Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Conference NETWORK BIOLOGY March 18 - 21, 2009 With the explosion in data from genomics and proteomics, research has begun to focus on how groups of individual genes, proteins and metabolites function together in coordinate patterns and networks. The discovery of the role of small regulatory RNAs has lent an additional layer of regulation to the complexity of biological systems. The relevance of these networks to cancer biology, and how these networks are hijacked or silenced by tumor cells, is an emerging theme in the fight against the devastating set of diseases called cancer. The proposed conference, in the tradition of Cold Spring Harbor meetings, will emphasize new discoveries and provide an open forum for the presentation of the latest research and results on different aspects of research into these regulatory networks of biological molecules and their relevance to the control and deregulation of cell division and growth, signaling, response to microenvironment, migration and metastasis. This proposal seeks support for three successive biennial meetings to be held in 2009, 2011 and 2013. The 2009 meeting will include the following topics: transcriptional and post-transcriptional networks;signaling and machinery networks;metabolic networks;from network to protein properties;genetic networks;and network medicine. Six platform sessions are tentatively planned around these broad themes. It should however be noted that the final session topics and order of sessions are only assembled after the abstract deadline, to ensure that the latest developments in the field are well represented. Particular attention will be given to encouraging the active participation of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and new investigators, as well as the attendance of leading scientists in the field. It is anticipated that the meeting will provide unique opportunities for the exchange of data and ideas by both junior and senior investigators in different areas of research as they apply to biological systems in general, and cancer in particular. Given the success of past meetings on this topic held under the auspices of CSHL?s joint program with the UK-based Wellcome Trust between 2005 and 2008, we anticipate the attendance of about 200 scientists from laboratories around the world.
NETWORK BIOLOGY PROJECT NARRATIVE With the explosion in information about biological systems from many different projects around the world, research has begun to focus on how groups of individual genes, proteins, small RNAs and metabolites function together in coordinate patterns and networks. The relevance of these networks to cancer biology, and how these networks are hijacked or silenced by tumor cells, is an emerging theme in the fight against the devastating set of diseases. Understanding network biology will lay the coherent groundwork necessary for the development of better targeted strategies and therapies for a wide variety of human ailments. This biennial international conference (2009, 2011 and 2013) will bring together the leading experts in the field to discuss their latest findings.
