Conference: 2009 Epigenetics Gordon Research Conference being held August 9-14, 2009

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual merit. This project will provide support for the Epigenetics Gordon Research Conference to be held in Aug, 2009. Epigenetics is defined as the study of interactions between genome and environment that leads to changes in gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. The study of epigenetics therefore leads to an understanding of genome function and consequences of aberrant environmental stimuli. In recent years, epigenetics has revealed some of the most extraordinary forms of gene regulation and quickly become one of the most exciting research areas in genetics, genomics, and medicine. The advances have come with the realization that the environment is a significant modulator of health and disease, though the exact mechanisms have remained elusive. It is clear that functional alteration caused by the environment does not necessarily involve mutational change, but can instead involve stable epigenetic change. Even as genome projects are providing the complete nucleotide sequence of a myriad of organisms, researchers are turning to the field of epigenetics to understand how that sequence is interpreted both correctly and aberrantly in the context of the cell and the whole organism. Epigenetic processes encompass an impressive diversity of mechanisms including noncoding RNA (ncRNA), DNA methylation, prions, histone modifications, chromatin remodelling, higher order chromosome structures, and nuclear compartments, all of which will be discussed at this meeting. Broader impacts. This conference will explore the interaction between the environment and the epigenome at all levels. At the whole-organism level, there will be a focus on the health consequences of normal and aberrant environmental stimuli. At the most molecular level, the conference will aim to understand how specific environmental stimuli change the epigenome without changing DNA sequence. In addition to featuring the classic epigenetic phenomena such as imprinting, X-inactivation, RNAi, paramutation, and transvection, several sessions will be devoted to toxins, diet, parental care, and endocrine disruptors in promoting normal development, behavior, cancer, diabetes, and aging. Examples will be drawn from model organisms in the prokaryotic, fungal, plant, and animal kingdoms. Since its inception in 1995, this conference has played a key role in moving forward the field of epigenetics, earning an international reputation for generating new research avenues and providing a unique setting for bringing together a diverse group of scientists. The 8th meeting of the Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetics will: (1) Advance 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 at the same time, provide a venue in which alternative viewpoints can be heard and discussed openly; and (3) Promote the careers of young investigators, including students, postdoctoral fellows, and new principal investigators including underrepresented minorities.