Forensica 2008
Week of forensic genetics in the heart of Europe
April 25 - 26, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic
 
Topics - Speakers - Workshops
Registration
Organizers
Venue and time of conference
Sponsors
Social program
Abstract submission and Poster Presentation
Contact details
Accommodation and travel information
Important deadlines
Students
Workshop "DNA Typing of Bone Samples"
 
 
Topics - Speakers - Workshops
Scientific programme 


Speakers will include:

Dr. Frederick R. Bieber
(Harvard Medical School, MA, USA) "Identification of Criminal Suspects using Familial Searching of DNA Data Banks"
Dr.Hermann Schmitter
(Bundeskriminalamt, Germany) "Individualization of Traces of Human Origin - The Past and the Future"
Dr. Bruce Jackson (University of Massachusetts, USA) “Genetic Diversity among Major Ethnic Groups in West Africa and its Relationship to Tracing the Lineages of Americans of African Descent”
Dr.Damir Marjanovič (INGEB, Laboratory for forensic genetics, Sarajevo, BiH) “DNA Identification of Skeletal Remains from the Second World War“
Dr. Richard Tanton (U.S. Department of Justice, ICITAP, Washington D.C., USA) "Building Forensics in Kosovo"
Dr. Andreas Hellmann (Bundeskriminalamt, Germany) “DNA typing of animal and plant traces in forensic casework”


Conference Topics:
A
ncient and Degraded DNA
Archeogenetics
Accreditation of Forensic Laboratories
Crime Scene DNA Sampling
Laboratory Automation
Advanced Methods in Molecular Biology
Forensic Microbiology

Company Workshops:
Applied Biosystems - GeneMapper® ID-X – Next Generation Forensic Data Analysis Software and Expert System
Copan Innovation - Flocked Swabs, a New State of the Art for Forensic DNA applications
Eppendorf - Automated DNA Extraction of forensic samples with the epMotion 5075 liquid handling workstation
Invitrogen - Automated Nucleic Acid Purification for Forensic Applications with the iPrep™ Purification Instrument
Bode Technology - Collection of Data, references and Evidence from Crime Scenes
 
Registration
The conference FORENSICA 2008 is a flash point of the Week of forensic genetics in Prague:

 

Event

Date

Place

Participants

CODIS users meeting

April 22, 2008

Hotel Diplomat

CODIS users only

EDNAP

(European DNA Profiling Group)

April 22, 2008

Hotel Diplomat

EDNAP members only

ENFSI DNA WG

April 23-24, 2008

Hotel Diplomat

ENFSI DNA Working Group members only

Workshop

DNA typing of bone samples

April 24, 2008

Hotel Diplomat

Registered participants

(for more details please see the  workshop webpage)

Forensica 2008

April 25 – 26, 2008

Hotel Diplomat

Registered participants


Please register separately  for the Forensica 2008 conference and for the Workshop on DNA Typing of Bone Samples

Registration fees

The registration fee covers admission to the conference, the conference materials, coffee breaks and lunches during the conference and social evening program on Friday, April 25.

All fees are payable in Czech Crowns (CZK) only. The prefered method of payment is by credit card. The payment system uses the most secure on-line system available and is accesible after your registration and subsequent login with your unique registration number and personal password.

However other methods like wire-transfer are also available.
When using wire-transfer please remit to:
Bank: Volksbank CZ, a.s., Account #: 4200101787/6800, IBAN: CZ80 6800 0000 0042 0010 1787, SWIFT: VBOECZ2X
Bank address: Strossmayerovo náměstí 11/966, Praha 7, 17000 Praha 7, Czech Republic
Account holder: Československá společnost pro forenzní genetiku, Nad Štolou 18, 170 00 Praha 7, Czech Republic
Address: Please add your registration number (102XXXXX) for  your payment identification.
All bank transfer fees MUST be paid by participants.

Early Registration
The deadline for receipt of early registrations at reduced rates is March 16, 2008. Registrations received after this date will be accepted at the higher fees. There will be no exception to the Early and subsequent Standard registration deadlines. The reduced registration fee is only applicable, if it has been credited to the congress account before the deadline. Registering before March 16, 2008 without performing the actual payment is not sufficient to benefit from the reduction.

The on-line registration will close on the evening of Sunday, April 6, 2008  but on-site registration will also be available at the meeting. Please note that on-site registration fees are higher. There will be no refund of the registration fee towards the cancelation received after the April 6, 2008 deadline.

 

Early bird

(before March 16)

Standard

(before April 6)

On-site

(after April 6)

Regular participant

6000 CZK (220 EUR approx.)

7400 CZK (270 EUR approx.)

8200 CZK (300 EUR approx.)

CSSFG member

3000 CZK (110 EUR approx)

3600 CZK (130 EUR approx.)

4100 CZK (150 EUR approx.)

Student

3000 CZK (110 EUR approx)

3600 CZK (130 EUR approx.)

4100 CZK (150 EUR approx.)

Group (5 and more participants)

5500 CZK each participant (202 EUR each approx.)

6600 CZK (240 EUR each approx.)

7400 CZK (270 EUR each approx.)

One day student / CSSFG member registration fee

2000 CZK (74 EUR approx.)

2400 CZK (88 EUR approx.)

2700 CZK (99 EUR appro.)

One day regular registration fee

4000 CZK (148 EUR approx.)

4900 CZK (180 EUR approx.)

5500 CZK (202 EUR approx.)

Workshop

DNA typing of bone samples

7300 CZK (270 EUR approx)  deadline  for wokshop is April 15

For registration to workshop
after April 15 please contact organizers


The reduced group registration fee (groups of 5 and more people) is available only for the participants who are not students or members of Czechoslovak Society for Forensic Genetics. For detailed information how to pay the group fee please contact us by email forensica@dna.com.cz

Students are asked to send a scanned copy of their ISIC card or another document confirming their status to the email address forensica@dna.com.cz


 
Organizers
The conference is organized by the Czechoslovak Society for Forensic Genetics

Conference president: Dr. Daniel VANEK
Organizing Committee: 
Vlastimil Stenzl, Martina Vokurkova-Chocova, Tomas Capal, Marketa Zachova, RNDr. Jana Hajkova, Jiří Mysinsky, Hana Kolarikova, Alois Loučka, Eda Ehler, Richard Marvan, Lenka Saskova, Halina Simkova, Tomas Pexa, Martin Pospisek
Offical language: English
Technical support: Biologicals

 
Venue and time of conference

The conference will be held in Prague, one of the most beautiful towns in Europe, in the end of April, when tourists can hardly distinguish between the visit of hundreds of Prague historical monuments and the parks full of blossoming trees. Please visit the Prague official website or one of many unofficial for more information.

Diplomat Hotel****Prague 
is located on the very edge of Prague´s historic centre; it takes only 10 minutes to get there from the City Airport. Close to the Prague Castle, the hotel is surrounded mainly by diplomatic residences. There are 398 standard/superior rooms and suites.


The spacious Conference Centre with its 22 rooms can accommodate up to 1050 persons and provides state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, multimedia equipment, electronic navigation system and facilities for simultaneous interpreting.

During the conference Forensica 2008 the WIFI Internet access will be available in foyer
.

 
Sponsors

FORENSICA 2008 will hold an exhibition where industrials of biomedical equipment and pharmaceutical companies, publishers as well as other professionals will be given opportunities for advertising. The exhibition area will be set up close to the Coffee-points and to the Hall of posters so that a permanent contact is kept between the delegates and the exhibitors. Moreover, sponsored scientific sessions including lectures and workshops are planned. Sponsors can have the advantage of different choices which are detailed in sponsorship guidelines, available upon request from Dr. Daniel Vanek daniel.vanek@DNA.com.cz.

Gold sponsor



 
Silver sponsor

Silver sponsor

   
 
 
   
     
     

 
Social program

Thursday evening, April 24 – Guided tour (Prague at Night - Vltava River  Cruise)
Friday evening April 25, Prague Castle, Rudolph‘s foundry – Vikarka

 
Abstract submission and Poster Presentation
Abstract submission deadline – April 6, 2008

It is acceptable to submit more than one abstract. Each abstract is limited to 1500 characters including spaces and has to be written in English. Abstract should include aim, methods, results and conclusion of the study in a single paragraph. Abstract can be presented as a poster or spoken presentation.  However, since the number of spoken presentations is limited, Program Committee will select the abstracts to be accepted for spoken presentations. Authors wishing to be considered for a spoken presentation should choose the appropriate box during abstract submission. You can submit your abstract on-line through the standard registration form during registration or any time after registration using your login No. and password.

Review of Abstracts
The Program Committee will review all abstracts in full confidentiality with the aid of ad hoc reviewers. The Committee reserves the right to decline presentation of any abstract devoid of scientific content or merit or merely announcing the availability of a resource or service. Authors will be notified by the end of March whether their abstract has been accepted and, where relevant, whether it has been selected for spoken presentation.

Posters
Posters will be possible to place in the conference room Prague D from Thursday, 24.April. The size of the poster boards is 85 x 120 cm. The maximum recommended poster size is A0 formate. Pins for poster mounting will be available at the poster area and the registration desk.

 
Contact details
Conference president
Dr. Daniel VANEK (daniel.vanek@DNA.com.cz)
 
Organizing Committee
e-mail: forensica@DNA.com.cz
GSM hotline: +420731503250
Tel/fax: +420233931123
Czechoslovak Society for Forensic Genetics
P.O.Box 16
Nad Štolou 18
170 00 Prague 7, Czech Republic

 
Accommodation and travel information

Please fill in the accommodation form and send it by e-mail or fax to Teris, a.s.  (www.teris.cz , TERIS, a.s., Štětkova 18, 140 68  Prague 4, Phone: + 420 261 210 325, fax: + 420 261 218 992, e-mail: teris@teris.cz). Please send a copy to Forensica 2008 organizers as well (Czechoslovak Society for Forensic Genetics, Dr. Daniel Vanek (forensica@DNA.com.cz), GSM hotline: +420731503250, Tel/fax: +420233931123)
Teris agency can guarantee free rooms in the Diplomat hotel only until February 21. After this date please arrange the accommodation in the Diplomat Hotel individually using the on-line booking form at the Diplomat Hotel web page. However other hotels offered by Teris will be still available.

 
Important deadlines
Organizers are pleased to announce prolonged deadlines for early bird registration and abstract submission!

Early bird registration and payment deadline - March 16, 2008
Abstract submission deadline - April 6, 2008
Standard fee registration and payment deadline - April 6, 2008
Workshop on
DNA Typing of Bone Samples registration and payment deadline - April 15, 2008
 
Students
CSSFG encourages all students to actively participate in a conference programme. Therefore, postdoctoral fellows and students working toward a degree in forensic genetics, molecular biology and anthropology, molecular and cellular medicine, law or an allied field qualify for the higly reduced student registration fee. Students are asked to send a scanned copy of their ISIC card or another document confirming their status to the email address forensica@dna.com.cz
 
Workshop "DNA Typing of Bone Samples"
The whole working day workshop will focus in details on all areas of DNA typing of bone samples, inc. specimen documentation, laboratory set-up, sample cleaning and preparation, removal of inhibitors, extraction techniques, mini-STR systems and evaluation of results. The number of participants is limited. The workshop has its own webpage and separate registration and payment system.