Auditions for Honors College play begin Jan. 21

Auditions for the Spring 2004 Honors College play will be held at 7 p.m. in the living room of Slonaker House on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22.

This spring's production will be a series of acts from three different plays.

Since 1986, Dr. Frank La Ban, professor emeritus of theatre arts, has donated his time, energy and expertise to directing and producing a play each fall and spring semester.

Dr. La Ban decides which acts will be played and oversees the auditions. The actors are all Honors students but rarely have previous acting experience. The performances are free, and refreshments are available during intermission.

UA sponsors Evolutionary Genomics Conference

The UA community is invited to attend the Evolutionary Genomics Conference at the Marriott University Park Hotel, 880 E. Second St., tomorrow - Saturday. The conference is sponsored by the UA's program in evolutionary, functional and computational genomics and by the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program.

Now that biologists have the complete genome for organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, researchers are developing a new understanding of the evolution of the genome as a whole by comparing those of different organisms.

The discoveries will provide insights into the relationship among living organisms and have a profound impact on agriculture, medicine and engineering.

"The information will be useful for identifying the genes underlying complicated diseases, telling us how various pathogens work, and identifying the genes that make us uniquely human," said Michael Nachman, conference co-organizer and UA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

A $225 registration fee for faculty or a $120 fee for students and post-doctoral researchers is required for entry. For more information, visit genomics.arizona.edu/meeting.html.