6th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination

描述（由申请人提供）：资金被要求为将于2012年4月举行的第六届脊椎动物性别决定生物学国际研讨会提供部分支持。该会议自1997年开始以来每三年举行一次。这个独特的会议是由整个国际领域的各种脊椎动物系统，包括两栖动物，鱼类，鸟类，爬行动物，单孔目动物，有袋动物和真兽目哺乳动物，包括驯化物种，小鼠和人类的工作参加。几乎不可能跟上在如此多的不同脊椎动物系统中取得的进展。因此，本次会议的目的是交流信息，采用比较的方法，促进我们对性别决定和性别分化过程以及性发育障碍的理解。前五次研讨会促成了许多合作：交换了试剂，计划了实验，讨论了性别决定的新方法。第五届研讨会的参与者中约有70%是初级科学家，包括研究生，博士后研究员和助理教授，为与该领域的高级领导人进行互动提供了独特的机会。我们期待第六届研讨会与前几届一样富有成效和令人鼓舞。 公共卫生相关性：胚胎发生过程中的性发育导致形成分别产生精子和卵子的雄性和雌性。性发育中的遗传和环境诱导的出生缺陷导致临床上显著的异常，包括中间性、常见的生殖器异常如尿道下裂、不育和病理如癌症。拟议的会议将汇集来自世界各地研究不同类型脊椎动物的高级和初级科学家，以了解更多关于性发育的知识，并将新知识应用于理解和治疗性发育障碍和疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are requested to provide partial support for the 6th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination to be held in April of 2012. This meeting has been held at 3-year intervals since its inception in 1997. This unique meeting is attended by the entire international field working on diverse vertebrate systems including amphibians, fishes, birds, reptiles, monotremes, marsupials, and eutherian mammals, including domesticated species, mice, and humans. It is nearly impossible to keep up with the advances made in so many diverse vertebrate systems. Therefore, the objective of this meeting is to exchange information, using a comparative approach to advance our understanding of the process of sex determination and sex differentiation and disorders of sexual development. Many collaborations resulted from the first five symposia: reagents were exchanged, experiments planned and new ways of looking at sex determination discussed. Approximately 70% of the participants of the 5th symposium were junior scientists, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and assistant professors, providing a unique opportunity for interactions with senior leaders in the field. We expect the 6th symposium to be as productive and stimulating as the previous ones. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Sexual development during embryogenesis results in the formation of males and females that produce sperm and eggs, respectively. Genetic and environmental-induced birth defects in sexual development result in clinically significant abnormalities that include intersexes, common genital abnormalities such as hypospadias, infertility, and pathologies such as cancer. The proposed conference will bring together senior and junior scientists from around the world studying different types of vertebrate animals to learn more about sexual development and apply new knowledge to the understanding and treatment of disorders of sexual development and disease.