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Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 7, 231–234 (1 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrm1832

The highs and lows of scientific conferences

Gregory A. Petsko

What are the main characteristics of scientific conferences and what distinguishes the successful meetings from the less successful? When comparing, for example, big versus little conferences, long versus short meetings and specialized versus more general conferences, which features 'win'?