Conference Title

The field of epigenetics has come to the fore in recent years, making its mark in both basic research and also fields relevant to human disease, such as stem cells and cancer. “Epigenetics” has become synonymous with modifications to DNA and associated molecules that influence whether genes are on or off. But are these epigenetic modifications self-propagating and inherited like DNA, the physical manifestation of Mendel’s gene? Given the great interest in the topic and huge public and private investment made in epigenetics, Cell Press has decided to tackle this and other aspects of epigenetics in a multi-day meeting. In addition to fostering critical discussions on the proposed mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance and the challenges that lay ahead in understanding these mechanisms, the meeting will focus on more well established epigenetic mechanisms and how they are implemented in cell and developmental biology, particularly the maintenance of cell states, such as occurs during X-inactivation and polycomb-mediated gene silencing. The scope will be broad, giving the interested attendee a glimpse of epigenetics at both the molecular as well as the organism level.

As the field of epigenetics gains momentum, this is the perfect time to take a breather, stand back, and take a critical look at the claims, the issues to be addressed, and how we move ahead.

Topic List

• Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance
• Inheritance of cellular states: x-inactivation, imprinting, and lambda phage
• Replication of chromatin
• RNA and epigenetic inheritance
• Mechanisms of polycomb-mediated gene silencing

Keynote Speakers

Mark Ptashne, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, USA
Danesh Moazed, Harvard Medical School, USA

Confirmed Speakers

Geneviève Almouzni, Institut Curie, France
Jennifer Brisson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Vicki Chandler, University of Arizona, USA
Jonathan Chubb, University of Dundee, UK
Nicole Francis, Harvard University, USA
Shiv Grewal, National Cancer Institute, USA
Oliver Hobert, Columbia University, USA
Bill Kelly, Emory University, USA
Scott Kennedy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Bob Kingston, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Jeannie Lee, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Rob Martienssen, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA
Alex Mazo, Thomas Jefferson University, USA
Jürg Müller, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
Craig Pikaard, Indiana University, USA
Oliver Rando, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
Minoo Rassoulzadegan, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France

Conference Organizers

Oliver Hobert, Columbia University, USA
Bob Kingston, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Cyrus Martin, Associate Editor, Current Biology
Brian Plosky, Business Development Editor, Cell Press
Feng Chen, Editor, Molecular Cell