Keystone Symposia
Keystone Conferences 2010
from Molecular Biology Conferences
Further reading: Molecular Biology publications
January 8 - 13, 2010 Structural Genomics: Expanding the Horizons of Structural Biology
Breckenridge, CO, USA Further information
Structural Biology continues to be one of the most prolific and informative ways to make biological and biomedical discoveries at the turn of the millennium, and provides fundamental molecular level insights into the underlying biological and biochemical functions. Structural genomics has been at the forefront of these developments as a major contributor to the advances of high throughput (HT) technologies and methodologies that span the gene to structure process by both crystallography and NMR. In parallel, the rapid expansion of the genome sequencing projects is substantially increasing the complexity and size of the known protein universe, and providing structural biologists with a wealth of new opportunities and challenges to explore, the diversity of biological macromolecules and their relationships to, function, evolution and disease. The goal of this Keystone Symposia meeting is to explore how we can best harness the current approaches from high throughput structural genomics to tackle present and future challenges in structural biology and how we can directly apply these methods to topical and important problems in structural, molecular, cellular and chemical biology. We will focus on approaches that are applicable not only for large consortia, but also for single investigator laboratories and smaller scale projects. Using such methodologies and technologies, we can then keep pace with the genome sequencing efforts and continue to make significant contributions to the constantly increasing discoveries on the intricacies and vagaries of complex biological processes – such as mammalian proteomes, microbial pathogens and cellular and signaling networks /systems. In this way, structural biology will continue to lead the way in making innovative discoveries in biological, chemical, and biomedical research.
Suggested reading: Genomics Books
January 12 - 17, 2010 HIV Biology and Pathogenesis
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
The Keystone Symposia Meeting on HIV Biology and Pathogenesis emphasizes key aspects of the basic virological, cell and molecular biological, and disease aspects of HIV. The focus will be to highlight recent advances in our understanding of HIV/AIDS ranging from the earliest events of transmission, to treatments for infected individuals, to interventions to prevent viral transmission. The goal of the meeting is to emphasize the basic mechanisms of viral replication and the interplay of the virus with the immune system leading to the development of AIDS.
Suggested reading: Lentiviruses and Macrophages
January 14 - 19, 2010 RNA Silencing: Mechanism, Biology and Application
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Since the discovery in 1993 of the first small silencing RNA, a dizzying number of small RNA classes have been identified, including microRNAs, various types of siRNAs and piRNAs. These classes differ in their biogenesis, modes of target regulation and in the biological pathways they regulate. However, there is also a growing realization that these distinct small RNA pathways are interconnected. These pathways functions in RNA-based immunity, developmental gene regulation, transcriptional silencing, and genomic stability. The aim of this meeting is to explore the similarities and differences between RNA silencing pathways, to probe their underlying molecular mechanisms, to learn, by illustrative examples, the logic behind RNA-guided regulation of gene expression, and to explore new methods for harnessing these mechanisms for gene discovery and therapeutics applications.
Suggested reading: RNA and the Regulation of Gene Expression: A Hidden Layer of Complexity
January 17 - 22, 2010 Molecular Basis for Chromatin Structure and Regulation
Taos, NM, USA Further information
Chromatin structure and dynamics underlie every aspect of genome function. The past several years have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of facts, ranging from catalogs of histone protein posttranslational modifications to complete genome sequences of many organisms to atomic resolution structures of many key molecular players. But our mechanistic understanding lags far behind. New reagents, methodologies and concepts are needed. This meeting will bring together leading experts in diverse areas of chromatin biology who are developing and applying new approaches to develop a concrete mechanistic link between chromatin structure and chromatin function. The topics covered include: fundamental in vivo physical chemical studies of transcription factor binding; real-time single molecule in vivo imaging; state-of-the-art methods for discovery, characterization, and manipulation of histone- and nucleosome-modifying enzymes and for the synthesis and characterization of their specifically-modified histone and nucleosome substrates; single molecule biophysics studies of molecular mechanisms; atomic resolution structural studies; and locus- and chromosome-wide phenomena such as heterochromatin formation and dosage compensation.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
January 31 - February 5, 2010 New Insights into Healthspan and Diseases of Aging: From Molecular to Functional Senescence
Tahoe City, CA, USA Further information
Aging can be defined as the gradual loss of the ability of the organism to maintain homeostasis. Our aim will be to focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which tissue and organ function deteriorate and homeostasis fails rather than on longevity itself, which has been the theme of previous Keystone Symposia meetings on aging. Work from a variety of models is recognizing that organisms, especially humans, are complicated systems in which interventions that extend lifespan might not necessarily block the aging and loss of function in specific organs or tissues and vice versa. Continuing this approach will help us gain an understanding and appreciation of the complexity that underlies aging in humans. The aim of this meeting is to reveal the integration and communication between pathways and systems during functional aging and their relationship with longevity. This meeting will highlight important questions to address in future research. Most importantly, what are the common and disparate causes underlying the cellular and physiological mechanisms responsible for human senescent phenotypes?
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
February 14 - 19, 2010 Antibiotics and Resistance: Challenges and Solutions
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
In the face of a growing crisis in antibiotic resistance and the emergence of new bacterial pathogens, there is a pressing clinical need for new antibiotics. Paradoxically, this call for new drugs comes at a time when investment in antibiotic development in the pharmaceutical industry is at historically low levels. Despite the promise of the genomic revolution to inform drug development and innovations in drug discovery and the fundamental biology that underpins it, modern control of infectious disease with antibiotics is perilously fragile. This meeting brings together researchers from medicine, academe and industry and from across scientific disciplines to discuss the challenges of antibiotic development in the 21st Century. What is the scope of the problem? What are possible solutions? What are the imperatives for the short and long term and is the traditional antibiotic paradigm in need of an overhaul? These questions will be the focus of the meeting that will help to define the problems and solutions in antibiotic development.
Suggested reading: Microbiology Books
February 16 - 21, 2010 Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis
Taos, NM, Canada Further information
The Keystone Symposia meeting on the Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis emphasizes key aspects of virus infection pathways and cellular responses. A central goal is the identification of critical virus-cell crosstalk during these processes. Rather than dividing viruses into separate “categories” such as positive-sense RNA viruses and DNA viruses, the meeting highlights common aspects of virus lifecycles among different virus groups. The multi-disciplinary nature of the proposed meeting is important in bringing together investigators using structural, molecular, cell biological, immunological and epidemiological methods. This emphasis on shared themes and multiple experimental approaches will continue to be critical to future advances in virology. While there has been spectacular recent progress in our understanding of virus lifecycles, we are still very far from being able to design antiviral strategies, and unexpected novel aspects of virus cell biology are constantly being discovered. Plenary sessions will cover the most important aspects of virus interactions with cells. Day 1 will include cutting-edge structural virology studies and imaging methods to follow single virus particles during entry. Day 2 will focus on the entry mechanisms of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses and the roles of cellular proteins in virus infection. Day 3 will cover viral and cellular aspects of virus replication and cellular antiviral responses. The last day will focus on the important areas of virus assembly and pathogenesis. Late-breaking exciting developments in this fast-moving field will be incorporated by short presentations and afternoon workshop sessions drawn from the submitted abstracts.
Suggested reading: Virology Books
February 21 - 26, 2010 RNA Silencing Mechanisms in Plants
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
Although the core mechanisms of RNA silencing are conserved across eukaryotes, plants have deployed gene silencing in a particularly wide variety of molecular, developmental, adaptive, defensive and epigenetic contexts. Plants, therefore, serve as among the most insightful models to illuminate mechanisms of RNA-directed DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing, antiviral defense, small RNA biogenesis and effector mechanisms, and the roles of small RNA-mediated regulation in development and stress responses. We will highlight recent mechanistic advances about how RNA silencing pathways integrate with plant processes, acting at levels ranging from single-nucleotide to population, as regulatory devices. Session topics emphasize integration between silencing mechanisms and developmental regulation and stress responses, DNA and chromatin modification, host-pathogen dynamics, and natural variation. The Symposium will also highlight cutting-edge, high-throughput technology being developed and applied to understand the roles of RNA-mediated silencing across the plant genome.
Suggested reading: RNA and the Regulation of Gene Expression: A Hidden Layer of Complexity
February 27 - March 4, 2010 Lymphocyte Activation and Gene Expression
Breckenridge, CO, USA Further information
Lymphocytes mediate the adaptive immune responses to antigens derived from infectious agents, transformed cells, transplanted organs and, in the setting of autoimmunity, ones own cells. The study of lymphocyte activation and gene expression is central to understanding the complex biology of these cells and offers hope for regulating these cells in different clinical settings. Much has been learned in the past several decades in this field. Receptors, enzymes and adapter molecules have been identified, signaling cascades and networks have been defined, and the complex regulation of gene expression has been explored. Nonetheless many basic questions remain to be elucidated. Among several contentious areas of research that will be presented by experts at this meeting are the actual means by which antigen receptors initiate the activation process, how activation induces changes in signaling pathways, intracellular organelles and the cytoskeleton, and how changes in chromatin and transcriptional factors determine gene expression.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 HIV Vaccines
Banff, Canada Further information
Since an HIV vaccine is proving to be a particularly recalcitrant problem, a novel approach that facilitates a wider cross-fertilization of ideas would be very valuable and would be welcomed by the broader HIV vaccine research community. To that end, the major development proposed for the 2010 Keystone HIV Vaccine Symposium is to foster innovative ideas and new collaborations with immunology and vaccinology as it pertains to other viral diseases. Specifically, we propose that a new Joint Symposium of HIV Vaccines in conjunction with Viral Immunity be convened. This Joint Symposium would retain the valuable format that includes joint and separate sessions covering general and specific principles.
Suggested reading: AIDS Vaccine Development: Challenges and Opportunities
March 21 - 26, 2010 Nuclear Receptors: Development, Physiology and Disease
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Nuclear receptors represent a family of ligand-regulated transcription factors that play central roles in development, physiology, and metabolism. Upon binding small lipophilic hormones and metabolites, such as steroids, fatty acids, and bile acids, nuclear receptors switch their regulatory status, reprogramming gene expression in target tissues. Current research is aimed at defining roles for these receptors in normal development and metabolism as well as better understanding how nuclear receptor dysfunction contributes to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neuronal disorders. Nuclear receptors are also a major target for drug development, with many compounds on the market and several in ongoing human trials. This meeting will highlight recent breakthroughs in nuclear receptor research, promote interactions between scientists from industry and academia, and provide opportunities for senior scientists to interact with younger researchers and trainees.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 Nuclear Receptors: Signaling, Gene Regulation and Cancer
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Nuclear receptors (NRs) comprise a large family of ligand-regulated transcription factors that play critical roles in physiology and disease. Much of the focus has been on the nuclear actions of NRs, including interactions with coregulators, modulation of chromatin structure, and regulation of gene expression. Recent studies, however, have also suggested a role for membrane- or cytoplasmic-initiated actions of NRs and crosstalk with other cellular signaling pathways. Current studies are aimed at understanding how the ligand-dependent molecular actions of NRs, including their subcellular localization, binding across the genome, and interaction with the proteome, connect to their roles in physiological and pathophysiological processes, including hormone-regulated cancers. In addition, NRs are being explored as targets for drug development, with many compounds on the market or in ongoing clinical trials. This meeting will highlight recent breakthroughs in NR research, promote interactions between scientists from industry and academia, and provide opportunities for senior scientists to interact with younger researchers and trainees.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 Viral Immunity
Banff, Canada Further information
The most exciting recent advances in viral immunity include the increased understanding of the role of innate immune mechanisms, interaction between innate and adaptive immunity, pathogen manipulation of host responses, and activation of immune responses and generation of immune memory. Despite these advances, basic mechanisms of anti-viral immunity are poorly characterized particularly for chronic infections. Efforts are also required to exploit recent research advances to improve vaccine design and therapeutic intervention. This meeting will include both innate and adaptive immunity and juxtapose animal models with human studies as it attempts to foster collaborative efforts between attending viral immunologists and the HIV vaccine researchers in the joint meeting. Expert talks in plenary sessions will encompass the latest in critical areas of viral immunity. Workshops and additional presentations will cover provocative and cutting-edge results from attendees. The meeting objective is to accelerate progress in understanding and manipulating anti-viral immunity to improve human health.
Suggested reading: Virology Books
April 7 - 12, 2010 Dynamics of Eukaryotic Transcription during Development
Big Sky, MT, USA Further information
Gene expression in eukaryotes is regulated primarily at the level of transcription. Although much is known about the basic building blocks required to recruit RNA polymerase II to a gene promoter and establish a pre-initiation complex, recent data reveals that a great deal of regulation occurs during transcription elongation, and involves dynamic interactions between the transcription machinery and chromatin structure. This meeting is intended to explore these recently appreciated mechanisms for gene regulation and to showcase the novel techniques that have permitted these advances. Of particular interest are the use of comprehensive, genomic approaches, and their use towards understanding the different patterns of gene expression in different model systems, including stem cells and developing tissues, as well as the application of novel molecular probing and cell imaging techniques to investigate the global nuclear architecture and its impact on gene expression.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
April 11 - 16, 2010 Malaria: New Approaches to Understanding Host-Parasite Interactions
Copper Mountain, CO, USA Further information
Malaria has entered a new era—a partially effective vaccine may be licensed in the not too distant future, and the genomes of host, parasite and vector are now widely available. Major advances have been made in understanding basic parasite cell biology and fundamental immunology, using rapidly evolving molecular genetic technologies for both host and parasite. Systems biology approaches also offer a new paradigm for interrogating complex host responses to a complex pathogen. Future progress will require greater integration of these technologies to elucidate parasite cell biology, host-parasite interactions, and the specific mechanisms that confer protection in our model systems and in nature. This symposium will bring together these new fields to examine those aspects of host and Plasmodium biology important for understanding immunity and pathogenesis.
Suggested reading: Parasitology Booksy Books
April 11 - 16, 2010 Molecular Targets for Control of Vector-Borne Diseases: Bridging Lab and Field Research
Copper Mountain, CO, USA Further information
Vigorous research since the completion of the Anopheles gambiae genome sequence has established the malaria mosquito as a model organism for host-pathogen biology. However, the translation of this growing post-genomic knowledge base into new vector-targeted malaria control strategies is a distinct challenge that now leads laboratory-based molecular researchers to confront the complexity and heterogeneity of the natural malaria transmission system. Simultaneously, a body of field-based vector researchers has been developing new ways to utilize existing vector control tools such as bednets and insecticides that, if consistently implemented, can yield impressive outcomes. Lab and field based practitioners attend different meetings and rarely engage in direct dialog. This conference will examine the tension between the development of new practical malaria control tools, including genomic ones, and the advantages of more fully exploiting existing tools. It is hoped that the scientific discussion will help influence individual and programmatic research priorities.
Suggested reading: Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis
April 12 - 17, 2010 Islet Biology
Whistler, Canada Further information
This symposium will focus on advances in our understanding of normal pancreatic b-cell function and mechanisms of beta-cell failure in type 2 diabetes, which has become a pandemic disease with estimates of affected individuals reaching 350 millions in 2030. Defects in pancreatic b-cell function and reduced beta cell mass are now recognized as the event that triggers the transition from pre-diabetes/metabolic syndrome to overt type 2 diabetes. Major advances have been made in our understanding of fundamental beta-cell biology, signaling pathways regulating islet growth, apoptosis, regeneration in normal and disease states, and development of new strategies for enhancing beta-cell survival and function. Leading contributors of academic and industrial contributors alike will carefully discuss recent advances in several disciplines, including development, regeneration, stem cells, transcription factors, novel signaling pathways, cell biology, genetics, gene regulation, drug targeting, as well as emerging technologies in islet research.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
from Molecular Biology Conferences
Further reading: Molecular Biology publications
Further reading: Molecular Biology publications
January 8 - 13, 2010 Structural Genomics: Expanding the Horizons of Structural Biology
Breckenridge, CO, USA Further information
Structural Biology continues to be one of the most prolific and informative ways to make biological and biomedical discoveries at the turn of the millennium, and provides fundamental molecular level insights into the underlying biological and biochemical functions. Structural genomics has been at the forefront of these developments as a major contributor to the advances of high throughput (HT) technologies and methodologies that span the gene to structure process by both crystallography and NMR. In parallel, the rapid expansion of the genome sequencing projects is substantially increasing the complexity and size of the known protein universe, and providing structural biologists with a wealth of new opportunities and challenges to explore, the diversity of biological macromolecules and their relationships to, function, evolution and disease. The goal of this Keystone Symposia meeting is to explore how we can best harness the current approaches from high throughput structural genomics to tackle present and future challenges in structural biology and how we can directly apply these methods to topical and important problems in structural, molecular, cellular and chemical biology. We will focus on approaches that are applicable not only for large consortia, but also for single investigator laboratories and smaller scale projects. Using such methodologies and technologies, we can then keep pace with the genome sequencing efforts and continue to make significant contributions to the constantly increasing discoveries on the intricacies and vagaries of complex biological processes – such as mammalian proteomes, microbial pathogens and cellular and signaling networks /systems. In this way, structural biology will continue to lead the way in making innovative discoveries in biological, chemical, and biomedical research.
Suggested reading: Genomics Books
January 12 - 17, 2010 HIV Biology and Pathogenesis
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
The Keystone Symposia Meeting on HIV Biology and Pathogenesis emphasizes key aspects of the basic virological, cell and molecular biological, and disease aspects of HIV. The focus will be to highlight recent advances in our understanding of HIV/AIDS ranging from the earliest events of transmission, to treatments for infected individuals, to interventions to prevent viral transmission. The goal of the meeting is to emphasize the basic mechanisms of viral replication and the interplay of the virus with the immune system leading to the development of AIDS.
Suggested reading: Lentiviruses and Macrophages
January 14 - 19, 2010 RNA Silencing: Mechanism, Biology and Application
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Since the discovery in 1993 of the first small silencing RNA, a dizzying number of small RNA classes have been identified, including microRNAs, various types of siRNAs and piRNAs. These classes differ in their biogenesis, modes of target regulation and in the biological pathways they regulate. However, there is also a growing realization that these distinct small RNA pathways are interconnected. These pathways functions in RNA-based immunity, developmental gene regulation, transcriptional silencing, and genomic stability. The aim of this meeting is to explore the similarities and differences between RNA silencing pathways, to probe their underlying molecular mechanisms, to learn, by illustrative examples, the logic behind RNA-guided regulation of gene expression, and to explore new methods for harnessing these mechanisms for gene discovery and therapeutics applications.
Suggested reading: RNA and the Regulation of Gene Expression: A Hidden Layer of Complexity
January 17 - 22, 2010 Molecular Basis for Chromatin Structure and Regulation
Taos, NM, USA Further information
Chromatin structure and dynamics underlie every aspect of genome function. The past several years have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of facts, ranging from catalogs of histone protein posttranslational modifications to complete genome sequences of many organisms to atomic resolution structures of many key molecular players. But our mechanistic understanding lags far behind. New reagents, methodologies and concepts are needed. This meeting will bring together leading experts in diverse areas of chromatin biology who are developing and applying new approaches to develop a concrete mechanistic link between chromatin structure and chromatin function. The topics covered include: fundamental in vivo physical chemical studies of transcription factor binding; real-time single molecule in vivo imaging; state-of-the-art methods for discovery, characterization, and manipulation of histone- and nucleosome-modifying enzymes and for the synthesis and characterization of their specifically-modified histone and nucleosome substrates; single molecule biophysics studies of molecular mechanisms; atomic resolution structural studies; and locus- and chromosome-wide phenomena such as heterochromatin formation and dosage compensation.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
January 31 - February 5, 2010 New Insights into Healthspan and Diseases of Aging: From Molecular to Functional Senescence
Tahoe City, CA, USA Further information
Aging can be defined as the gradual loss of the ability of the organism to maintain homeostasis. Our aim will be to focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which tissue and organ function deteriorate and homeostasis fails rather than on longevity itself, which has been the theme of previous Keystone Symposia meetings on aging. Work from a variety of models is recognizing that organisms, especially humans, are complicated systems in which interventions that extend lifespan might not necessarily block the aging and loss of function in specific organs or tissues and vice versa. Continuing this approach will help us gain an understanding and appreciation of the complexity that underlies aging in humans. The aim of this meeting is to reveal the integration and communication between pathways and systems during functional aging and their relationship with longevity. This meeting will highlight important questions to address in future research. Most importantly, what are the common and disparate causes underlying the cellular and physiological mechanisms responsible for human senescent phenotypes?
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
February 14 - 19, 2010 Antibiotics and Resistance: Challenges and Solutions
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
In the face of a growing crisis in antibiotic resistance and the emergence of new bacterial pathogens, there is a pressing clinical need for new antibiotics. Paradoxically, this call for new drugs comes at a time when investment in antibiotic development in the pharmaceutical industry is at historically low levels. Despite the promise of the genomic revolution to inform drug development and innovations in drug discovery and the fundamental biology that underpins it, modern control of infectious disease with antibiotics is perilously fragile. This meeting brings together researchers from medicine, academe and industry and from across scientific disciplines to discuss the challenges of antibiotic development in the 21st Century. What is the scope of the problem? What are possible solutions? What are the imperatives for the short and long term and is the traditional antibiotic paradigm in need of an overhaul? These questions will be the focus of the meeting that will help to define the problems and solutions in antibiotic development.
Suggested reading: Microbiology Books
February 16 - 21, 2010 Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis
Taos, NM, Canada Further information
The Keystone Symposia meeting on the Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis emphasizes key aspects of virus infection pathways and cellular responses. A central goal is the identification of critical virus-cell crosstalk during these processes. Rather than dividing viruses into separate “categories” such as positive-sense RNA viruses and DNA viruses, the meeting highlights common aspects of virus lifecycles among different virus groups. The multi-disciplinary nature of the proposed meeting is important in bringing together investigators using structural, molecular, cell biological, immunological and epidemiological methods. This emphasis on shared themes and multiple experimental approaches will continue to be critical to future advances in virology. While there has been spectacular recent progress in our understanding of virus lifecycles, we are still very far from being able to design antiviral strategies, and unexpected novel aspects of virus cell biology are constantly being discovered. Plenary sessions will cover the most important aspects of virus interactions with cells. Day 1 will include cutting-edge structural virology studies and imaging methods to follow single virus particles during entry. Day 2 will focus on the entry mechanisms of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses and the roles of cellular proteins in virus infection. Day 3 will cover viral and cellular aspects of virus replication and cellular antiviral responses. The last day will focus on the important areas of virus assembly and pathogenesis. Late-breaking exciting developments in this fast-moving field will be incorporated by short presentations and afternoon workshop sessions drawn from the submitted abstracts.
Suggested reading: Virology Books
February 21 - 26, 2010 RNA Silencing Mechanisms in Plants
Santa Fe, NM, USA Further information
Although the core mechanisms of RNA silencing are conserved across eukaryotes, plants have deployed gene silencing in a particularly wide variety of molecular, developmental, adaptive, defensive and epigenetic contexts. Plants, therefore, serve as among the most insightful models to illuminate mechanisms of RNA-directed DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing, antiviral defense, small RNA biogenesis and effector mechanisms, and the roles of small RNA-mediated regulation in development and stress responses. We will highlight recent mechanistic advances about how RNA silencing pathways integrate with plant processes, acting at levels ranging from single-nucleotide to population, as regulatory devices. Session topics emphasize integration between silencing mechanisms and developmental regulation and stress responses, DNA and chromatin modification, host-pathogen dynamics, and natural variation. The Symposium will also highlight cutting-edge, high-throughput technology being developed and applied to understand the roles of RNA-mediated silencing across the plant genome.
Suggested reading: RNA and the Regulation of Gene Expression: A Hidden Layer of Complexity
February 27 - March 4, 2010 Lymphocyte Activation and Gene Expression
Breckenridge, CO, USA Further information
Lymphocytes mediate the adaptive immune responses to antigens derived from infectious agents, transformed cells, transplanted organs and, in the setting of autoimmunity, ones own cells. The study of lymphocyte activation and gene expression is central to understanding the complex biology of these cells and offers hope for regulating these cells in different clinical settings. Much has been learned in the past several decades in this field. Receptors, enzymes and adapter molecules have been identified, signaling cascades and networks have been defined, and the complex regulation of gene expression has been explored. Nonetheless many basic questions remain to be elucidated. Among several contentious areas of research that will be presented by experts at this meeting are the actual means by which antigen receptors initiate the activation process, how activation induces changes in signaling pathways, intracellular organelles and the cytoskeleton, and how changes in chromatin and transcriptional factors determine gene expression.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 HIV Vaccines
Banff, Canada Further information
Since an HIV vaccine is proving to be a particularly recalcitrant problem, a novel approach that facilitates a wider cross-fertilization of ideas would be very valuable and would be welcomed by the broader HIV vaccine research community. To that end, the major development proposed for the 2010 Keystone HIV Vaccine Symposium is to foster innovative ideas and new collaborations with immunology and vaccinology as it pertains to other viral diseases. Specifically, we propose that a new Joint Symposium of HIV Vaccines in conjunction with Viral Immunity be convened. This Joint Symposium would retain the valuable format that includes joint and separate sessions covering general and specific principles.
Suggested reading: AIDS Vaccine Development: Challenges and Opportunities
March 21 - 26, 2010 Nuclear Receptors: Development, Physiology and Disease
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Nuclear receptors represent a family of ligand-regulated transcription factors that play central roles in development, physiology, and metabolism. Upon binding small lipophilic hormones and metabolites, such as steroids, fatty acids, and bile acids, nuclear receptors switch their regulatory status, reprogramming gene expression in target tissues. Current research is aimed at defining roles for these receptors in normal development and metabolism as well as better understanding how nuclear receptor dysfunction contributes to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neuronal disorders. Nuclear receptors are also a major target for drug development, with many compounds on the market and several in ongoing human trials. This meeting will highlight recent breakthroughs in nuclear receptor research, promote interactions between scientists from industry and academia, and provide opportunities for senior scientists to interact with younger researchers and trainees.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 Nuclear Receptors: Signaling, Gene Regulation and Cancer
Keystone, CO, USA Further information
Nuclear receptors (NRs) comprise a large family of ligand-regulated transcription factors that play critical roles in physiology and disease. Much of the focus has been on the nuclear actions of NRs, including interactions with coregulators, modulation of chromatin structure, and regulation of gene expression. Recent studies, however, have also suggested a role for membrane- or cytoplasmic-initiated actions of NRs and crosstalk with other cellular signaling pathways. Current studies are aimed at understanding how the ligand-dependent molecular actions of NRs, including their subcellular localization, binding across the genome, and interaction with the proteome, connect to their roles in physiological and pathophysiological processes, including hormone-regulated cancers. In addition, NRs are being explored as targets for drug development, with many compounds on the market or in ongoing clinical trials. This meeting will highlight recent breakthroughs in NR research, promote interactions between scientists from industry and academia, and provide opportunities for senior scientists to interact with younger researchers and trainees.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
March 21 - 26, 2010 Viral Immunity
Banff, Canada Further information
The most exciting recent advances in viral immunity include the increased understanding of the role of innate immune mechanisms, interaction between innate and adaptive immunity, pathogen manipulation of host responses, and activation of immune responses and generation of immune memory. Despite these advances, basic mechanisms of anti-viral immunity are poorly characterized particularly for chronic infections. Efforts are also required to exploit recent research advances to improve vaccine design and therapeutic intervention. This meeting will include both innate and adaptive immunity and juxtapose animal models with human studies as it attempts to foster collaborative efforts between attending viral immunologists and the HIV vaccine researchers in the joint meeting. Expert talks in plenary sessions will encompass the latest in critical areas of viral immunity. Workshops and additional presentations will cover provocative and cutting-edge results from attendees. The meeting objective is to accelerate progress in understanding and manipulating anti-viral immunity to improve human health.
Suggested reading: Virology Books
April 7 - 12, 2010 Dynamics of Eukaryotic Transcription during Development
Big Sky, MT, USA Further information
Gene expression in eukaryotes is regulated primarily at the level of transcription. Although much is known about the basic building blocks required to recruit RNA polymerase II to a gene promoter and establish a pre-initiation complex, recent data reveals that a great deal of regulation occurs during transcription elongation, and involves dynamic interactions between the transcription machinery and chromatin structure. This meeting is intended to explore these recently appreciated mechanisms for gene regulation and to showcase the novel techniques that have permitted these advances. Of particular interest are the use of comprehensive, genomic approaches, and their use towards understanding the different patterns of gene expression in different model systems, including stem cells and developing tissues, as well as the application of novel molecular probing and cell imaging techniques to investigate the global nuclear architecture and its impact on gene expression.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
April 11 - 16, 2010 Malaria: New Approaches to Understanding Host-Parasite Interactions
Copper Mountain, CO, USA Further information
Malaria has entered a new era—a partially effective vaccine may be licensed in the not too distant future, and the genomes of host, parasite and vector are now widely available. Major advances have been made in understanding basic parasite cell biology and fundamental immunology, using rapidly evolving molecular genetic technologies for both host and parasite. Systems biology approaches also offer a new paradigm for interrogating complex host responses to a complex pathogen. Future progress will require greater integration of these technologies to elucidate parasite cell biology, host-parasite interactions, and the specific mechanisms that confer protection in our model systems and in nature. This symposium will bring together these new fields to examine those aspects of host and Plasmodium biology important for understanding immunity and pathogenesis.
Suggested reading: Parasitology Booksy Books
April 11 - 16, 2010 Molecular Targets for Control of Vector-Borne Diseases: Bridging Lab and Field Research
Copper Mountain, CO, USA Further information
Vigorous research since the completion of the Anopheles gambiae genome sequence has established the malaria mosquito as a model organism for host-pathogen biology. However, the translation of this growing post-genomic knowledge base into new vector-targeted malaria control strategies is a distinct challenge that now leads laboratory-based molecular researchers to confront the complexity and heterogeneity of the natural malaria transmission system. Simultaneously, a body of field-based vector researchers has been developing new ways to utilize existing vector control tools such as bednets and insecticides that, if consistently implemented, can yield impressive outcomes. Lab and field based practitioners attend different meetings and rarely engage in direct dialog. This conference will examine the tension between the development of new practical malaria control tools, including genomic ones, and the advantages of more fully exploiting existing tools. It is hoped that the scientific discussion will help influence individual and programmatic research priorities.
Suggested reading: Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and Pathogenesis
April 12 - 17, 2010 Islet Biology
Whistler, Canada Further information
This symposium will focus on advances in our understanding of normal pancreatic b-cell function and mechanisms of beta-cell failure in type 2 diabetes, which has become a pandemic disease with estimates of affected individuals reaching 350 millions in 2030. Defects in pancreatic b-cell function and reduced beta cell mass are now recognized as the event that triggers the transition from pre-diabetes/metabolic syndrome to overt type 2 diabetes. Major advances have been made in our understanding of fundamental beta-cell biology, signaling pathways regulating islet growth, apoptosis, regeneration in normal and disease states, and development of new strategies for enhancing beta-cell survival and function. Leading contributors of academic and industrial contributors alike will carefully discuss recent advances in several disciplines, including development, regeneration, stem cells, transcription factors, novel signaling pathways, cell biology, genetics, gene regulation, drug targeting, as well as emerging technologies in islet research.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books
from Molecular Biology Conferences
Further reading: Molecular Biology publications
Labels: Keystone Conference, Keystone Conferences, Keystone Lecture, Keystone Meeting, Keystone Research Conference, Keystone Symposia, Keystone Symposium
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