Cytoskeletal Structure, Dynamics, and Function

This inaugural conference will be a leading forum in cell biology, focusing on dynamic cytoskeletal systems. The program will primarily focus on the biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology of actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments, and septins in animals, plants, unicellular eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea.

This conference will encourage a new level of collaboration in this truly interdisciplinary field for early-career researchers and experienced investigators. It will feature the latest findings relevant to cell biologists, geneticists, biophysicists, biochemists, engineers, structural biologists, theorists, and microscopists. Topics will range from well-known cytoskeletal functions (mitosis, cytokinesis, cell shape, cell adhesion, cell migration, intracellular transport) to emerging ones (in the nucleus, supporting organelle morphogenesis and development). This also includes a discussion of how cytoskeletal communities mimic interactions between cytoskeletal elements within cells, thus increasing the understanding of these interactions.

It will also feature research on diverse organisms and cell types ranging from bacteria, yeast, and protozoa to plants and animal cells, with perspectives on the evolutionary history of fundamental cellular processes in organisms. In addition, presentations on simplified in vitro reconstitution systems and molecular structures reveal mechanisms by which molecules self-organize and exert forces, including the emerging concept of biomolecular condensation (also called liquid-liquid phase separation).  Finally, this meeting will cover developments in quantitative biology, state-of-the-art imaging, and biophysical approaches that provide important new insights into dynamic cell biological processes.

Goals and Takeaways

· How cytoskeletal elements communicate

· The role of the cytoskeleton within cell biology beyond cell division and cell migration

· Advanced microscopy techniques which reveal novel features in cytoskeletal dynamics and ultrastructure

Program Topics

· How to generate cytoskeletal filaments

· How to organize cytoskeletal networks

· How to move the cytoskeleton and execute force 

· How cytoskeletal networks talk to one another

· How the cytoskeleton regulates organelles 

· How the cytoskeleton influences cell division

· How the cytoskeleton functions in morphogenesis

· Emerging topics in cytoskeletal research

Workshops

A Meet the Expert session in which experts will host tables for small discussion groups on scientific topics, and then reconvene with all participants to discuss key takeaways. 

A Career Development Workshop will feature perspectives from academia, industry, publishing, and government at the early-career, mid-career, and senior levels for a question-and-answer panel session. This will be followed by additional break-out discussions for one-on-one interactions to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of their potential career pathways.