It’s always fun trying to keep posts at a conference in some sort of chronological order. But it just never works out that way. Here’s Orion Samuelson, doing an interview with one of the visiting ag journalists at the U. S. Grains Council/IL Corn Growers event. I was glad to see Orion here since there really hasn’t been many U. S. ag reporters.

I’m just can’t get over how many companies are giving away iPods here.

Agriculture is very well highlighted in the trade show here at BIO.

It’s early on Tuesday morning at BIO 2006. I’m here in the press room. There’s a plenary breakfast going on at which Health & Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt is speaking. I was going to record his speech off the audio feed here but it cut out right about the time he was supposed to start. Oh well. I’ve got a lot of other pics and audio to bring you. The breakfast meeting is a pretty good hike and I’m betting he won’t say anything about agriculture anyway.

This is just an update to the last post. The announcement of the new study is being made at a press conference that is taking place right now.

The first news of the day is the release of a new report by BIO and Batelle. The report is titled, “Growing The Nation’s Biotech Sector: State Bioscience Initiatives 2006.”

This is just the ballroom area of the opening reception. I know it’s hard to see but there’s a guy in a white tux in the center tower who was conducting the 3 sets of musicians on different balcony stages.

The opening reception was all about food and good music. Take the BIO Barbershop (my name for them). These guys were good. They were only one of about six groups performing on different levels and areas of the Navy Pier.

I have arrived at BIO 2006 and the first thing to do was check in and scope out the news room layout. Very nicely done. I didn’t even bother to count how many work stations are set up here. It’s first come, first serve so I’ll be here early tomorrow.

Most of Sunday will be a travel day to get to Chicago so the next time your hear from me I’ll be in the windy city. One of the 60+ press releases I’ve received on BIO 2006 is about “what’s new at BIO.” Well for me it will all be new since I’ve never been. I’m guessing that there’s some other newbies in the 18,000 plus expected to show up. But in case you’re a BIO veteran here’s what they say is new.