2010 Gordon Research Conference on Mutagenesis to be held August 1 through August 6, 2010, at Colby College in Waterville, Maine

2010年的Mutagenesis Gordon研究会议将详细讨论突变是如何发生的，保守的途径如何促进此类突变的修复，以及突变如何影响细胞过程。作为生物多样性的来源，突变使有机体的亚群能够在不断变化的条件下存活下来，因此从一开始就是生命所必需的。突变推动了能够更好地在不断变化的环境条件下生存的有机体的出现，但也促进了新病原体的出现。一些突变是自发的和不可避免的，而另一些突变是由环境中存在的诱变剂诱发的，要么是自然的，要么是人类疏忽的结果。近年来，科学家们利用跨越遗传学、细胞生物学、生物化学和结构生物学的实验工具，在定义突变机制方面取得了巨大进展。这一进展在很大程度上依赖于从更简单的微生物系统实验中获得的基本见解，特别是细菌E.Coli和酵母S.cerevisiae。人们对氧化DNA损伤--可能是呼吸的必然结果--如何促进导致基因组不稳定和衰老的突变；特定的基因组位置和区域如何成为突变的热点；以及受调控的突变如何对微生物的发病和免疫反应至关重要的认识越来越多。突变和修复的机制已被证明是高度保守的，研究人员之间利用一系列明智的生物和方法进行了持续和富有成效的互动。2010年的突变GRC将汇集一群不同的科学家，他们的兴趣集中在突变的机制及其后果上，其形式将促进积极的讨论，提出新的想法，并发展超越学科和国界的合作。Mutagenesis Gordon研究会议寻求将领先的研究人员聚集在一起，无论是那些已经建立起来的人，还是那些职业生涯仍处于早期阶段的人，在一个类似静修的环境中举行一次高度互动的会议。参与者将代表广泛的研究兴趣，包括复制和修复保真度、DNA修饰(自然和合成)、致癌、进化和遗传毒理学。2010年会议的主席是一名妇女，预计发言者名册上将至少有25%是妇女，其中至少有一名西班牙裔发言者。组织者将努力确保选择女性、初级科学家(最近是独立调查人员、博士后和研究生)和代表人数不足的少数群体参加会议，在选择会议参与者时优先考虑这些人。主题的范围和专业知识的广度、视角、方法和系统将使这次会议有别于更专门的会议。这种广度，再加上与有限人数的与会者举行的集中会议的强度，促进了思想的交流和合作，最终将导致对诱变机制及其结果的新见解。突变戈登研究会议规模小、不同寻常的合议性和非正式性质，加上它强调拥有不同专业知识的研究人员之间的讨论，使其在突变领域独一无二。通过这次会议，将形成新的合作，传播新的知识。来自国家科学基金会的资金将帮助支持刚刚开始职业生涯的研究生、博士后研究员和研究人员的参与。

The 2010 Mutagenesis Gordon Research Conference will address in molecular detail how mutations occur, how conserved pathways promote repair of such mutations, and how mutations can affect cellular processes. As the source of biological diversity, mutations enable subsets of organisms to survive despite changing conditions, and thus have been essential for life from its start. Mutagenesis drives the emergence of organisms which are better able to survive changing environmental conditions, but also promotes emergence of novel pathogens. Some mutations are spontaneous and inevitable, while others are induced by mutagens present in the environment either naturally or as a result of human negligence. Using experimental tools that span genetics, cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology, scientists have made dramatic progress in defining mechanisms of mutagenesis in recent years. Much of this progress has depended upon basic insights gained from experimentation with simpler microbial systems, especially the bacterium E. coli and the yeast S. cerevisiae. There is a growing understanding of how oxidative DNA damage, which may be an inevitable consequence of respiration, promotes mutations that contribute to genomic instability and aging; of how specific genomic sites and regions may be hotspots for mutagenesis; and of how regulated mutagenesis is essential to the pathogenesis of microorganisms and to the immune response. Mechanisms of mutagenesis and repair have proven to be highly conserved, and there has been continuous and fruitful interactions between investigators using a wise range of organisms and approaches. The 2010 Mutagenesis GRC will bring together a diverse group of scientists whose interests focus on mechanisms of mutagenesis and its consequences, in a format that promotes active discussion, presentation of new ideas, and development of collaborations that transcend disciplines and national boundaries. The Mutagenesis Gordon Research Conference seeks to bring together leading investigators, both those who are established and those whose careers are still in their early stages, for a highly interactive meeting in a retreat-like environment. Participants will represent a wide range of research interests in areas including replication and repair fidelity, DNA modifications (both natural and synthetic), carcinogenesis, evolution and genetic toxicology. The chair of the 2010 meeting is a woman and it is anticipated that the speaker roster will be at least 25% women, with at least one Hispanic speaker. The organizers will strive to ensure that women, junior scientists (recently independent investigators, post-docs and graduate students) and underrepresented minorities are selected to attend the meeting, giving preference to such individuals when selecting meeting participants. The spectrum of topics and the breadth of expertise, perspectives, approaches and systems will set this meeting apart from more specialized conferences. This breadth, together with the intensity of a focused meeting with a limited number of participants, fosters the cross-fertilization of ideas and the collaborations that ultimately will lead to novel insights into mutagenic mechanisms and their results. The small size and unusually collegial and informal nature of the Mutagenesis Gordon Research Conference, along with its emphasis on discussion among investigators with diverse expertise, make it unique within the mutagenesis field. Through this meeting new collaborations will form and new knowledge will be disseminated. Funding from the National Science Foundation will help support the participation of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and investigators whose careers are just getting underway.