Current Research Results on Processes of Cell Division

Current research findings on the processes that occur in the cell nucleus and during cell division in multicellular organisms are in the focus of a conference to be held on 24 and 25 April 2014 in Heidelberg. The hosts of the DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance Forum are the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH). Over 20 leading international experts from the life sciences will present their recent work. Gene regulation, chromosome dynamics and genome stability are the main topics, with a particular focus on the mechanisms responsible for maintaining genetic information and its adaptation to cellular requirements. Approximately 300 participants are expected to attend the forum 2014 entitled “Genome Regulation and Nuclear Dynamics in Health and Disease”.

The biological fate of every organism is largely based on the correct execution of a master plan encoded in its DNA. Complex molecular mechanisms ensure that the information stored in the chromosomes in the nucleus are precisely read, copied and distributed. Numerous human diseases such as cancer and degenerative disorders but also ageing processes are often associated with changes in the DNA or variations in the regulation of gene expression. A deeper understanding of these processes provides an important knowledge base for better approaches to treatment. “Certainly we have made great progress in discovering and characterising many of the important players involved in gene regulation, chromosome dynamics and genome stability. Nevertheless, the picture we have is far from complete. Additional efforts are needed to precisely understand these processes,” states epigeneticist Prof. Dr. Frank Lyko of the DKFZ, one of the conference organisers.

The forum, originally started by the ZMBH, is now to be held for the twentieth time. It aims to provide experts and young researchers alike a compact overview of the current state of leading research. The invited speakers come from the USA, Israel, Japan, Canada and several European countries. Young researchers can also present their own work in the poster exhibition. The DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, the strategic cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center and the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University, is part of the university’s institutional strategy to promote top-level research supported by the Excellence Initiative.