Meiosis is a specialized cell division process that is essential for sexual reproduction. During meiosis, a "diploid" cell, which contains two copies of each chromosome - one inherited from each parent - splits to form "haploid" cells such as sperm, eggs, or pollen, which contain only a single copy of each chromosome. When two of these haploid cells fuse at fertilization to form a new zygote, this results in restoration of the diploid chromosome number. During meiosis, chromosomes undergo genetic exchange, also known as crossover recombination, resulting in new combinations of genes. This recombination process underlies both genetic diversity within individual species and the evolution of new species. Defects in meiosis can give rise to infertility or to offspring with any of a wide range of devastating defects.
The 2010 Meiosis Gordon Conference will bring together researchers studying meiosis in a broad variety of organisms. The meeting will focus on cutting-edge, unpublished research presented by invited speakers who employ a diverse array of approaches and who represent a wide range of perspectives. Included among the speakers will be early-career investigators who will have a chance to present their work to an expert audience for feedback. A notable feature of this year's gathering is the addition of a Gordon-Keenan Research Seminar, a 1½-day meeting preceding the actual conference and organized by students and postdoctoral fellows. The seminar offers an opportunity for junior researchers to meet each other and be introduced to the topics to be covered in more depth during the 4½-day conference immediately following. The goal of both the seminar and the conference is to offer a highly interactive environment for the exchange of ideas and development of collaborations that will move the field forward. Advances in this field will enhance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that cells use to control and coordinate complex processes - processes such as DNA repair and chromosome division - that are so essential to life.
The Gordon Research Conference on MEIOSIS was held at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire, June 13-18, 2010. The Conference was well-attended with 178 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 178 attendees, 74 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 74 respondents, 17% were Minorities – 1% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 3% Multiracial and 3% Asian/White. Approximately 47% of the participants at the 2010 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on MEIOSIS was held at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire, June 12-13, 2010, preceding its associated GRC. The Seminar was well-attended with 50 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 50 attendees, 21 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 21 respondents, 10% were Minorities – 5% Asian and 5% Asian/White. Approximately 62% of the participants at the 2010 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. Thank you for your support of this Conference. As you know, in the interest of promoting the presentation of unpublished and frontier-breaking research, Gordon Research Conferences does not permit publication of meeting proceedings.
