Today is the kick-off of BIL:PIL 2009, an unconference that brings together over 200 entrepreneurs, health professionals, technologists and laypeople to discuss the future of healthcare.

I Am Biotech is sponsoring the event and hosting a “blogger tent” where attendees can relax, blog/tweet the conference, and continue the dialogue about healthcare innovation with those who are unable to attend.

Even if you aren’t in San Diego this weekend, you can still join the discussion. In addition to following the conference on twitter with #bilpil, you can also watch a live stream of the speakers online.

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM

The live stream will be up today (Friday) and tomorrow from 9am – 4pm PST, broadcasting talks from a great line-up of speakers including: Dr. Stephen Friend, Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Dr. Val Jones, Joe Trippi, and many more.

What exactly is BIL:PIL, you ask?

BIL:PIL is an unconference that will bring together over 200 entrepreneurs, health professionals, technologists and laypeople to discuss the future of healthcare.

I Am Biotech will be sponsoring the event and hosting a “blogger tent” where attendees can relax, blog/tweet the conference, and continue the dialogue about healthcare innovation with those who are unable to attend.

Even if you don’t make it to San Diego this weekend, you can still join the discussion. In addition to following the conference on twitter with #bilpil, you can also watch a live stream of the speakers online.

The live stream – which you can find on http://bilpil.com – will be up this Friday and Saturday from 9am – 4pm PST, broadcasting talks from a great line-up of speakers including: Dr. Stephen Friend, Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Dr. Val Jones, Joe Trippi, and many more.

P.S. A HUGE shout out to Jonathan Sheffi, BIL:PIL organizer extraordinaire, who is also a member of IAmBiotech’s Advisory Board.

This is the first post in our charitable giving campaign! In exchange for his story about the promise of biotech, Jay Tung earned a $25 contribution to the Myelin Repair Foundation.

Tell your story today and earn a donation for the charitable organization of your choice.

by Jay Tung, Myelin Repair Foundation

In college, I studied both Chemistry & Biochemistry because I wanted to understand and control biological processes using chemical agents. I earned my B.S. in those disciplines at U.C. Berkeley and afterwards earned a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Yale University… Keep Reading

If you report or blog about any aspect of biotechnology and you’re located near Seattle, WA, check out BIO’s free workshop Biotech Bootcamp For Journalists on Tuesday, October 27 from 9:00am to 3:00pm.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

We started IAmBiotech.org as a place for the biotech community to come together, share their stories, and discuss issues impacting the industry. We hope you have enjoyed hearing the perspectives we’ve brought you so far, but now we want to hear YOUR stories as well.

For every story that we post on IAmBiotech – or our sister site, What Can Biotech Do For You? – we will donate $25 to charity.

SUBMIT YOUR STORY TODAY

What do aliens with DNA-activated weapons, mole-men, and stem cell treatments for baldness have in common? They’re all topics we’re taking on in the re-launch of our hit sister-site EleventhHourFacts.com.

On the site, we take a look at the facts, the science and the real-life people often portrayed in some of our favorite shows and movies.

VISIT ELEVENTH HOUR FACTS FOR A DOSE OF BIOTECH IN POP CULTURE

Eleventh Hour Facts is a place for the biotech community to chat about the science behind their favorite shows and movies. It also helps educate a wide audience about the facts and fiction of biotech portrayals in entertainment.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION!

Dr. Norman Borlaug, a pioneer in crop science whose work is credited with saving over a billion lives, died late Saturday night at his home in Dallas, Texas. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family as we reflect upon the life of this extraordinary man.

Rice and wheat varieties developed using Dr. Borlaug’s research sparked what is now known as the Green Revolution. They allowed developing countries to increase crop yields fast enough to feed their growing populations and spared millions of acres of virgin land from being converted to grow crops.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH TWO VIDEO TRIBUTES TO DR. BORLAUG AND POST YOUR REMEMBRANCES

It’s after Labor Day, and long weekends at the beach are officially a thing of the past. But settling back into work and focusing on your career doesn’t have to be mundane.

Here are some great new social media resources to help you build your career, make new contacts, and promote your work.

First, read our popular review of Mendeley, the hot new social network for the life science community that wants to do it all.

Hot on Mendeley’s heels is Epernicus, which wants to be the new and improved LinkedIn for research scientists. Should you take the time to test it out? Read our review and decide for yourself.

Finally, find out why building a career in biotech is a great investment. Check out the results of this year’s Life Science Salary Survey.