Conference: 19th International Xenopus Conference

本提案要求支持学员以及主要本科院校（PUIs）的教师参加2023年8月举行的第19届国际爪蟾大会。该会议每两年举行一次，是研究人员使用非洲爪蛙（非洲爪蟾和热带爪蟾）的主要会议。研究人员利用这些动物在生物学的各个方面进行研究并取得新的科学发现，包括但不限于细胞分裂的调节、胚胎发育、细胞运动和通讯以及基因表达的控制。这些动物也为研究许多人类先天性疾病、癌症和神经发育障碍的生物学过程提供了机会。Xenopus会议允许来自美国、加拿大、英国、欧洲、亚洲和拉丁美洲的研究人员分享新发现、学习新技术并开发合作项目。这次会议对受训者尤其重要，包括研究生和博士后研究助理，以及来自PUIs的新独立研究人员和教师。研究人员和受训人员还将了解爪蟾资源中心提供的服务、资源和合作机会。提案要求为美国境内的30名国内受训人员和9名PUIs教员提供旅费奖励，这将减少他们参加会议的财政障碍。这种支持将促进许多科学领域新发现的交流，促进众多学员的科学和专业发展，并有助于将这些领域的现有知识整合到本科教学中；此外，它还加强了非洲爪蟾在基础研究中的应用。本提案要求支持来自主要本科院校（PUIs）的学员和教师参加2023年8月举行的第19届国际爪蟾大会。该会议每两年举行一次，是研究非洲爪蛙（非洲爪蟾和热带爪蟾）的主要会议。它提供了一个论坛，整合了广泛的细胞和发育生物学的新发现。特色主题将包括细胞缩放、细胞骨架动力学、细胞周期、细胞运动的机械生物学、纤毛生物发生和功能、基因组组织、早期发育的表观遗传学、细胞命运规范和翻译控制，以及再生、器官发生、免疫学和神经发育和功能等主题。其他会谈将讨论使用非洲爪蟾作为先天性疾病、癌症、神经发育障碍和神经损伤的模型。会议将介绍美国、英国和日本的国际爪蟾资源中心提供的资源、服务和合作机会。还将有专门针对多个职业阶段、专业发展和新兴出版实践进行指导的会议。这项提案要求为美国境内的30名国内受训人员和9名PUIs教员提供旅费补助，这将减少他们参加会议的财政障碍。这种支持将促进细胞生物学、发育生物学、分子遗传学和神经科学领域新发现的交流，促进众多学员的科学和专业发展，并有助于将这些新发现整合到本科课程中；此外，它还加强和维持了非洲爪蟾作为基础研究模型系统的使用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This proposal requests support for trainees, as well as faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), to attend the 19th International Xenopus Conference in August 2023. Held biennially, this conference is the primary meeting for researchers using the African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis). Researchers use these animals to investigate and make new scientific discoveries in all aspects of biology, including, but not limited to, regulation of cell division, embryonic development, cell movement and communication, and the control of gene expression. The animals also offer opportunities to study the biological processes underlying many human congenital diseases, cancers, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The Xenopus conference permits researchers from the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, and Latin America to share new findings, learn new techniques, and develop collaborative projects. This meeting is especially important for trainees, including graduate students and postdoctoral research associates, as well as new independent researchers and faculty from PUIs. Researchers and trainees will also learn about the services, resources, and collaborative opportunities offered by the Xenopus Resource Centers. The proposal requests support for travel awards for 30 domestic trainees and 9 faculty from PUIs within the USA, which would reduce financial barriers to their participation in the conference. This support will facilitate the exchange of new findings in many scientific fields, advance the scientific and professional development of numerous trainees, and help to integrate current understanding in these areas for undergraduate instruction; moreover, it strengthens the use of Xenopus for fundamental research.This proposal requests support for trainees and faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to attend the 19th International Xenopus Conference in August 2023. Held biennially, this conference is the primary meeting for investigators using African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis). It offers a forum for integration of new findings across a broad spectrum of cell and developmental biology. Featured topics will include cellular scaling, cytoskeletal dynamics, cell cycle, the mechanobiology of cell movement, ciliary biogenesis and function, genome organization, epigenetics of early development, cell fate specification and translational control, along with topics in regeneration, organogenesis, immunology, and neural development and function. Additional talks will address the use of Xenopus as a model for congenital disease, cancers, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neural injury. The meeting will feature presentations on the resources, services, and collaborative opportunities provided by the International Xenopus Resource Centers in the USA, UK, and Japan. There will also be sessions dedicated to mentoring for multiple career stages, professional development, and emerging publication practices. This proposal requests support for travel awards for 30 domestic trainees and 9 faculty from PUIs within the USA, which would reduce their financial barriers to participation in the conference. This support will facilitate the exchange of new findings in cell biology, developmental biology, molecular genetics, and neuroscience, advance the scientific and professional development of numerous trainees, and help to integrate these new findings in undergraduate curriculum; moreover, it strengthens and sustains the use of Xenopus as a model system for fundamental research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.