We are delighted to invite you to join us in Sydney in January 2009 for the 3rd Indo-Australian Conference on Biomaterials, Implants, Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine (BITE&RM), held in parallel with the 19th Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (ASBTE) annual conference. The conference aims to build on the foundations of previous meetings by bringing together scientists, engineers and clinicians to discuss their latest results in key strategic areas of biomaterials science and engineering including biomaterials, implants, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

We look forward to welcoming leading researchers from India to continue the wonderful tradition set in the previous Indo-Australian meetings held in India . The Indo-Australian BITE&RM meetings were initiated following a symposium on biomaterials and bioengineering at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal in February 2004 between Indian and Australian researchers. This laid the foundation for the first Indo-Australian Conference which was held at Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum in January, 2005. The 2nd Indo-Australian Conference on Biomaterials, Implants, Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine (BITE&RM) conference was also hosted by SCTIMST and was held in January 2007. At that meeting it was decided that the meeting would be held every 2 years and that the next meeting would be held in Australia in 2009.

Both the 1st and 2nd conferences brought together approximately 10 to 15 Australian and up to 60 Indian researchers. Additionally, students from both Australia and India attended and presented posters highlighting their research outcomes. We hope that out of this 3rd meeting, we will bring together Australian researchers from across ASBTE with leading Indian researchers to develop:

•  Greater awareness of the research being conducted in the field in the two countries
•  Increased research opportunities between the two countries with the aim of developing cutting edge research collaborations
•  Development of joint applications to AISRF and global funding networks for collaborative research programs; and
•  Exploration of joint programs for Postdoctoral Fellows and ECRs between leading Indian/Australian research institutions.

So join us in Sydney to share your latest research, rekindle some old friendships with your ASBTE colleagues and strike up some new collaborations with our Indian neighbours.

Laura Poole-Warren (Australian Conference Chair) Keith McLean (Program Chair) Justin Cooper-White (Program Chair)