Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Conference Molecular Genetics of Aging September 24 - 28, 2008. The proposed meeting series on the Molecular Genetics of Aging, to be held biennially in 2008, 2010 and 2012, was first held in 1993 and has grown from a small meeting focused on a fledgling field to an exciting venue for new and experienced investigators in a now fast-moving field. The conference(s) will bring together about 300-350 scientists from the international community working on different aspects of the genetics and molecular biology of aging. The meeting will provide an intense, in-depth forum for presenting new findings and formulating new ideas in different areas of molecular aging research in which rapid progress is being made. Platform sessions in the 2008 meeting will include: (1) Genetics I;(2) Genomic Stability;(3) Mitochondria/Metabolism;(4) Cellular Senescence/Apoptosis/Stress;(5) Stem Cells;(6) Proliferative Homeostasis;(7) Environment/Interventions;(8) Genetics II. In the past few years, remarkable progress has been made in establishing a molecular foundation in these areas, and their interrelationship is becoming increasingly clear. The meeting will feature anchoring talks by leading scientists working in these areas who will chair the individual sessions. One of the key strengths of the proposed meeting series is that because the large majority of talks are selected from the openly submitted abstracts three months prior to the meeting, ample opportunity is provided for junior scientists to present their results, and also for the presentation of important, late-breaking findings. The meeting format also ensures time for interactions between scientists, particularly during meals and in poster sessions. The program organizers (with rotation), scope, aim and purpose of the 2010 and 2012 meetings will be similar. The meeting will foster interaction among molecular gerontologists and molecular biologists working in related areas, and provide a forum for the development of new ideas and approaches to aging research.
Great progress has been made over the last decade in understanding the cellular and molecular basis for how if not why organisms age. It is now clear that genes as well as environment influence lifespan, but the interactions of these genes and processes, and how these relate to other factors recognized as playing a role in organismal aging, including disease and metabolism, remain poorly understood. This international biennial conference series on the Molecular Genetics of Aging is intended to be a forum for discussion of the latest research in the field. This conference is notable because the majority of talks are selected from openly submitted abstracts giving ample opportunity for broad and diverse representation of junior scientists including graduate students to present their latest research. The overall goal of this series is to promote discussion and accelerate research into the biological basis of aging, and to improve treatment for diseases associated with aging, as well as the aging process itself.
