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Centromere Biology (GRS)

Gordon Research Seminar

Centromere Dynamics: A View from Evolutionary and Molecular Biology

July 28 - 29, 2018

Chairs Leah Bury and Owen K. Smith

Mount Snow

89 Grand Summit Way

West Dover, VT, US

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The Gordon Research Seminar on Centromere Biology is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas. In addition, a panel discussion featuring active voices in science policy, funding and publishing will provide an opportunity for young trainees to address current challenges facing biomedical sciences and discuss potential solutions.

This meeting will focus on the dynamic properties of centromeres, from an evolutionary and a cellular perspective. Topics will span a variety of organisms and will include changes in centromere function and composition across the cell division cycle, and highlight emerging methods and areas of interest in the field.

Related Meeting

This GRS will be held in conjunction with the "Centromere Biology" Gordon Research Conference (GRC). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRC in addition to an application for the GRS. Refer to the associated GRC program page for more information.

Conference Program

Saturday
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRS Chair
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm	Keynote Session: Centromeres in Evolution Discussion Leader: Dawn Carone (Swarthmore College, USA)
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm	Harmit Malik (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA) "Genetic Conflicts Shape Centromeres and Centromeric Proteins"
4:15 pm - 4:30 pm	Discussion
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Unwrapping Epigenetics at the Centromere Discussion Leader: Gary Karpen (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA)
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm	Jitendra Thakur (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA) "Structural Variations of the Human Centromeric Chromatin Complex"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm	Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pm	Eftychia Kyriacou (Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom) "High-Resolution Mapping of Human Centromeric Proteins"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pm	Charles Day (Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, USA) "Histone H3.3 Ser31 Phosphorylation Is Required to Prevent Chromosome Instability"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pm	Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:20 pm	Arunika Das (University of Pennsylvania, USA) "Mechanisms of Transmitting Centromere Identity Through the Germline"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Sunday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 11:00 am	Centromere and Kinetochore Dynamics / Mentorship Component: Challenges Facing Biomedical Research Discussion Leaders: Sue Biggins (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA) and Michael Blower (Massachusetts General Hospital, USA)
9:00 am - 9:15 am	Xue Su (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom) "SUMOylation Regulates the Metaphase-Anaphase Transition by Inactivating the Pericentromeric Signaling Hub"
9:15 am - 9:20 am	Discussion
9:20 am - 9:35 am	Grace Hamilton (University of Washington, USA) "Building a Minimal Functional Kinetochore: From Microtubule to Centromere"
9:35 am - 9:40 am	Discussion
9:40 am - 9:55 am	Agata Zielinska (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany) "New Insights into Chromosome and Kinetochore Organization During Mammalian Meiosis"
9:55 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 11:00 am	Panel Discussion Challenges Facing Biomedical Research Girija Goyal (ReFigure, USA) Fanuel Muindi (Harvard University / The STEM Advocacy Institute, USA) Sarah Mazzilli (Boston University, USA)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Poster Session Coffee will be served in the poster area from 11:00 am - 11:30 am
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm	Emerging Concepts in Centromere Control Discussion Leader: Daniel Foltz (Northwestern University, USA)
1:30 pm - 1:50 pm	Carlos Perea (Massachusetts General Hospital, USA) "Regulation of Centromere Transcription by the Cohesin Ring Complex"
1:50 pm - 2:00 pm	Discussion
2:00 pm - 2:20 pm	Srivarsha Rajshekar (Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, USA) "Pericentromeric DNA Hypomethylation Elicits an Interferon Response in an Animal Model of ICF Syndrome"
2:20 pm - 2:30 pm	Discussion
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm	Evaluation Period Fill in GRS Evaluation Forms
3:00 pm	Seminar Concludes