U.S.-Japan Joint Seminar: The Molecular Mechanism of Biological Rhythms

该奖项支持美国科学家参加将于1999年7月31日至8月3日在夏威夷举行的美日生物节律分子机制研讨会。联合组织者是弗吉尼亚大学的吉恩·布洛克教授和日本神户大学的冈村仁教授。对细胞和组织如何产生24小时周期的详细了解是当代细胞和分子科学面临的巨大挑战之一。生物钟的特殊特性使这一挑战变得艰巨，这些特性使它们能够在温度的剧烈季节性波动中保持准确性，同时又忠实地与环境周期同步。在过去的两年中，在美国和日本，在识别人类定时基因同源物方面取得了重大进展，同时我们对几个模型系统中涉及昼夜节律定时的分子的理解也取得了稳步进展。研讨会将包括四个主题：1)非哺乳动物物种的分子钟；2)哺乳动物的分子钟；3)医学新观念；4)医学和生物学的新概念-该领域的现状和教育推广。研讨会的组织者特别努力让年轻的研究人员作为参与者和观察员参与。与该领域的日本专家交流想法和数据将使美国参与者能够推进自己的工作，并为未来的合作项目奠定基础。会议的资料将以录像带的形式传播。此外，研究摘要将发表在美国国家科学基金会生物计时中心主页（http://www.cbt.virginia.edu）.***)上

9815717BlockThis award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on the Molecular Mechanism of Biological Rhythms, to be held in Hawaii from July 31- August 3, l999. The co-organizers are Professors Gene Block at the University of Virginia and Hitoshi Okamura at Kobe University in Japan. A detailed understanding of how cells and tissues generate twenty-four hour periodicities presents one of the great challenges to contemporary cell and molecular science. The challenge is made formidable by the specialized properties of biological clocks that allow them to retain their accuracy through profound seasonal fluctuations in temperature and yet faithfully synchronize to environmental periodicities. During the past two years there have been major advances in identifying a human timing gene homolog, both in the U.S. and in Japan, as well as steady advances in our understanding of the molecules involved in circadian timing in several model systems. The seminar will consist of four main themes: 1) the molecular clock of non-mammalian species; 2) the molecular clock in mammals; 3) new concepts to medicine; and 4) new concepts to medicine and biology - state of the field and educational outreach. Seminar organizers have made a special effort to involve younger researchers as both participants and observers. The exchange of ideas and data with Japanese experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work, and will set the stage for future collaborative projects. Dissemination of information from the meeting will be available on videotapes. In addition, abstracts will be published on the NSF Center for Biological Timing home page (http://www.cbt.virginia.edu).***