Developmental Origin of Form and Function

The Developmental Biology 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scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages.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 a diverse range 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.

Developmental Biology lies at the crossroads of all the Life Sciences, integrating investigations at molecular, cellular, tissue and organismal levels, as well as theoretical concepts from physics and mathematics, to explain how an organism forms. The 2023 Gordon Conference on Developmental Biology will present the most recent, cutting-edge research in the field. Topics for this year include metabolic fluxes in development, transgenerational inheritance, gene regulation, dynamics of signaling at tissue scale, lineage tracing in the single-cell era, regeneration and tissue mechanics. We have also including a session highlighting the relevance of Developmental Biology to the development of diseases later in life. This year we will also pay tribute to 100 years of “Discovery of Organizer Complex”, by Hilde Mangold recognizing her outstanding contribution from 1921 to the field of developmental biology and reflections on how this influenced modern biology. The sessions will include extended time for discussion. A portion of each session time has been kept uncommitted to choose speakers from abstracts submitted by the participants, particularly junior investigators. Because progress in Developmental Biology depends on cross-fertilization of ideas from complementary organisms, presentations will include studies in standard invertebrates such as Drosophila and C. elegans, classic vertebrate models including zebrafish, Xenopus and the mouse, as well as plants, non-classical models and humans. Afternoons and late evenings will be reserved for presentation of posters and informal interactions. The relaxed atmosphere and the rural setting of the meeting will encourage stimulating discussions between established and junior investigators in all aspects of the field.