U.S. Participation in International Congress of Genetics, held in the United Kingdom, August 1993.

XVIIth国际遗传学大会为从事遗传学各个方面工作的一大批独特的、基础广泛的科学家提供了一个重要的聚会机会。在过去的几年里，遗传学领域发生了引人注目的技术爆炸，对该领域的基础和应用方面都产生了巨大的影响。人们在从DNA序列和拓扑水平、通过染色体组织和核结构来理解基因组结构方面已经取得了巨大的进展。将探索基因在整个有机体中所起的作用，以产生独特的模式，决定性别，并在神经系统中组织和调节功能。在有关机制的信息爆炸的同时，已知基因的数量也出现了几何级的增长。以类似的方式，通过将分子技术应用于经典问题和使用计算机建模系统，对种群遗传学和进化的理解领域已经显著增加。最后，基础遗传学的进步催生了生物技术的新产业。大会的主题是“遗传学和对生命的理解”。论文将介绍基因组的结构、行为、进化、病理学和工程学以及所有级别的生物和系统发育组织。还将举行遗传学的历史、哲学和社会方面的会议。这次会议是五年来的第一次，它将为综合各种不同的生物体和系统中达成的一般概念提供一个独特的环境。

The XVIIth International Congress of Genetics provides a major opportunity for a unique, broadly based, large group of scientists who work on all aspects of genetics to meet. The remarkable technical explosion that has occurred in genetics in the last few years has had an enormous impact on both basic and applied aspects of the field. Tremendous strides have been made in understanding the structure of genomes from the level of DNA sequence and topology through chromosome organization and nuclear architecture. The roles genes play in whole organisms to produce unique patterns, determine sex and organize and regulate function in neural systems will be explored. The explosion in information concerning mechanisms has been paralleled by a geometric rise in the number of known genes. In a similar fashion, areas of understanding in population genetics and evolution have dramatically increased often by the application of molecular techniques to classical problems and the use of computer modeling systems. Finally, the new industry of biotechnology has been spawned by the advances in basic genetics. %%% The theme of the Congress will be "Genetics and the Understanding of Life". Papers will be presented on the structure, behavior, evolution, pathology and engineering of genomes al all levels of biological and phylogenetic organization. There will also be sessions on the historical, philosophical and social aspects of genetics. This meeting , the first in five years, will provide a unique setting for the synthesis of general concepts arrived at in a broad set of diverse organisms and systems.