2020 Ciliate Molecular Biology Conference

该奖项将支持参加第20届纤毛虫分子生物学会议的美国早期职业研究人员的出席和培训，该会议将于2020年7月14-18日在葡萄牙里斯本的里斯本卫生技术学院校园举行。纤毛虫是一种独特的生物，对它的研究已经产生了许多变革性的发现，这些发现极大地推动了分子生物学领域的发展。这个一年两次的会议是研究纤毛虫的实验生物学家的主要会议，在维持这一重要研究社区的活力方面发挥了关键作用。2020年会议将包括十个平台会议和两个科学交流海报会议。这次会议的更广泛的影响有几个，包括早期职业研究人员的专业发展机会，以及促进纤毛虫研究和教学的整合的努力。平台会议和讲习班将促进分享和实施本科生和高中生的纤毛虫教学模块。其他更广泛的影响包括在口头讲台上培训年轻科学家，以及扩大科学界代表性不足的群体，特别是妇女的参与。通过促进正式和非正式环境中的科学交流，将促进合作的可能性。对纤毛虫的研究导致了关键发现，并建立了新的生物学范式，如自剪接RNA、端粒和端粒酶、组蛋白修饰在基因表达中的作用，以及动力蛋白马达蛋白。最近的研究为RNA干扰相关途径和非编码RNA在程序性染色体重排的表观遗传调控中的作用以及翻译后微管蛋白修饰的功能提供了新的见解。纤毛原生动物具有一种不同寻常的生物学特性，包括每个细胞中存在两个功能不同的核、一个复杂的细胞骨架、丰富的染色体和纤毛。纤毛虫提供的创新研究方法为研究人员提供了独特的机会，以获得对主要生物过程的机械理解，这些过程有望向更广泛的分子生物界提供信息。本次会议的目标是交流科学发现，支持和指导早期职业科学家，鼓励跨学科研究，整合研究和教育，促进技术创新，并为纤毛虫研究社区开发资源。平台会议将传播分子功能的最新发现，包括对不同细胞过程的研究。一个关于基因组进化的会议将展示密集计算方法的价值，以获得对塑造这些有机体的选择性力量的洞察。另一个新的会议将侧重于开发纤毛虫研究的新工具和资源。这些广泛的目标将突出纤毛虫研究和STEM教育的重要未来方向。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award will support attendance and training of early career U.S. researchers at the 20th conference on Ciliate Molecular Biology, which will be held at the Lisbon School of Health Technology campus in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 14-18 of 2020. Ciliates are unique organisms, the study of which has yielded multiple transformational discoveries that have significantly advanced the molecular biology field. This biannual meeting is the major convocation of experimental biologists working with ciliates and plays a critical role in sustaining the vitality of this important research community. The 2020 meeting will consist of ten platform sessions and two poster sessions for scientific exchange. The Broader Impacts of this conference are several, including opportunities for professional development of early career researchers and efforts to facilitate the integration of ciliate research and teaching. Platform sessions and a workshop will facilitate the sharing and implementation of ciliate-based teaching modules for both undergraduate and high school students. Additional Broader Impacts include training young scientists at oral platform presentations, as well as broadening participation of groups underrepresented in science, especially women. Possibilities for collaborations will be promoted by fostering scientific exchange in both formal and informal settings.Research on ciliates has led to key discoveries and established new biological paradigms such as self-splicing RNAs, telomeres and telomerase, the role of histone modifications in gene expression, and the dynein motor protein. More recent studies have provided novel insights into the role of RNA interference-related pathways and non-coding RNAs in the epigenetic regulation of the programmed chromosome rearrangements, and the function of post-translational tubulin modification. Ciliated protozoa possess an unusual biology that encompasses the presence of two functionally distinct nuclei in each cell, a complex cytoskeleton, abundant chromosomes and cilia. The innovative research approaches afforded by ciliates provide investigators with unique opportunities to gain mechanistic understanding of major biological processes that are expected to inform the wider molecular biology community. The objectives of this conference are to exchange scientific findings, support and mentor early career scientists, encourage interdisciplinary research, integrate research and education, promote technical innovations, and develop resources for the ciliate research community. Platform sessions will disseminate the latest discoveries of molecular function encompassing studies of diverse cellular processes. A session on genome evolution will demonstrate the value of intensive computational approaches to gain insights into the selective forces that have shaped these organisms. Another new session will focus on development of new tools and resources for ciliate research. These broad goals will highlight important future directions for ciliate research and STEM education.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.