DNA Replication and Genome Integrity

Salk Institute For Biological Studies, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funds to sustain a biennial meeting entitled "DNA Replication and Genome Integrity" that will be held August 9-13, 2006, at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California. This meeting is designed to emphasize the intersection of DNA replication with DNA repair and genome stability. These areas are relevant to human health, including the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, aging, and developmental diseases. The meeting will encourage a deeper understanding of links between cellular replication and repair systems. Outstanding researchers have been invited to serve as chairs and speakers in sessions that will cover topics that include replication origins, initiation of DNA replication, replication fork progression, chromatin, checkpoints, chromosome dynamics, DNA repair, recombination, and cancer therapeutics. These chairs will provide in-depth introductions to the most important concepts and unresolved problems in each field. All other presentations will be chosen from submitted abstracts for either oral talks or posters. In this way we will ensure that the forefront of research is presented and will encourage active participation of younger researchers. The Organizing Committee consists of four investigators from two institutions: Judith Campbell (CalTech), Vicki Lundblad (Salk), Geoff Wahl (Salk), and Matthew Weitzman (Salk). The Organizing Committee will be responsible for inviting the session chairs, for selection of the other speakers and participants from submitted abstracts and for choosing recipients for travel awards. The meeting will be held in the Salk Conference Center, a well-organized facility with much experience in conducting international meetings. A concerted effort will be made at every stage of the planning and organization of the meeting to ensure inclusion of women and minorities. We request funds to cover the travel costs and accommodation for a Keynote speaker, invited speakers, and travel scholarships (some of which will be allocated specifically for minorities). This conference complements both temporally and geographically the current biennial DNA replication meeting held at Cold Spring Harbor in odd-numbered years. This will be the fourth time that we have organized this meeting and its past success has shown that it fills a thematic, geographical and timely niche. The meeting has provided a forum for discussion of the most topical issues confronting eukaryotic DNA replication and has fostered interactions between junior and senior investigators. Due to its West Coast location, increased participation from West Coast and Pacific labs is expected. We anticipate that the topics presented and the comfortable venue will encourage new researchers to enter this important field, as well as provide experienced researchers with the new approaches needed to make significant future advances. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]