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

2010年突变戈登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这种突变的修复，以及突变如何影响细胞过程。 作为生物多样性的来源，突变使生物体的子集能够在不断变化的条件下生存，因此从一开始就对生命至关重要。突变驱动了能够更好地在不断变化的环境条件下生存的生物体的出现，但也促进了新病原体的出现。有些突变是自发的和不可避免的，而另一些则是由环境中自然存在的诱变剂或人为疏忽引起的。 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，在确定诱变机制方面取得了巨大进展。这些进展大部分依赖于从简单微生物系统的实验中获得的基本见解，特别是细菌E。coli和酵母S.啤酒。有一个越来越多的理解氧化DNA损伤，这可能是一个不可避免的后果呼吸，促进突变，有助于基因组的不稳定性和老化;如何特定的基因组位点和区域可能是诱变的热点;以及如何调控诱变是必不可少的微生物的发病机制和免疫反应。诱变和修复的机制已被证明是高度保守的，并且研究人员使用一系列明智的生物体和方法进行了持续和富有成效的相互作用。2010年诱变GRC将汇集一群不同的科学家，他们的兴趣集中在诱变机制及其后果，以促进积极讨论的形式，提出新的想法，并发展超越学科和国界的合作。突变戈登研究会议旨在汇集领先的研究人员，无论是谁建立和那些谁的职业生涯仍处于早期阶段，在一个务虚会一样的环境高度互动的会议。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（天然和合成），致癌作用，进化和遗传毒理学。2010年会议的主席是一名妇女，预计发言人名单中至少有25%是妇女，其中至少有一名西班牙裔发言人。 组织者将努力确保挑选妇女、初级科学家（最近的独立调查人员、博士后和研究生）和代表性不足的少数群体参加会议，在挑选与会者时优先考虑这些人。 专题的范围和专业知识、观点、方法和系统的广度将使这次会议有别于更专门的会议。这种广度，再加上与有限数量的参与者集中会议的强度，促进了思想的交叉施肥和合作，最终将导致对诱变机制及其结果的新见解。突变戈登研究会议的规模小，不寻常的合议和非正式性质，沿着强调具有不同专业知识的研究人员之间的讨论，使其在诱变领域独一无二。 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有助于支持研究生，博士后研究员和研究人员的参与，他们的职业生涯刚刚开始。

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.