This award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on the Molecular Mechanism of Biological Rhythms, to be held in Hawaii from July 31- August 3, l999. The co-organizers are Professors Gene Block at the University of Virginia and Hitoshi Okamura at Kobe University in Japan. A detailed understanding of how cells and tissues generate twenty-four hour periodicities presents one of the great challenges to contemporary cell and molecular science. The challenge is made formidable by the specialized properties of biological clocks that allow them to retain their accuracy through profound seasonal fluctuations in temperature and yet faithfully synchronize to environmental periodicities. During the past two years there have been major advances in identifying a human timing gene homolog, both in the U.S. and in Japan, as well as steady advances in our understanding of the molecules involved in circadian timing in several model systems.
The seminar will consist of four main themes: 1) the molecular clock of non-mammalian species; 2) the molecular clock in mammals; 3) new concepts to medicine; and 4) new concepts to medicine and biology - state of the field and educational outreach. Seminar organizers have made a special effort to involve younger researchers as both participants and observers. The exchange of ideas and data with Japanese experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work, and will set the stage for future collaborative projects. Dissemination of information from the meeting will be available on videotapes. In addition, abstracts will be published on the NSF Center for Biological Timing home page (www.cbt.virginia.edu). ***
