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如何发生，保守通路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。诱变推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由于人类疏忽引起的。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，近年来科学家们在定义诱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通过对更简单的微生物系统，特别是大肠杆菌和酿酒酵母进行实验而获得的基本见解。人们对氧化性DNA损伤（可能是呼吸不可避免的结果）如何促进导致基因组不稳定和衰老的突变有了越来越多的了解；特定的基因组位点和区域如何成为突变的热点；以及调控诱变如何对微生物的发病机制和免疫反应至关重要。突变和修复的机制已被证明是高度保守的，研究者之间使用一系列明智的生物体和方法进行了持续而富有成效的互动。2010年诱变GRC将汇集不同的科学家群体，他们的兴趣集中在诱变机制及其后果上，以一种促进积极讨论、提出新想法和发展超越学科和国界的合作的形式。诱变戈登研究会议旨在汇集领先的研究人员，包括那些已经建立的和那些仍处于职业生涯早期阶段的研究人员，在一个类似隐居的环境中进行高度互动的会议。与会者将代表广泛的研究兴趣领域，包括复制和修复保真度，DNA修饰（天然和合成），致癌，进化和遗传毒理学。2010年会议的主席是一名女性，预计演讲者名单将至少有25%是女性，至少有一名西班牙裔演讲者。组织者将努力确保女性、初级科学家（新近独立的研究者、博士后和研究生）和代表性不足的少数民族被选中参加会议，在选择会议参与者时优先考虑这些人。议题的广泛性以及专业知识、观点、方法和系统的广泛性将使本次会议有别于其他更专业的会议。这种广泛性，加上参加人数有限的重点会议的强度，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。戈登诱变研究会议的规模小，不同寻常的合议和非正式性质，以及它强调具有不同专业知识的研究人员之间的讨论，使其在诱变领域内独一无二。通过这次会议，将形成新的合作，传播新的知识。来自美国国家科学基金会的资金将帮助支持研究生、博士后研究员和职业生涯刚刚起步的研究人员的参与。

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.