This application is for partial support of the FASEB Yeast Chromosome Biology and Cell Cycle meeting to be held July 12-17, 2020, in Babson Park, MA. This meeting has been held every other year since 1990 and is the only one that brings together basic scientists working on diverse aspects of chromosome structure/function and cell cycle biology using fungal model systems, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Candida albicans. Yeast models are ideal platforms for development of new genomics and high throughput technologies. Fundamental discoveries that drive our understanding of chromosome biology and cell cycle regulation in all eukaryotes, including humans, continue to be made in yeasts. This meeting serves as a critical vehicle for the dissemination of important findings and new technologies and is known for stimulating collaborations and sharing among researchers. This intersection of investigators that rarely interact at other meetings, but which study intimately related nuclear functions in organisms with powerful genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics technology development, has led to many productive collaborations. Many groundbreaking advances have been shared pre-publication at this meeting including the first genome-wide maps of meiotic recombination, histone occupancy and chromosomal DNA replication, as well as the construction of the first synthetic eukaryotic chromosomes. A longstanding goal of the FASEB Yeast Chromosome meeting is to provide networking and speaking opportunities for the next generation of scientists. This meeting provides an outstanding venue for young investigators in that regard. We have instituted several policies to keep the field vibrant and to increase opportunities for trainees: (1) up to half the speakers will be selected from submitted abstracts, and they will have the same amount of time as invited speakers; (2) about 10-15 trainees will be selected for short ?Flash? talks to highlight the poster presentations they?ll give later in the meeting; (3) session chairs do not give talks but instead give posters, fostering a sense of community and enhancing interactions between trainees and senior scientists; (4) all invited speakers will be encouraged to cede their speaking slot to a junior member from their lab, while still being required to attend the meeting; and (5) in selecting speakers, we will prioritize equitable representation of early-stage and junior investigators, women, and members of underrepresented groups. Currently, 49% of the invited speakers and session chairs are women scientists, and 19% are from underrepresented groups. To provide career training, we will have lunchtime ?Meet the expert? sessions and a Career Development workshop. We request partial support for the 2020 FASEB Yeast Chromosome Biology and Cell Cycle conference to provide conference fellowships for students and postdocs, with an emphasis on URMs, women, and people with disabilities.
Research on chromosome replication, segregation, repair and cell cycle regulation in yeast continues to inform our basic understanding of how cells, including human cells, accurately transmit genetic and epigenetic information during cell division. This success stems in large part from the power of yeast as a platform for development of new genomics, bioinformatics, and big data tools. The goals of the 2020 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Science Research Conference on Yeast Chromosome Biology and Cell Cycle conference are (1) to accelerate the pace of discovery in these fields by rapidly dispersing the latest unpublished work including cutting-edge technical advances in genomics, and (2) to provide visibility and training opportunities for early career investigators and trainees, especially those under- represented in science.
