2019 Fertilization and Activation of Development Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY We request funds to support the 23rd Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Fertilization and Activation of Development. The 2019 GRC will address biological phenomena associated with the merger of gametes to initiate embryonic development. This GRC will integrate research using genetic, physiological, biochemical/ biophysical, molecular/cellular, imaging, evolutionary and organismal approaches in a range of organisms to reveal conserved fertilization mechanisms and potential ways they can be modified. The topics at this GRC have both fundamental and applied relevance to biomedical research. Several Nobel Prizes have been awarded for research in these areas, including for IVF (2010) and induced pluripotent stem cells (2012): cells that subsequently were shown capable of forming gametes (a leader in this area spoke at the 2015 GRC). This GRC is the only meeting worldwide focused specifically on fertilization biology. The field has ?exploded? in recent years including discoveries such as the molecules that mediate sperm-egg recognition and fusion, the crucial role played by reproductive tract, including exosomes, to support fertilization, and mechanisms that allow fertilized eggs to initiate embryogenesis. Ultimately, work in the area of this GRC relates to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in humans. Over the years, our GRC has showcased a range of experimental systems and has always included clinical aspects. However, we have never had a Keynote Speaker who is a recognized expert in ART. In 2019, Kay Elder (University of Cambridge, UK), who was a collaborator of Patrick Steptoe and Nobel Laureate Robert Edwards and remains active in human ART, will give our Keynote; she is the first woman Keynote speaker at this GRC. Recent developments in genome editing, other complicated issues in ART and associated ethical issues will also be a part of this meeting. The GRC will be immediately preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) ? the fourth iteration of this very successful meeting to attract and scientifically nurture young investigators in the field of gamete research and fertilization. Building from our experience with the previous GRS, we will again provide opportunities for graduate students, postdocs and early stage PIs to meet together, along with a selected few senior scientists who have agreed to serve as mentors, to present and discuss their research to and with each other. This GRS will continue as an important, building mechanism for the future of this rapidly moving field. Our goals are to create a forum for presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research and to foster a vibrant and interactive atmosphere to facilitate scientific interactions. This particular GRC has a long tradition of such scientific interchange in a collaborative and supportive manner. As such, it will not simply advance and ?cross-fertilize? the science, but also will provide a supportive environment for young investigators as well as established investigators. As part of this, we will foster and encourage inclusion and participation by members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences: women, minorities, and people with disabilities.