2008 Meiosis Gordon Research Conference

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Partial support is requested for an international meeting on Meiosis as part of the Gordon Research Conferences, to be held at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH June 8-13, 2008. Meiosis is the specialized cell division that gives rise to reproductive cells such as sperm and eggs. The long-term goal of the conference is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of meiotic chromosome segregation and cell division in both normal and disease conditions. The emphasis is on chromosome dynamics, but with substantial coverage of cytoskeletal and nuclear structure, gene regulation, gametogenesis, and evolutionary aspects. The specific aims of the meeting are to provide a forum for scientific interaction in this interdisciplinary field, to present the newest results in the field, to introduce young researchers to the field and foster their interactions with established investigators, and to promote interdisciplinary discussion that will foster new approaches, concepts, and ideas. The meeting will convene approximately 175 participants, including 50 speakers, to discuss cutting-edge, mostly unpublished research. The program comprises 9 plenary sessions that broadly address current issues in homologous recombination; regulation of meiotic progression; cell cycle checkpoints; histone modifications and control of meiotic gene expression; suppression of transposable elements; chromosome pairing and synapsis; sister chromatid cohesion; the meiotic bouquet and the nuclear envelope; chromosome segregation; and the evolution of meiosis and sexual reproduction. Four poster sessions will provide an additional forum open to all participants. The health relatedness of this application is that errors in meiosis are responsible for at least half of clinically recognized miscarriages, as well as a spectrum of chromosomal birth defects in humans. This meeting provides a forum for discussions that will advance our understanding of this fundamental aspect of reproductive health and that will frame the experimental questions necessary to drive future research. Project Narrative: Abnormal chromosome numbers in eggs or sperm cause developmental disabilities or spontaneous abortion. These abnormalities often arise because of improper separation of chromosomes during meiosis, the cell division that generates the reproductive cells. This meeting will provide a forum for discussions that advance knowledge of reproductive health, and that define the future experimental questions aimed at understanding normal meiosis as well as the errors made by meiotic cells.