This Gordon Research Conference is a combination of the former Gordon Conferences on Hormone Action, Hormones and Development, and Hormonal Carcinogenesis. This unique merger aims to advance these separate yet overlapping fields through cross-fertilization of ideas and knowledge on the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of hormone action and the common as well as unique aspects of hormonal control of developmental and carcinogenic events. The program will include state-of-the-art lectures and open discussions regarding the recent advances in hormone action, hormonal regulation of developmental events in diverse phyla, developmental pathways gone awry in cancer, steroid action in breast and prostate cancer, hormonal carcinogenesis at alternate sites and through alternate pathways, effects of environmental endocrine disruptors on development and cancer, epigenomic mechanisms in development and cancer under the control of hormones, and novel approaches for translational research. A wide range of model systems applicable to the study of hormone action in development, oncogenesis and cancer progression will be discussed as we attempt to identify common pathways that control early developmental events as well as carcinogenic events later in life. In addition to poster presentations by attendees, time will be allotted for short oral presentations of selected abstracts. Participation by trainees and members of both academia and industry is encouraged.

All organisms are exposed to harsh conditions. These harsh conditions include environmentally imposed stresses such as elevated temperature and irradiation, physiological stresses such as rapid cellular proliferation, oxidative stresses due to metabolic reactions, and pathophysiological stresses such as pharmacological agents, infection, and inflammation. Even normal developmental or nutritional changes exert stresses as systems temporarily depart from and try to re-establish homeostasis. If unmitigated, stress can lead to protein misfolding and aggregation, and cell death. Recent studies suggest that the ability to sense and respond to stress is critical for normal cell growth and development, and helps protect against diseases that include cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease (e.g., diabetes) and liver disease, and protein folding diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and prion-based disease. Studies in model systems have helped establish these principles and suggest a correlation between longevity and the ability to mount stress responses. There is also an increasing appreciation that the stress response can be pharmacologically modulated, and thus diseases that arise from these phenomena might be selectively targeted.

The GRC meeting will highlight cutting-edge advances in these fields. As in the past, we will continue to emphasize vigorous discussions of recent exciting developments related to several areas of research. These include developments in stress sensing, signaling and gene expression. We will also focus on diseases of protein folding and conformation, the roles of stress genes in metabolism, growth and development, stress gene modulation of infection and pathophysiological states, the cell biology of stress, the chemical modulation of stress pathways, and the roles of stress in aging. Many opportunities will be provided for established and new investigators and for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to engage in detailed but informal discussions. We seek to enhance the dissemination of new information and the formation of new collaborations. In turn, this will lead to advances and broaden our understanding of the role of stress proteins in human health, aging, and disease.

The goal of the Gordon Research Conference on Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization is to provide a stimulating forum for the dissemination and discussion of new research, concepts and opportunities at the forefront of epidermal and epithelial biology. Since its inception in 1979, this conference has succeeded in providing a forum that fosters interactions among clinical and basic scientists. The epidermis and its appendages have historically been a central focus, but the Conference has evolved to include additional tissues and models as our understanding of the similarities among epithelia grew. Additionally, inclusion of scientists whose research interests lies outside epithelia provides insight and innovative concepts that deepen our understanding of skin biology and identify new areas of research.

The program for 2009 reflects this continuing evolution with a strong emphasis on genome biology, stem cells, development, homeostasis, and novel therapeutic approaches for a broad range of skin diseases. The aims of the Conference are to pursue the long-standing tradition of defining the most important problems and opportunities at the frontiers of epithelial biology; further the development of young investigators in epithelial biology; and ensure that the field remains vibrant and receptive to concepts and advances in other fields. To accomplish these goals, the Conference will bring together an international cadre of participants including scientists from academia, industry, clinicians and basic researchers, young and senior scientists, dermatologists and pathologists, cell, developmental and molecular biologists in an atmosphere conducive to the free exchange of ideas. The major themes to be developed include: 1) Emerging Paradigms; 2) Stem cells: Mobilization and Regulation; 3) Genome biology; 4) New Insight into Keratinocyte and Skin Biology; 5) Signaling in Development and Tissue Homeostasis; 6) Complex Subcellular Processes; and 7) Disease Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches. Two oral sessions will be highlighting poster abstracts to ensure that the program reflects exciting new topics emerging in the weeks preceding the Conference.

Several epidemiologic studies indicate that there may be a risk of cancer from use of chlorinated tap water. However, to-date, the health effects observed in single-chemical animal toxicity studies (primarily liver cancer) have not been able to explain the effects observed in the human epidemiologic studies (primarily bladder cancer). More recent epidemiologic studies have focused on reproductive and developmental effects. And, although there have been associations observed between chlorinated tap water and these effects, it is not known which chemicals / disinfection by-products (DBPs) in the water may be responsible. Also, because previous toxicological research has focused on single chemical testing, it is not known how the complex mixture of DBPs (typically more than 300 chemicals) affects the overall toxicity and human health risk assessments (are the effects additive or non-additive?). The aim of this conference is to have the latest DBP occurrence and formation, treatment, exposure, toxicity, and epidemiology research presented to continue the dialog between chemists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and engineers in this area, and integrate epidemiologic, toxicology, exposure, and occurrence and formation studies so that this important human exposure issue may be solved.

Perhaps no other structure is more fundamental to our understanding of the brain than the synapse. The structure, molecular organization, signaling function, and plasticity of excitatory synapses underlie developmental and experience-dependent changes in brain function. However, a fundamental understanding of synaptic function is also essential to progress in lessening the burden of human neurological disease and for predicting and improving mental health. This conference is unique in its focus on the excitatory synapse, and is directed at a multidisciplinary group of participants including structural biologists, molecular and developmental biologists, cell biologists, biochemists, cell/molecular imagers, biophysicists and physiologists. The conference is intended to relate fundamental insights in excitatory synaptic function to the impairments in synaptic function that occur in disease, as well as the maladaptive plasticity that follows brain injury or substance abuse. The program has been designed to highlight cutting edge approaches and to stimulate new concepts, methods and technologies within a sound biological framework of fundamental neuroscience. The conference will bring together experts worldwide in an environment that is conducive to discussion and exchange of ideas.

Poster sessions will be matched with the topics of the platform sessions to stimulate exchange between all participants. A number of speakers will also be chosen from submitted abstracts to enhance the presentation of unpublished material, and the participation of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty.

The list of invited speakers will be posted in December 2008. We have reserved up to 8 speakers slots for abstract submitters for the meeting. This group will be selected in Spring 2009. Thus we urge participants, young and old, to apply early and submit an abstract. The Keynote lecturers are as follows:

Keynote Lecturers

• Gina Turrigiano (Brandeis)
  "Homeostatic synaptic scaling" (provisional title)
• Reinhard Jahn (MPI, Gottingen)
  "Synaptic vesicles as constitutively active fusion machines" (provisional title)

The topics for the sessions are listed below.

The 2009 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Red Cells follows the series of meetings on this topic that have been held every other year since 1979. This conference assembles established and promising new investigators who are working on all aspects of erythroid cells, from the developmental/environmental control of its ontogeny, to cellular/morphogenic aspects related to its unique membrane structure, to transcriptional/epigenetic regulation of its gene expression, and to disorders that follow from variations in these normal processes. By focusing on these topics, the Red Cells GRC continues to be the primary venue for presentation of the latest cutting edge basic and methodological research that it has covered throughout its history and for which it has become famous.

The meeting attracts an international coterie of researchers and provides a lively forum for active participation and discussion within intimate surroundings that makes interactions easy between senior and junior investigators, and between investigators that normally may not readily interact. The conference aims to be inclusive; importantly, many of the participants will include postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in addition to investigators who are early in their academic careers.

By the nature of its subject matter and collegial atmosphere, the Red Cells GRC remains fully relevant to enhancing the understanding of both the normal progression of erythroid cell maturation and the alterations that lead to its pathology.

Apoptosis plays a key role in the morphogenesis during development and in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in adults. Its mechanisms have been intensely studied, and early stages of apoptosis are about to be fully understood. The fate of later stage apoptotic cells remain to be characterized.

The 2009 GRC on Apoptotic Cell Recognition & Clearance will present up-to-date research on the molecular, cellular and immunological aspects of the clearance of dying cells. It will feature a wide range of topics, like tissue homeostasis, stress-response, inflammation, and immunology and will focus on the importance of the clearance of apoptotic cells when investigating development, morphogenesis, tolerance, autoimmunity, and immune privilege. The invited speakers represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including developmental research, genetics, signaling, immunology, medicine, and cell biology. Data on various multicellular organisms from worm to human will be presented. The conference will provide a platform for investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will welcome junior scientists and graduate students presenting their work in poster format to exchange ideas and hypotheses with leaders in the field. We encourage all poster presenters to give short on-spot talks during extended poster sessions. Some of the posters will also be selected for talks in the main auditory.

The conference provides a forum for:

• sharing the latest knowledge on fundamental issues how phagocytic cells recognize apoptotic cells and how pathways for the induction of phagocytosis are activated;
• clarifying implications of apoptotic cell clearance in morphogenesis and homeostasis;
• understanding recent progress in clinical applications;
• evaluating topics outside the main issues of this conference;
• exchanging questions/answers, opinions, ideas and data from ongoing experiments to create collaborations.

The collegial atmosphere of this conference, with opportunities for informal gatherings, promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

How and why do certain cells fuse their plasma membranes to form hybrid, multinucleated, or even giant cells? Cell-cell fusion occurs only under special circumstances during the life cycle of any organism. Yet cell fusion is seen in virtually all phyla of eukaryotes. In humans, cell fusions are critical to formation of the new embryo, placenta, muscle and bone, eye, and immune cells. However, we have little understanding of the mechanisms that allow such cells to undergo this profound developmental and cell-biological change, a transition that instantly alters their form, function, and fate.

The Cell-Cell Fusion GRC is a forum where multiple disciplines converge to attack this common problem from their various points of expertise: model biological systems where cell fusion occurs and models of the interactions of lipids and proteins that can lead to membrane bilayer merger. One major goal is to find where these systems share common features - molecules and higher-order structures - and where systems truly diverge, invoking unique approaches to the same ultimate task. Another is to comprehend the functional impact of fusion on the syncytial or hybrid cells that are formed: how polyploid, multinucleate or giant cells benefit survival of the organism. The ultimate goal is to find applications where the control of cell fusion will benefit human health, through controlled fertility, better healing, enhanced immunity, augmented food production, or other means.

The 2009 conference will feature advances in understanding of the diverse biological systems that were presented at the inaugural meeting in 2007, including model organisms where molecular details at the heart of the mechanism have begun to emerge. This meeting will also cover additional species and cell types, other newly found modes of plasma membrane fusion, and more of the physics behind the influence of proteins and lipids on the shape of membranes. Finally, we will learn of novel interventions in medicine where artificial cell fusion may enable treatment of devastating diseases.

The 2009 Glycobiology Gordon Research Conference will be held January 18-23 at the Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel in Ventura, California. Please note the earlier date relative to recent years. The Glycobiology Gordon Conference offers a unique opportunity, in a collegial setting, to both contribute to and keep abreast of the latest developments in our multidisciplinary field. Many new glycan functions are rapidly emerging from the studies of tissues and organs of humans and model systems, as well as in the area of parasite-host interactions, and these advances are fueled by equally dramatic developments in glycan structural analysis technologies. Thirteen scientific sessions are currently planned to cover diverse areas of the field, including Structural glycobiology of enzymes and receptors, Mechanisms of glycosylation, Nerve and muscle glycobiology, Chemical glycobiology, Immune cell glycobiology, Vascular glycobiology, Developmental glycobiology, Cancer and cell regulation, Metabolic regulation, and Parasite glycobiology. In addition to the approximately 31 invited talks, ~26 short talks will be selected from poster abstracts, and eight Conference Awards will be available for outstanding abstracts submitted by graduate students, post-docs and new faculty members. All applicants are encouraged to present a poster. The size of the conference has been increased this year to 150 participants but, since registration is limited, early application is advised. We encourage participation of researchers new to the glycobiology field, as well as junior investigators, scientists from developing countries, racial/ethnic minorities, and disabled persons. Please join us for what promises to be an exciting and interactive meeting.

Conference awards will be selected approximately 2 months before the conference (in November), and short talks will be selected approximately 3-4 weeks before the conference (in December). Poster sessions will also be organized at this time by the Poster Chair, Kelley W. Moremen (CCRC, University of Georgia).

For further information contact the Chair:
Christopher M. West
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 USA
Phone: 405-271-4147
FAX: 405-271-3910
Email: Cwest2@ouhsc.edu

The 2009 Gordon Conference on Mechanisms of Cell Signaling will present the latest research and ideas on how cellular signaling operates to control cell behavior and how dys-regulation of cell signaling causes disease. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, such as systems approaches to cell signalling, cell polarity, cell adhesion and cell migration. The Invited speakers will represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including structural biology, computational biology, developmental biology, molecular-cell biology and imaging. The Conference will bring together a collection of investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Some poster presenters will be selected for short talks. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

The 2009 Conference on Inhibition in the CNS will give leaders and young scientists the opportunity to present cutting-edge research in this field and ample discussion time after each presentation will allow for critical and stimulating debates. The topics have been chosen to reflect the breadth in this field ranging from the molecular, cellular to the systems level. Invited speakers are representatives of different disciplines, including anatomy, electrophysiology, imaging, behaviour. Most importantly, the diversity of in vitro and in vivo techniques will illustrate how interdisciplinary approaches can be used and how they complement each other in the study of inhibition in the brain. We will discuss the diversity of GABAergic interneurons including developmental aspects, their functional role within a network in the adult brain in health and disease. Studies of GABAergic interneurons at the network level will range from minimal circuits (communication and connectivity of between two neurons) to microcircuits and large networks in different brain areas and in several model organisms. The presentations of the invited speakers will be complemented by poster sessions and by short presentations delivered by postdocs and students. The latter will be selected from the poster abstracts and the potential speakers will be notified in advance. The site of the conference will be the Colby College in Maine that the consortium attending the last Gordon Conference on Inhibition favored.

The Gordon Vascular Biology conferences have been inaugurated 21 years ago and have become a highly anticipated event in the field. The study of vascular biology continues to proceed at a remarkable pace. Many new molecules relevant to vascular development and angiogenesis have been discovered in the last 2 years. Importantly, advances in vascular biology have contributed to the development of many new therapies and preventive strategies.

The 2009 conference will cover a variety of traditional as well as novel vascular biology topics including development of the vascular system, cell-cell and cell-matrix communications, proteoglycans and the vasculature, intracellular signaling, vascular permeability and maintenance, and hypoxia and metabolic regulation. The meeting will bring together speakers, discussants and participants that represent a wide range of disciplines, approaches and systems. The small size of the conference and the informal atmosphere will facilitate discussion and interactions. The theme of the conference makes it highly relevant to scientists working in various disciplines such as developmental, cell and molecular biology, genetics, cell signaling, and immunology among others, as well physicians and scientists seeking better understanding and treatment of various disease processes including cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation.

Developmental Biology is at the center of the Life Sciences. Developmental biologists discovered inductive tissue interactions, thus creating the field of cell-cell signaling. Developmental biologists have uncovered the basic biological processes of embryogenesis and pattern formation, organogenesis, neurogenesis and sex determination, aging and cell death, cell and tissue polarity, and epigenetics. Developmental biologists were the first to clone animals, revealing that adult nuclei contain all genetic information and setting up one of the major questions of biology - understanding the differential control of gene expression. Developmental biologists have discovered microRNAs and morphogens, defined and dissected the major signaling pathways, and uncovered fundamental principles of differential gene regulation. Developmental biologists have also provided important technological advances, from in situ hybridization and genome manipulation to in vivo imaging and RNAi. Developmental biologists have advanced our understanding of how organisms evolve (“EvoDevo�), have provided the foundations for stem cell biology and tissue engineering, have created the context to understand human birth defects and disease, and have started to provide a rich playing field for genomics and systems biology. The impact of the field is a result of the study of simple and complex whole organisms (rather than isolated cells or molecules) using a wide variety of technological and intellectual approaches. As these studies continue and expand into new areas such as regeneration, systems biology, and growth control, we can expect major contributions in the coming years. Hence, Developmental Biology has been and will continue to be a core discipline of the Life Sciences and is transforming the Medical Sciences.

The Gordon Research Conferences on Developmental Biology have been recognized for over thirty years as the preeminent mid-sized conferences for developmental biologists. The 5-day meeting will bring together ~150 outstanding senior and junior scientists for ~50 talks, ~80 posters and extensive discussions of the recent advances and future of the field. Speakers will cover classic topics and emerging areas in developmental biology: growth and patterning, stem cells and regeneration, axis formation, evolution, morphogenesis, signaling, organogenesis, and regulatory networks. In honor of the 40th anniversary of Lewis Wolpert’s Positional Information model, there will be a special session on Morphogen Gradients.

This meeting explores the function of neural circuits, defined as the mechanisms by which assemblies of neurons generate perception, neural states and behavior. Neuroscience has historically focused on understanding the nervous system one neuron at a time. Yet, most nervous systems are composed of enormous numbers of neurons and connections. The general rules by which these complex circuits operate are practically unknown. In analogy to the Crick-Watson model of DNA, or the Hodgkin- Huxley model of the action potential, there could be a relatively simple solution to a large variety of computational problems that the nervous system solves. This "circuit problem" remains a major challenge and is the primary focus of our Gordon conference.

Eight sessions will examine the multidisciplinary analysis of different neural circuits, including their developmental, cerebellar, spinal, limbic, auditory, taste/olfactory, striatal, somatosensory, visual and cognitive manifestations. Molecular genetic techniques have created powerful paradigms in species such as c. elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish and mice, which may provide insight into higher order function in birds, primates and humans alike. The strength of our meeting lies in its comparative aspect, since it is likely that evolution has conserved similar strategies for processing information and generating mental states and behavior.

A common thread is the study of the computational strategies used by these different circuits. Moreover, the role of plasticity will be addressed in all of these systems, since the operation of neural circuits cannot be understood without their modification on different time scales. The last few years have also seen major progress in the cellular and molecular manipulation of the nervous system. Special Hot Topics sessions will emphasize optical probing of neural circuit dynamics and epigenetic modifications by experience.

Modern Neuroscience encompasses research at tremendous breadth of scale, from the function of channels, to psychophysical or ethological analysis of behavior. While there are conferences that cover each of these levels, a “black box" approach from molecules to behavior often ignores the essential workings of the circuit, which may conceivably be the key level where the function of the nervous system is actually organized. Our meeting deliberately spans many levels and systems, focusing on the analysis of circuits.

An exciting aspect is the highly international nature of this endeavor to foster cross-fertilization between the represented fields, as indicated by our list of speakers. In the spirit of the Gordon Research conferences, the meeting will be highly interactive. Concise cutting-edge presentations will be followed by intense discussion both during the sessions and ensuing free time. All speakers are encouraged to stay for several days, so that participants may have plenty of opportunity for interaction. Besides scheduled talks, exceptional short talks may be selected from amongst the abstracts submitted by participants.