2011 Cell-Cell Fusion Gordon Research Conference and Seminar

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by Applicant): The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Cell-Cell Fusion will provide scientists from a wide range of disciplines with the newest research findings on the functions of cell fusion in development in a number of model organisms and in a variety of diseases. The emphasis will be on emerging universal mechanisms and future applications to cancer and stem cell research. This research conference will be the third Cell-Cell Fusion GRC and it is part of over 150 conferences that will be organized in 2011 by the GRC, an organization internationally known for the cutting edge nature of its meetings. Attendance at the meeting has grown steadily since its inception five years ago, and in 2011 the organizers expect to have 140 participants. The 2011 GRC on Cell-Cell Fusion will be held August 7-12, 2011 at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME. The program for the meeting described in this application has been designed around the theme of "Cell Fusion in Sex, Life, Development, and Disease". The organizer will deal mostly on the fundamental process of cell fusion during health and disease as well as the relationship between cell fusion and the larger fields of membrane fusion and fission during exocytosis, endocytosis, viral entry, and cytokinesis. The cell fusion community is entering a particularly fascinating phase as the fundamental principles of fusion emerging from theoretical analyses and studies on viral entry and intracellular trafficking start to be applied to understanding the functions and mechanisms of cell-cell fusion in development as well as disease. Important processes such as membrane fusion and fission, egg-sperm fusion, formation of bones, muscles, eye lens, stem cells, placenta, rare genetic diseases, and the invasion of cells by pathogens will be covered in eight sessions. This progress is being helped by classic and new methodology, including high throughput screening, developmental genetics in model organisms (e.g., fungi, flies, worms, and mice), and single-molecule biophysical methods. Exciting developments will be covered by the invited speakers, along with the latest progress on the basic mechanisms and applications of cell membrane fusion in vitro and in vivo. In addition there will be one round table discussion on myoblast fusion, a hotly debated topic that will encourage wide participation and scholarly organized discussions. The first Gordon-Kenan Research Seminar (GRS) on Cell-Cell fusion will be held August 6-7, 2011. This new GRS is organized by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and the activities during the GRS will be oriented to junior investigators and are intended to: (1) provide them with the basic background on mechanisms involved in membrane fusion in health and disease necessary to maximize their understanding of the science which will be discussed in the subsequent conference, (2) receive feedback on their ongoing research projects from experts in the field, and (3) facilitate their interaction with senior members of this scientific community to promote networking between junior and more senior researchers in the field. It is fully anticipate that the scientific discussions, research talks, poster sessions, and other informal interactions among the participants of this conference will contribute to advancing our understanding of novel molecular mechanisms involved in cell fusion during normal development as well as in human diseases, and will set the basis for the development of multidisciplinary projects aimed at discovering new treatments for these disorders. NARRATIVE: The Cell-Cell Fusion Gordon Research Conference (GRC) together with the first sister Gordon-Kenan Research Seminar (GRS) will bring leaders in diverse scientific disciplines together with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows constituting the future generation of researchers in the emerging field of cell fusion. The scientific presentations, discussions, round table discussions, as well as workshops during the GRC and GRS conferences on cell-cell fusion are tailored to expand our knowledge on the mechanisms by which membranes fuse in model organisms, and may contribute to our understanding of the first events in sexual development, the formation of many organs, cancer, stem cell biology, and rare diseases. The exciting, friendly, and multidisciplinary atmosphere that has traditionally characterized the Cell-Cell Fusion GRC will provide the ideal setting for the intellectual development and implementation of groundbreaking approaches to treat some cancers, as well as use stem cells to address fundamental biological questions and diseases.