FASEB's Mobile DNA: Evolution, Diversity, and Impact Conference.

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Mobile elements continue to play a major role in restructuring their host genomes. Since the discovery of transposons, the main focus has been on their contribution to germ line diseases, which is proven to be relevant to human health. The major departure of the 2021 FASEB conference from this line of thinking is its focus on the TE contribution to somatic genetic variation and its impact on normal aging and age-associated diseases, specifically those involving transformation or degeneration. Integration of this research direction into the FASEB “Mobile DNA: Evolution, Diversity, and Impact” meeting sets it apart from previous FASEB conferences as well as other TE- and aging-related meetings. Three members of the organizing committee, including the organizer of the conference, are NIA-funded investigators. One member of the committee, Dr. Steven Austad, is a prominent member of the aging field. Four US National Academy of Sciences members and two members of the European Academy of Sciences agreed to present at the conference and participate in the career development and meet-the-expert sessions. Our 2021 FASEB conference was scheduled for June 6-9 in Dublin, Ireland. Having an international location for the first time in the history of this conference is beneficial because both fields are strong in Europe. The European location will also make travel easier (i.e. fewer visa restrictions) and less expensive, which will increase attendance. In response to COVID the FASEB has changed the format to a 2- day virtual conference in June 8-9, 2021, followed by the traditional on-site conference in June 5-9, 2022. This format is beneficial to our goals of establishing and fostering collaborations between the two fields of research.