The Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages Conference is the direct descendant of the famous Phage Meetings started by Max Delbruck in the 1940's, traditionally held at Cold Spring Harbor and now being held in alternate years there and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "Phage", as it is also known, is long-established central forum for the presentation of new results in prokaryotic molecular genetics. The Madison gatherings attract approximately 300-400 students, post-doctoral researchers and faculty, representing laboratories throughout the world, and most present either short talks or posters. Grant funds and industry sponsors help support the attendance of graduate students, based on competitive review of submitted abstracts. Its breadth makes it an important focus for the exchange of information in this era of scientific specialization. Topics covered include fundamental work on bacterial RNA polymerase structure and function; transcriptional regulation; DNA replication, recombination, and transposition; translation and post-transcriptional regulation; global regulation and stress response; molecular genetics of pathogens; bacterial cell biology; bacteriophage development and host interactions; genomics and proteomics; and surfaces and signaling. For many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, this is the first large meeting at which they have an opportunity to speak. Due to its highly interactive nature, the meeting provides an important opportunity for these young scientists to meet and talk to the senior scientists they know from the literature. In response to the large numbers of students who attend the meeting and the diversity of topics covered, established and distinguished scientists are invited to chair each session. This strengthens the meeting because each chairperson gives a short introduction in which he or she summarizes some of the key facets of the field to be covered and provides a conceptual framework for the major questions that the talks will address. As an additional benefit, publicizing the judiciously chosen chairpeople and session topics in announcements of the meeting, encourages the submission of abstracts in exciting new areas and stimulates attendance by a larger constituency. The Abstract Book of "Phage", with the speaking schedule, is not made available until participants actually arrive, which helps encourage attendance at the full meeting. The book itself serves as a reference source for looking back on the proceedings, and the collected abstract books of Phage meetings going back many years are kept by many scientists as a convenient way of keeping in touch with the latest in prokaryotic molecular biology. In addition, the organizers will compile and publish a meeting review in a major publication venue.
