Recipient Organization
GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCES, INC
512 LIBERTY LN
WEST KINGSTON,RI 02892-1502
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Gene regulation and development are controlled both by information encoded in DNA and by the way in which the DNA is organized and accessed within the cell. Epigenetics is the study of the complex mechanisms that govern gene regulation at levels beyond the primary DNA sequence. This project provides a well-established conference forum in which researchers working on all aspects of epigenetics can come together to discuss their latest results and develop new collaborations.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The study of epigenetics concerns the enormously complex mechanisms by which genotype gives rise to phenotype. It pertains to every aspect of development in virtually all organisms and has been a good reminder that the essence of how genotype gives rise to phenotype does not, after all, reside completely in DNA. This proposal requests support for the sixth Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetics to be held at Holderness School, New Hampshire, August 7-12, 2005. Invited speakers are leading researchers working on prokaryotes, fungi, ciliates, plants, worms, insects, and mammals, and their presentations will cover some of the most fascinating areas of science today, including molecular and cellular memory, cellular de-differentiation, DNA asymmetry, DNA methylation, RNA interference, parental imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, paramutation, ploidy, switching, environmental stress, genome defense systems, position effects, histone modifications, mammalian cloning,
and stem cell development. These topics have immediate relevance to agricultural plants and animals. The 2005 Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetics will provide a unique setting for researchers working on this broad spectrum of mechanisms and organisms to come together and exchange results and ideas. With a limited enrollment and ample time for formal and informal discussions, and an eye towards promoting the careers of young investigators, the cross-disciplinary environment of this conference will foster the innovative thinking and novel collaborations that are critical for the success of researchers in the field of epigenetics. In sum, the specific aims of the conference are to: 1) advance our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms by facilitating the exchange of information and ideas from experts working in a wide array of epigenetic systems, 2) introduce new issues and new questions that push the boundaries of epigenetics, and 3) promote the careers of young investigators,
including students, postdoctoral fellows, and new principal investigators. The success of this conference will have long-term outcomes in our efforts to understand fundamental gene regulation and developmental processes, as well as accelerating discoveries and technologies for agricultural improvement.
Project Methods
The Epigenetics Gordon Research Conference will have nine platform sessions featuring ~57 speakers and four poster sessions spread over five days. Our speaker invitations have thus far met with an overwhelmingly positive response; 36 out of 38 invitees have accepted, and we therefore anticipate no difficulty in completing our program with compelling presentations. In order to maximize talks featuring critical discoveries made in the final months leading up to the meeting, we plan to fill the remainder of the program with ~21 speakers selected from submitted abstracts. Of particular interest will be those new to the conference and young investigators, including new principal investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and students. This Gordon Conference has a superb track record for provocative and productive discussions during the platform presentations, and we will organize the morning and evening platform schedules to accommodate such high level interactions among the
participants. Accordingly, two thirds of the platform presentations will be long talks of ~20 minutes to be followed by ~10 minutes of discussion, and one third will be short talks of ~13 minutes to be followed by ~7 minutes of discussion (final presentation and discussion times to be fixed when the final number of speakers has been determined). The conference is scheduled to take place the evening of Sunday, August 7 through the evening of Thursday, August 11, with Friday, August 12 reserved as a travel day. This timing avoids conflicts with other meetings relevant to invited participants, such as the FASEB Summer Research Conference on Chromatin and Transcription, which will take place in July 2005 in Snowmass, Colorado, and the EMBO Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics, which will take place in May 2005 in Heidelberg, Germany. The conference will be held at its traditional site of the Holderness School in Holderness, New Hampshire. This site has excellent facilities for lectures
(air conditioned), poster sessions, and housing, plus nearby resources for outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and kayaking. The location of the site in rural New Hampshire fosters the intimate feel of the Conference.