. Too often creative writers bungle or blithely gloss over the science inherent in their stories. It's no wonder depictions of science are viewed with such disdain by the scientific community. But that said, I think it's equally important to point out that scientists have dropped the ball as well - especially when it comes to explaining just how important what they do is to the world of normal folks." " Every time someone talks about evolution as 'just a theory', I want to say, 'Fine, then you won't mind if we withhold every medical advance, discovered under the rubric of that theory, from you and your family, will you?' It's time for the children in the family of human knowledge to get back in the same room and hash out our differences, before the advances being made outstrip our ability as a democracy to deal with them intelligently and morally." There will be a discussion with Paul Mullin and a reception after the play on the evening of April 26

Current sponsors of the event include George Mason University, Pepper Hamilton LLP and Sage Communications.

About the BIO IT Coalition - The BIO IT Coalition advocates the growth of the life sciences industry through the development and use of information technology tools. The Coalition achieves this through its events, monthly meetings and communications, and by providing valuable opportunities for education, networking, and the formation of strategic alliances.