Intellectual Merit: The meeting of the 2012 Meiosis Gordon Research Conference will be held June 3-8, 2012 at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NY. Meiosis is specialized cell division that halves the number of chromosomes in cells to create gametes used for sexual reproduction. Meiosis underlies the genetic diversity within and among species, and meiotic mutations have a major impact on organismal fitness. A major strength of the field is that, in addition to the wide variety of approaches that are being taken to understand this critical cell division process, a large number of different model organisms are studied, including yeast, nematodes, plants, fruit flies and mammals. This meeting provides an opportunity for people studying the same process in different organisms to compare notes, and the synergism that has resulted from these interactions has greatly helped speed the advance of our understanding of meiosis. The 2012 Meiosis GRC will bring together over 150 researchers who study the cell and molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry and evolutionary biology of meiosis. All areas of meiosis will be represented at the meeting. The objectives of the meeting are as follows: 1) To provide a forum for scientific interaction in this interdisciplinary field, 2) To present the newest results in the field, 3) To introduce young researchers to the field, 4) To promote interdisciplinary discussion that will foster new approaches, concepts and ideas. The meeting will consist of nine plenary sessions. There will be a poster session and posters will be presented by graduate students, postdocs, and PIs. Broader Impacts: The Meiosis GRC is one of two regularly scheduled conferences. The Meiosis GRC has typically had the highest fraction of female participants among the Gordon Conferences. The conference organizers strive to ensure that qualified minorities can attend. This is facilitated through the Carl Storm Fellowships to self-identified members of underrepresented groups.
The Gordon Research Conference on MEIOSIS was held at Colby-Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire, June 3-8, 2012. The Conference was well-attended with 177 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 177 attendees, 79 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 79 respondents, 22% were Minorities – 4% Hispanic, 18% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 47% of the participants at the 2012 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on MEIOSIS was held at Colby-Sawyer College New London, New Hampshire, June 3-8, 2012. The Conference was well-attended with 46 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 46 attendees, 24 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 24 respondents, 17% were Minorities – 4% Hispanic, 13% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 50% of the participants at the 2012 meeting were women. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, "free time" was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field.
