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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit my abstract?
Go to the online abstract submission site. The link is provided in the Quick Links menu on the right hand side.

Are there formatting considerations when I prepare my abstract?
Yes, formatting is clearly described on the online submission site. A template with examples and further detail is provided on the online submission site and must be followed.

What do I need to do with special characters?
Please prepare your abstract with the Arial typeface in Microsoft Word following the instructions provided on the online submission site. Symbols (e.g., general punctuation; Latin and Greek characters; and logical, mathematical, general purpose, and currency symbols) associated with the Arial font will be retained.

What are the judging guidelines for my presentation and/or abstract?
Please see the judging criteria on our Scoring Criteria page.

What is the limit on the number of abstract submissions made by a primary author?
A student may submit only one abstract and must choose if they want to present either an oral presentation or a poster presentation. In addition to one oral/poster presentation, students are encouraged to present in the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. An oral/poster presentation is not required to participate in 3MT. Co-presenters are only allowed for posters and the maximum number of co-presenters at a poster is two. Co-presenters will both submit the same abstract, listing the other person as the co-presenter. Both co-presenters will be judged and awarded together. There is no limit to the number of times you are listed as a contributor because contributors do not present and are not included in the SRF judging/awards. Multiple submissions cannot be made for the same abstract or rewritten for the same research project with different presenters."

How many abstracts are accepted?
We have a limited number of spaces for both oral and poster presentations. Submissions will be accepted based upon the time of the abstract submission.

What is the deadline for abstract submission?
Friday, February 23, 2024. 

How long is each oral presentation?
Approximately 15 minutes is generally allowed. However, the exact amount of time is determined by number of presenters and space and scheduling allowance. Times will be communicated to all presenters when scheduling assignments are made.

How much board space is available for a poster?
You will have a 4' x 6' board for displaying your poster.

What is the word limit for abstracts?
The maximum is 250 words. Abstracts that attempt to acceed 250 words will be truncated in event materials.

Will I be allowed to use my personal computer for my oral presentation?
Only the computer assigned to each presentation room in Beller Conference Center in Hemenway will be used for oral presentations; no personal computers can be used.

Here is a sample of a well-written abstract.
Vpu is an 82 amino acid integral membrane protein encoded for by HIV 1 and SIVcpz and plays important role in their pathogenesis. Vpu localizes the in Golgi/ER complex and down modulates CD4 molecules via proteosome degradation pathway, and enhance virion release from the infected cells. We have generated a VPU/EGFP reporter system in which Vpu was fused with EGFP to decipher importance of amino acid residues on intra cellular localization and down regulation of CD4 molecules.In present study 4 amino acids, positively charged glutamine at positions 66 and 70 and glycine at 68 and 72 in a helix II in the cytoplasmic domain were mutated to uncharged alanine by site directed mutagenesis to know their importance on intra cellular localization and CD4 down regulation. These plasmids were transfected in human 293 cells using a cationic polymer and visualized at 48 hours under fluorescence microscope. The mutants were also assayed for CD4 down regulation. We achieved high efficiency transfection and mutants were localized in golgi/ER compartments.However, mutations did not result in altered intra cellular localization of VPU. We then transfected Hela CD4+ cells with mutants and stained for surface CD4 at 48 hours. We found that mutations did not influence CD4 down regulation. Taken together these results suggest that Glutamine at positions 66, 70 and glycine at positions 68, 72 have no impact on intra cellular localization and ability of VPU to down regulate surface CD4 molecules. Presence of charged residues and myristoylation of glycine is not required for CD4 down regulation.

I still have questions. Who can answer them for me?
Please contact SRF or Catey Payne. For questions specific to abstracts, contact SRF Abstracts.

Student Research Forum

University of Kansas Medical Center
Student Research Forum
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
srf@kumc.edu