DNA Methylation

Keystone Symposia, Silverthorne CO

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled DNA Methylation, organized by Alexander Meissner and Dirk Schübeler. The meeting will be held in Keystone, Colorado from March 29-April 3, 2015. DNA methylation is essential for mammalian development and plays an important regulatory role in many organisms, including plants. The application of genomics techniques to the study of DNA methylation has revealed DNA methylation to be a highly dynamic and informative modification, rather than the classic view of being only involved in stable, long-term silencing. Major advances have been made in establishing and maintaining DNA methylation, as well as mapping its genome-wide location. These advances are being driven by (i) improvements in technology, (ii) the discovery of enzymes that can mediate DNA de-methylation, and (iii) the ever-increasing recognition of its role in diseases such as cancer. However, many gaps remain towards a complete understanding, particularly with respect to specific diseases. The Keystone Symposia meeting on DNA Methylation (see attached program) will highlight these advances. Opportunities for integrating DNA methylation with the other mentioned layers of genome regulation will be significantly enhanced by the concurrent meeting on Epigenomics, which will share the Keynote Address and two plenary sessions with this meeting.