The Cytoskeletal Systems GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes an array of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Cytoskeletal systems include actin filaments, microtubules, intermediate filaments, and other polymers. When combined with motor proteins, these systems drive cellular movements, the formation of cell shape, and the interior organization of the cell. Hundreds of laboratories worldwide ask the following questions: (1) how are these polymer systems assembled, remodeled, organized, and regulated? and (2) how do they exert mechanical forces to move, organize, and shape the cell? These questions are fundamental to life. The meeting will unite cell biologists, geneticists, biophysicists, biochemists, engineers, structural biologists, theorists, and microscopists to share the latest findings in this truly interdisciplinary field. Topics will include cytoskeletal functions that range from the well-known (mitosis, cytokinesis, cell shape, cell adhesion, cell migration, intracellular transport) to the emerging (nuclear organization, organelle morphogenesis, evolution, development, and disease). The meeting will feature diverse organisms and cell types ranging from bacteria and protozoa to plant, fungal, and animal cells, providing perspectives on the evolutionary history of fundamental cellular processes in unicellular and multicellular organisms. In addition, presentations on in vitro reconstitution systems, biochemical assays, and molecular structures will reveal mechanisms by which molecules self-organize and exert forces, including the emerging concept of biomolecular condensation. The technical focus of this meeting will be cutting edge, including developments in quantitative biology, state-of-the-art imaging, including electron and light microscopy, as well as biophysical approaches, which are providing important new insights into dynamic cell biological processes.
