This application requests partial funding for the 17th Gordon Conference on Mammalian Gametogenesis and Embryogenesis to be held August 2-7, 2009 at Waterville Valley Resort in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Based on the scientific content of this meeting, as well as previous granting history, and recent discussions with NIH program officers, we request that the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development be designated the primary sponsor of this meeting (letter of acceptance from NICHD is appended). However, as the content of this meeting is also relevant to areas targeted by other institutes, we request joint sponsorship by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the NIH Office of Women's Health, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Center for Research Resources, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The diversity of the topics to be addressed at this conference will be reflected in the diversity of the participants. This conference provides a unique and valuable opportunity for discussion and the exchange of ideas between clinicians devoted to delivering the most modern therapeutic approaches to their patients, and basic scientists who are examining the biological mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal function of gametogenesis and embryogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the production of viable eggs and sperm and the initiation of embryonic development is essential for the continued survival of animal species in the 21st century and beyond. Advances in reproductive biology have immediate application, not only for the treatment of human infertility and subfertility, but also for improvements in developing contraceptive methods, advances in agricultural engineering and novel approaches to wildlife preservation. Moreover, as stem cells, pluripotent cells, gametes and early embryos provide important models for basic research aimed at understanding nuclear programming and cell cycle regulation, as well as transcriptional, translational, and post-translational control mechanisms. These areas have potential significance for a wide variety of biomedical applications. The objective of the Gordon Conference on Mammalian Gametogenesis and Embryogenesis is to provide a forum for the exchange of the latest advances in the field, as well as to promote discussion and debate by providing a relaxed setting that fosters interaction. A particularly important aspect of the Gordon Conference setting is the blending of young and established investigators, as well as national and international scientists to promote exchanges that will generate new ideas and facilitate new collaborations.
Societal pressure for advancements in the field of reproductive biology is stronger in the 21st century than at any time in recorded history. New techniques for the treatment of human infertility, for improvements in prenatal diagnosis and in the prevention of birth defects, and for the control of population growth via the development of new contraceptive methodologies are essential to meet the needs of both developed and third world countries.
