Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo to Provide Lessons in Technology for the Life Sciences; Bio-IT Industry Experts Will Reveal Proven Strategies, Real-World Implementations.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BioITWorld Boston 2003

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 2003

IDG World Expo, the leading producer of world-class tradeshows, conferences and events for IT markets, today announced the complete conference program for the upcoming Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo, taking place at Boston's Hynes Convention Center March 25-27, 2003. The Bio-ITWorld conference program will provide a unique educational forum for life science professionals to learn first-hand how the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations utilize technologies to speed, store, analyze and interpret the flood of information being produced in the post-genomic era.

Bio-ITWorld begins with half-day workshops on Tuesday, March 25 that provide in-depth training on key products and technologies. Taught by experts in their respective fields, workshop topics range from "Integrating Visualization and Data Mining for Biomolecular and Medical Informatics" to "Knowledge Management: Bridging Biology & Information Technology," and from "IT Solutions for Accessing and Analyzing Proteomic Data" to "Defining Winning Strategies in R&D Informatics."

The Bio-ITWorld conference program includes four tracks, each featuring case studies to illustrate how technology is advancing life sciences. Conference tracks include:

-- Technology Infrastructure & Applications

-- Computational Solutions for Life Science Problems

-- Knowledge Discovery and Management

-- Business and Operations in Life Sciences IT

Featured as part of the conference program are a case study presentation by the Mayo Clinic; a Novartis case study on knowledge management, a high-performance computing case study from Indiana University, and Linux case studies from Tularik and from Berkeley National Laboratory. Conference attendees also have an opportunity to learn about Biogen's small molecule research strategy, and get an update from Whitehead/MIT Center for Genome Research on the progress of the I3C.

IDG World Expo has also added two, half-day scientific symposia to Bio-ITWorld. The E-Clinical Trials Symposium will feature prominent scientists discussing the technologies which are paving the way to more efficient drug trials, decision-making strategies and the state of the clinical trial management systems marketplace. Co-organized by Bio-IT World magazine, the E-Clinical Trials Symposium will take place on March 25 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

The Post-Genomic Frontiers Symposium, also taking place on March 25 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., will feature prominent scientists discussing the technologies that are paving the way to a better understanding of human health and disease. Co-organized by Bio-IT World magazine, the Post-Genomic Frontiers Symposium will offer a panoramic view of the scientific advances and technologies that will shape the future of biomedical research and drug discovery. Leading scientists will illustrate how knowledge of the genome and a stream of new technology is being applied in fields such as pharmacogenomics, proteomics, chemical biology and systems biology.

IDG World Expo will also debut the Bio-ITWorld Luminary Forum for the upcoming event, taking place on Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27. Participating attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet and network face-to-face with Bio-ITWorld keynote speakers in a small-group setting.

Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo will feature keynote presentations from Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (Wednesday, March 26 at 10:15 a.m.); Dr. Caroline A. Kovac, general manager of IBM Life Sciences (Wednesday, March 26 at 2:00 p.m.); and Dr. Stephen H. Friend, president of Rosetta Inpharmatics and vice president of Molecular Profiling at Merck & Co., Inc. (Thursday, March 27 at 10:15 a.m.).

Debra Goldfarb, group vice president of Worldwide Systems and Life Sciences Research at IDC, will also deliver a feature presentation on Thursday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. which examines the influence that the convergence of IT and the bioscience market will have on the business of drug discovery.

All attendees are also welcome to attend Bio-ITWorld's Birds-of-a-Feather Meetings (BOFs), casual, informal discussions where attendees can meet like-minded life science and IT professionals. Topics include "Storage Solutions for Cluster Computing," "Collaboration: A Real World Perspective," "Biosimulation Applications and Technologies," and "21 CFR 11 Compliance for Laboratory and Process Control." These BOFs will take place on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

"Attendees will certainly benefit from the many case studies being presented throughout the conference program, the opportunity to network with peers and the ability to meet face-to-face with leading bio-IT companies at Bio-ITWorld," said Darrell Baker, vice president of event services at IDG World Expo.

To register for Bio-ITWorld event activities or for more information, visit www.bioitworldexpo.com.

About Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo

Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo (www.bioitworldexpo.com), produced by IDG World Expo, is the leading event to demonstrate how technology is transforming the life sciences throughout all discovery and development processes. IDG World Expo designed Bio-ITWorld exclusively for life science professionals looking to evaluate and understand advanced solutions that generate, collect and analyze the flood of information being produced by the life sciences industry. Visionaries from the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, academic and government markets convene at Bio-ITWorld to learn how the latest tools, services and best practices will help revolutionize our health, our environment and our society.

For more information on Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo please contact Ryan Colby, Product Manager at [phone] or via email at [e-mail]. More information is also available by calling [phone].

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces IT-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading IT event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of IT-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Bio-ITWorld Conference & Expo, COMNET Conference & Expo, Integrated Security Conference & Expo, BiometricsWorld Conference & Expo and Portable Power Conference. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG

IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 330 targeted Web sites in 80 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related events worldwide, and IDG's research company, IDC, provides global market intelligence and advice through 51 offices in 43 countries. Company information is available at www.idg.com.