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Highlights from - RNA: beyond the Central Dogma

2010 Annual ASBMB WA Branch Symposium

23rd July 2010 - Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, Western Australia

Coming soon - stay tuned.

Highlights from Keystone RNA Silencing 2010

Keystone, Colorado USA (January 14-19 2010)

Contributed by Toby Hulf- Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Two noble prize winners, three ski hills, five days, 31 talks, 297 posters. Without the chalet’s hot-tub in the snow I don’t think my battered mind and body would have survived Keystone RNA Silencing 2010.

Proceedings at the eponymous resort in the Rocky Mountains opened at speed with two packed keynote addresses by Narry Kim and James Carrington. Narry Kim described two mechanisms of microRNA (miRNA) heterogeneity (the generation of ‘isomiRs’) then how results from orthologous Drosophila and human miRNAs pointed to a new mechanism of insulin regulation. James Carrington demonstrated the dramatic advances in the plant field with an exposé of trans-acting siRNA and Argonaute proteins.

Craig Mello managed to compress the history of this teenage science into his talk. While fellow Nobel Laureate Phillip Sharp, in one of several mould-breaking discoveries outlined at the conference, showed that cells defective for miRNA biogenesis are capable of forming tumors. With so many exciting results in this galloping filed it would be hard to pick a favourite. In a series of elegant experiments that mammalian biologists can only dream of Attila Molnar showed that small RNAs could instigate DNA-methylation in distant tissues in plants.

Advances in technologies were certainly helping set the agenda; these included single particle electron microscopy and high-throughput sequencing exemplified by Jennifer Doudna’s and David Bartel’s work respectively. The latter talk led to some of the fiercest debate of the meeting, the results of a massive sequencing effort in combination with ribosome occupancy experiments had led him to the inescapable conclusion that much of miRNA repression is mediated by mRNA destabilization rather than translational repression.

The locals were describing it as a terrible season, but with miles of piste and meters of snow the sky was literally the limit for networking and discussion. Breckenridge ski patrol put on a humbling demonstration of non-human cunning. Two ‘volunteers’ were buried several feet under the snow in an old avalanche debris field and it took Bazooka the rescue dog less than two minutes find them.

And so with a plenary session on small RNAs in stem cells and a sociable dinner the 2010 Ketystone RNA Silencing meeting drew to a close with a final soak under the stars.

Highlights from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Epigenetics Meeting

San Juan, Puerto Rico (January 20-23, 2010)

Contributed by Brian Gloss - Garvan Institute of Medical Research

It was the who’s who of epigenetics in cancer. Peter Laird, Peter Jones, Jean-Pierre Issa, Sue Clark, Andrew Feinberg to name but a few. The first conference was held 13 years previously with just a handful of scientists in Puerto Rico and, fittingly, 400 people packed into the Hilton in San Juan in 2010 to hear 55 cutting edge talks, see hundreds of posters and catch up with colleagues.

Even the perfect sunny days, beautiful beaches and decadence of the Hilton couldn’t distract us from inspiring talks about stem cells, differentiation, chromatin, bioinformatics and, of course, DNA methylation.

My personal highlights included Alex Meissner’s discussion comparing whole genome methylation profiling, Peter Jones’ sobering reminder that epigenetic gene regulation goes way beyond the transcript and Kenneth Nephew’s demonstration of the usefulness of epigenetic therapies in re-sensitising chemoresistant solid tumours to chemotherapy.

All in all, the AACR special conference on Cancer Epigenetics was an intense, exciting and inspiring 3 ½ days.

Download the final conference program

Highlights from the 31st Lorne Genome Conference

Lorne, Australia (February 14-16, 2010)

Contributed by Saul Bert - Garvan Institute of Medical Research

The Lorne Genome conference was set to the dual rhythm of endless rain
and generous applause. Caused in equal measure by the beauty of nature
and those that study her finest creation, the mysterious genome.

Now in its 31st year, the Lorne Genome conference has had the world's finest epigeneticists, evolutionary biologists, plant geneticists and all other flavour of molecular biologists grace its program; this year being no exception. Talks that struck notable chords came from John Stamatoyannopoulos on the creation of genomic and epigenomic maps, John Rinn on the discovery of large non-coding RNAs as mediators of genomic repression and Michael Stratton who spoke of sequencing the cancer genome and the secrets that lie therein. Novel talks were abundant; unique presentations were given by Hiroki Ueda on the transcriptional programs that regulate circadian clocks, as well as Alan Cooper who spoke of analyzing SNP data from extinct families of bovids.

While the conference was set in the wonderful Mantra Resort (who knew learning of the genome needed so much tennis and wine tasting!), surely the most engaging event was the gala dinner speech given by Julian Wells Medal awardee Merlin Crossley. Talking of his experiences at the Lorne conference over the years, he wove a whimsical tale of epigenetics and the twelve apostles, of glow worms and of transcription factors; truly, it was a delight to be a part of the 31st Lorne Genome conference!