WELCOME

Epigenome Network of Excellence meeting on
Epigenetic Regulation in Cell Fate & Disease
March 17th -19th, Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna

For lineage-specific gene expression to be maintained through cell division, faithful reproduction of vital information is required. Chromatin structure provides the basis for this cell memory and its inherent ability to adapt to environmental cues also enables cellular differentiation. This dual feature of chromatin, stable yet plastic, is brought about by the epigenetic adaptability of the chromatin template. This feature is reflected in a recent definition of epigenetic events; the structural adaptation of chromosomal regions so as to register, signal and perpetuate altered activity states (A. Bird, Nature (2007) 447:396-398). This puts epigenetics center stage in cell fate decisions.

This meeting will bring together leading experts in the areas of gene regulation, cell fate determination and epigenetics to discuss epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of cell fate and disease. A number of talks will also be selected from submitted abstracts and there will be a possibility to present data in a poster session, which we hope will contribute to making this a dynamic meeting with a lot of intense discussion.

The meeting is open to everyone interested and registration is free of charge. Meals will be included during meeting hours. Accommodation and travel will have to be organised by the participant.

We anticipate great interest in this meeting from the community and hope that we will be able to provide everyone who so wishes with a participant slot. However, in the event the meeting gets oversubscribed, we will have to give priority to participants who contribute their own data (poster).

Registration deadline 17th January, 2010. Participants will be notified about their acceptance to the meeting shortly after the registration deadline.