CONFERNCE: 2016 Gordon Research Seminar on Centromere Biology: Building a Bridge from Centromeres to Spindle Microtubules, to be held in West Dover, VT on July 23-24, 2016

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

This project will support attendance by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at the Gordon Research Seminar on Centromere Biology to be held July 23-24, 2016 at Mt. Snow Resort in West Dover, VT prior to the Gordon Research Conference on the same topic. The meeting was organized and will be chaired by two graduate students. The format of the meeting is a combination of talks and posters, which will promote scientific exchange in both formal and informal settings. A special mentoring session, led by established researchers in the field, will focus on alternative careers in science. There will be ample opportunity for sharing latest research results and for exploring collaborative possibilities. The centromere is the chromosomal locus for assembly of the kinetochore, which drives chromosome movement during cell division. Defining how centromeres are organized and assembled is important for understanding principles of cell division, Mendelian inheritance, segregation distortion, and species and chromosome evolution. By highlighting diverse approaches and new discoveries, this conference aims to spur progress in the field of centromere biology across a myriad of topics, from understanding protein assembly and biochemical pathways to defining patterns of inheritance. Cutting-edge or late-breaking research will be highlighted in several short talks chosen from the abstracts. The primary purposes of this conference are to promote discussion between scientists with common professional interests, including those from non-research-intensive colleges and universities, to foster the exchange of ideas from advanced aspects of their field, and to enable scientific collaborations to evolve in new directions.