Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled Chromatin and Epigenetics, organized by Luciano Di Croce and Yang Shi. The meeting will be held in Whistler, BC, Canada from March 20-24, 2016. The DNA of eukaryotic cells is organized into chromatin fibers, where the nucleosome is the basic repeating unit. Chromatin is thus at the core of fundamental processes such as gene regulation, stem cell fate determination and cancer. By and large, these topics have traditionally been covered by separated meetings. However, recent literature indicates that the boundaries among these various disciplines are becoming less clear. This meeting will bring together scientists studying chromatin structure, epigenetics, stem cell biology and cancer. The talks will cover a broad range of topics, including chromosome organization, long-range interactions, chromatin assembly, stem cell regulation/differentiation, RNA-based mechanisms and transcription regulation. Speakers have been selected to broadly reflect lessons learned from a variety of model organisms and experimental approaches. Junior scientists will be able to present their work through a large number of short talks selected from submitted abstracts as well as through poster presentation. There will also be ample time for exchanging ideas and discussing novel hypothesis at the end of each session, as well as time for informal interactions and networking. This meeting is relevant to the NCI mission because of its focus on chromatin and next generation epigenetic drugs. Indeed, The Cancer Genome Atlas, which is jointly administered by NCI and NHGRI, includes an epigenomics component.
Chromatin is at the core of fundamental processes such as gene regulation, stem cell fate determination and cancer. New genomic approaches for studying chromatin and transcription have greatly expanded our ability to ask specific questions concerning the basic mechanisms by which chromatin structures are maintained and inherited, the role of novel enzyme activities and histone modifications as well as the dynamic changes that result in chromatin and transcription in response to specific signals. The Keystone Symposia meeting on Chromatin and Epigenetics integrates the burgeoning field of epigenetics with the underlying processes of chromatin organization, transcription regulation and aspects of stem cell biology, and provides a forum that will allow for the sharing of ideas and concepts, and will foster potential synergies between these research fields.
