The American Society for Cell Biology held its 49th annual meeting from December 5 to 9, 2009. Despite rather miserable weather, the show drew about 9,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center in California. It featured a solid technical program, which included over 100 oral presentations and more than 3,500 poster sessions. In addition, the exhibit floor featured about 350 companies and nonprofits.

The layout of the exhibition hall was quite unique in that it interlaced technical posters between aisles of exhibiting companies. This made the traffic between the aisles seem somewhat busy, particularly near the hall’s entrance. In this age of declining attendance at tradeshows, it was quite encouraging to see a bit of enthusiasm at this show.

The keynote address was delivered by Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, who discussed his latest work on stem cells, pluripotency and nuclear reprogramming. He recounted his earlier work on developing the first transgenic mouse and the difficulties he faced due to the lack of technologies, such as southern blots, polymerase chain reaction and labeled triphosphates, to aid in detection. He noted that progress in the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is currently impeded by the inefficiency of genotyping such cells. This inefficiency is a major impediment because it makes mutation, differentiation and expression of hESCs and iPS cells difficult to control. According to Dr. Jaenisch, further research needs to be done on the use of zinc fingers for this application, as they may prove to be successful in genetically manipulating hESCs and iPS cells.

Companies used this show as a platform to launch new products. Applied Biosystems, a part of Life Technologies, introduced the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, which uses ultrasound waves to position cells in a single line along the center of a capillary flow channel. This method of aligning cells provides the advantage of adjusting the flow rate of the instrument without changing the focus of the cells in the flow channel. The system is equipped with dual lasers and is priced at less than $100,000.

Millipore introduced the Sceptor, an automated cell counter, which incorporates the Coulter cell-counting technology into a handheld device. The user places the tip of the Sceptor into a cell-culture sample, and in about 20 seconds, the system, which resembles an automated pipette, displays the cell count and average cell volume.

One of the trends for products on display was to indicate the importance of creating in vivo-like conditions when analyzing cell samples. For example, Fluxion Biosciences showcased its BioFlux 1000 workstation, a high-throughput system that enables physiological shear flow assays to mimic human body conditions. In addition, Hamilton Robotics displayed its BioLevitator automated benchtop cell culturing system, which employs paramagnetic beads from Global Cell Solutions. The system acts as an incubator with controls for temperature and CO2 levels, and performs 3D cell culture by maneuvering cells attached to the bead with a magnet.

The next ASCB show will be held December 11–15, 2010, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.