The ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee will sponsor a special symposium on tuberculosis co-chaired by Clifton Barry (National Institutes of Health) and Squire Booker (Pennsylvania State University). Sessions will focus on the biochemistry of M. tuberculosis and mediators of host-pathogen interactions.

Finally, the ASBMB Education and Professional Development Committee will offer a symposium entitled “Maximizing Competitiveness During Challenging Economic Times.” This symposium, co-chaired by Peter Kennelly (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) and Suzanne Barbour (Virginia Commonwealth University), will focus on maximizing institutional effectiveness, teaching effectiveness, marketability and global outreach.

 Russell A. DeBose-Boyd (Russell.debose-boyd@utsouthwestern.edu) and Hongtao Yu (hongtao.yu@utsouthwestern.edu) are the 2012 Program Planning Committee co-chairs.