This application requests partial support for a conference on Cilia, Mucus and Mucociliary Interactions that will be held in Lucca (Barga), Italy from April 7-12 2013. This is an approved Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and continues the successful GRC-sponsored and GRC-approved conferences of the same name that were held in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011. This conference continues to provide a unique focus on the interplay between motile cilia, mucus and other fluids, and their interactions that play such an essential role in human health, development and disease;the dedicated and integrated focus on these disciplines is not found in any other scientific venue. The importance and inter-connection of these scientific disciplines has become increasingly recognized as understanding of the basic underlying principles involved has grown. The interplay between disciplines that occurs at this conference has a major impact on the understanding of respiratory tract diseases (e.g. cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and primary ciliary dyskinesia) and also on key developmental processes (e.g. in heart, lung, brain and kidney) that involve the cilia-driven movement of fluids and generation of extracellular signaling gradients. The overall organization of this conference is based on the highly successful GRC format and brings together both basic and clinical scientists and thus provides a driving force for transitioning findings to the translational level. The specific objectives are to: 1) bring togethe both world experts and younger scientists studying fundamental aspects of cilia, mucus and their interactions using a broad array of methodologies;2) provide a forum for the presentation of new research findings and technologies, the exchange of ideas and viewpoints and to stimulate and promote interactions and collaborations between basic, translational and clinical researchers;3) to integrate new approaches such as high throughput genomics/proteomics and mathematical modeling with more traditional methods used in the study of cilia and cilia-fluid interactions;and 4) to ensure the strong and equitable representation and participation of women, minorities, young investigators (junior faculty, fellows, pre- and post-doctoral students) and those with disabilities through sound and proactive planning and organization of the meeting. The conference will start with two plenary lectures that will discuss the current paradigms of the cilia and mucus fields and highlight areas where crosstalk between these two communities will be particularly advantageous. This will be followed by sessions on i) ciliary assembly and mucus production, ii) the biophysics of cilia/mucus interactions, iii) differentiation of multiciliated and secretory cells, iv) cilia, flow and tissue development, v) genomic/proteomic/glycomic approaches to ciliopathies and muco-ciliary disease, vi) cilia/fluid interactions, vii) new approaches to the study of cilia and muco-ciliary interactions, and viii) model systems in understanding ciliary function and muco-ciliary disease.
The goals of this conference are to bring together multidisciplinary experts in ciliary motility, mucus, mucociliary interactions and other cilia/flui systems to discuss the latest results in these fields and to investigate new ways of approaching these dynamic interactive systems to further understanding of their properties and impact in human health and disease. The interplay between disciplines that occurs at this conference has a major impact on the understanding of respiratory tract diseases (e.g. cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and primary ciliary dyskinesia) and also on key developmental processes (e.g. in heart, lung, brain and kidney) that involve the cilia-driven movement of fluids and generation of extracellular signaling gradients. The overall organization of this conference is based on the highly successful GRC format and brings together both basic and clinical scientists and thus provides a driving force for transitioning findings to the translational level.
