The Evolutionary Cell Biology Workshop will be held at the Airlie Conference Center in Warrenton, Virginia. The goal of this multi-investigator project is to organize a Workshop that will bring together investigators from diverse scientific communities and with diverse perspectives including evolutionary biologists, cell biologists and computational biologists to define the nascent field of "evolutionary cell biology" and to identify the key issues and fundamental principles that are in most urgent need to being addressed in order to foster this exciting and emerging area of research. With the fact that there are mature fields of molecular evolution, genome evolution and even developmental evolution, there is no recognizable field of evolutionary cell biology. With that in mind, this is an opportunity for both cell biologists and evolutionary biologists alike. Therefore, the potential payoff of organizing a meeting that focuses on evolutionary biologists and cell biologists is significant. The development of a field of evolutionary cell biology should have impacts on disciplines beyond cell and evolutionary biology, e.g., by helping scientists figure out how to rationally alter cell biological features or even to invent new ones, thereby contributing to the emerging fields of synthetic biology and artificial life.
Broader Impacts The development of a field of evolutionary cell biology is expected to have major impacts on the disciplines of cell biology and evolutionary biology but it will influence other fields as well. Establishing an understanding of the principles of evolutionary cell biology should help scientists establish how to rationally alter cell biological features or even to invent new ones, thereby contributing to the emerging fields of synthetic biology and artificial life. The requested funding will be used to support travel, meals and/or lodging for 35 participants from US and international locations.
