Venter to give keynote speech at 2012 ARVO Annual Meeting

February 9th, 2012

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology is pleased to welcome J. Craig Venter as the keynote speaker at the opening session of ARVO 2012 on Sunday, May 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Venter's presentation is entitled "From Reading to Writing the Genetic Code."

Venter is regarded as one of the 21st century's leading scientists. His numerous contributions to genomic research include publication of the first draft human genome in 2001, the first complete diploid human genome in 2007 and the creation of the first self-replicating bacterial cell constructed entirely with synthetic DNA.

He is founder, chairman and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit organization with approximately 300 scientists and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant, synthetic and environmental genomic research, and the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics.

He is also founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Inc., a privately held company developing and applying genomic-driven commercial solutions to markets including biofuels, biochemicals and new bio-based food products.

Some 12,000 researchers from 80 countries are expected to attend the five-day ARVO Annual Meeting, the largest eye and vision research meeting in the world. The theme of the 2012 meeting is "Translational Research: Seeing the Possibilities." The meeting features more than 6,000 pieces of research, which are presented as posters, papers, lectures, symposia and workshops.

"ARVO is excited to host Dr. Venter as our keynote speaker," said ARVO President Jeffrey Boatright, PhD, FARVO (Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.). "His career demonstrates the very essence of translational research, as he and his team performed the fundamental work of sequencing the human genome and are now applying their findings and creating solutions to everyday challenges in human health, energy and the environment.

"Our meeting attendees are looking forward to hearing his story and the insights he can share about bridging the gap between the lab and everyday life."

Program details and registration information are available at www.arvo.org/am.

Provided by Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology