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

9815717块该奖项支持美国科学家参加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令人敬畏，这种特性使它们能够通过温度的深刻季节性波动保持其准确性，同时又能忠实地与环境周期同步。在过去的两年里，美国和日本在鉴定人类计时基因同源基因方面取得了重大进展，我们在几个模型系统中对参与昼夜计时的分子的理解也取得了稳步进展。研讨会将由四个主题组成：1)非哺乳动物物种的分子钟；2)哺乳动物的分子钟；3)医学的新概念；4)医学和生物学的新概念--该领域的现状和教育宣传。研讨会组织者做出了特别努力，让年轻的研究人员既作为参与者又作为观察员。与日本专家在这一领域交换想法和数据将使美国参与者能够推进他们自己的工作，并将为未来的合作项目奠定基础。会议信息的传播将通过录像带进行。此外，摘要将在美国国家科学基金会生物计时中心主页(http://www.cbt.virginia.edu).***)上公布

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).***