Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair, 2001

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APPLICANT'S DESCRIPTION Funds are requested to enable scientists to participate in the eighth biannual Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair, to be held in Ventura, California, January 21-26, 2001. The selected speakers are current leaders in the fields of DNA repair and related cellular processes. Besides providing a forum for these experts to present their most recent results and ideas, the Conference will facilitate wide-ranging interactions among all attendees through Plenary Discussion Sessions, Poster Sessions and other mechanisms. Selected poster presenters (generally students and younger scientists) will be given the opportunity to highlight their research results in short presentations to stimulate debate following the plenary talks. (Several overhead transparencies, but no slides will be permitted for these "Discussion Points"). The Conference is normally oversubscribed with attendance limited to about 135 participants. The attendees will be chosen globally from universities, research institutes, and government and industrial research labs. Every effort will be made to select a well-balanced mix of individuals ranging from leaders in mammalian DNA repair to younger scientists new to the field. A concerted attempt will be made to identify and attract qualified minority scientists to the Conference. The 2001 Conference differs from the previous ones, in that it will focus more narrowly on mammalian systems. This reflects the explosive growth of the DNA repair field and the exciting, new data linking DNA repair to human genetic disease and cancer (e.g., BRCA gene mutations that predispose to breast cancer appear to have roles in DNA repair). The first session will feature keynote addressees by Drs. Philip Hanawalt, Jean-Marc Egly, and John Tainer. These presentations will create a blend of information from genetic, biochemical and structural biology approaches the problem of understanding mammalian DNA repair mechanisms. The following eight sessions will be in defined areas in which exciting new information is emerging but in which experts may disagree. The session topics include: Mouse Models and DNA Repair Defects; Cellular Responses to Genotoxic Stress; Mechanisms of Recombinational and Double-Strand Break Repair; Mechanisms and Pathways in Bulky Lesion Repair; Postreplication Repair of Mismatches and Loops; Lesion Bypass and Novel DNA Polymerases; Pathway Coordination in Repair of Oxidatively Damaged DNA and Repair of Mitochondrial DNA; and Initiation and Coordination of Endogenous Lesion Repair. In summary, this Conference will examine DNA repair as a key component in the genomic surveillance that is so crucial to the overall integrity and function of mammalian cells. Recent discoveries have catapulted DNA repair into a pivotal position in fundamental research in the fields of oncology, aging, environmental health, and developmental biology. We hope to highlight the most promising and exciting avenues of research through robust discussions at this Conference. Where possible each session will include a blend of genetic, biochemical and structural biology approaches.