Mobile DNA: Mechanisms and Health Impact

For 30 years, this conference has been at the forefront of communicating the latest discoveries as well as experimental and bioinformatics progress in the study of transposable elements (TEs). Over its history, organizers have promoted collaboration between scientists and physicians studying TEs, aging, cancer, and biomedicine.

The focus of this year’s conference program will be TEs, their normal biological functions, and their roles in age-related diseases, including cancer, autoimmunity, and neurodegeneration. Additional topics include opportunities to use TEs in gene editing, as diagnostics, and/or therapeutics, drug effects on TEs when they cause or contribute to diseases, as well as the study of their structural and biochemical features.

This conference will also provide additional professional development for early-career researchers and newcomers in emerging TE biology, particularly those from historically excluded groups.

Attendees will learn about:

· TEs emerging and unrealized roles in human diseases.

· Cross-disciplinary findings that provide a more accurate and holistic understanding of TEs.

· Previously inaccessible aspects of TE biochemistry, structure, and function.

Program Topics

· The role of TEs in aging and senescence

· The use of TEs as biomarkers of disease

· TEs as drug targets

· TEs and evolution

· Biochemistry and structure of TEs

Workshops

A Meet the Expert session will be held, matching early-career researchers and faculty with experienced Mobile DNA investigators. Participants will convene with an informal “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) format so researchers at varying career stages can benefit from the experience of senior investigators. The goal is to encourage discussion around unresolved questions in the field, inspiring new cross-disciplinary collaborations as a result.

The Career Development Workshop is aimed at providing practical and strategic advice for younger researchers to help them navigate the challenges they face in their professional trajectories. Organizers will match early-career researchers with mid-career researchers to provide a one-on-one interaction resulting in practical advice for their careers.