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Genomics and the Life Aquatic |
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Organizers: Chris Amemiya Benaroya Research Institute, and Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. |
Registration Form for Invited Speakers
Application Form for Grad Students and Postdocs
As biologists, we live in exciting times. Genomes are being sequenced at a staggering rate, and the amount of data being generated can only be described as mind numbing. In order to effectively extract the interesting information from the masses of data, it is important to use the principles of comparison that biologists have employed for centuries. In that sense comparative genomics is nothing more than a compilation of tools that enables one to look for similarities and differences between vast arrays of sequence information in order to make inferences about biological relevance and function. The comparative genomics approach thus provides a tangible means to study evolutionary processes as well as modern tools to address classic questions in biology.
Life originated in the oceans, and aquatic environments currently support an amazing diversity of life across all taxa. Arguably, the range of niches available in the aquatic environment is greater than those present in terrestrial environments. Because of this diversity, using comparative genomics approaches in aquatic systems allows us to address a wide range of questions from the origins of multicellularity to the genetic basis of adaptation in extreme environments.
We have assembled a group of creative and diverse scientists who are combining comparative genomics with more traditional experimental approaches in aquatic organisms to derive insights into a variety of biological processes. In bringing together a small number of excellent scientists using similar tools to address a diverse set of questions, we hope to foster cross talk and innovation. In addition, this symposium will provide an opportunity for graduate students and to present their work and interact with leaders in their fields in a more informal setting than a large meeting would normally provide.
Support will be available for grad students and postdocs to attend and give an oral presentation. Interested grad students and postdocs are invited to apply by June 30th using the online application form above. For the online application, you will need to include a 250 word abstract and 250-500 word summary of research interests and why this symposium would be relevant to your work.
Keynote speaker
Richard Ellis, one of the foremost wildlife artists and author of several popular natural history books, including Aquagenesis: The Origin and Evolution of Life in the Sea. Click here to download a recent New York Times interview with Richard after publication of No Turning Back: The Life and Times of Animal Species.Linda Holland (Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UC San Diego). Genomics and the evolution of the chordate body plan.
Nicole King (UC Berkeley). Comparative genomics and the origins of multicellularity.
Marianne Bronner-Fraser (Caltech). Lamprey genomics and the evolution of the vertebrate head.
Mark Martindale (University of Hawaii). Genomics and the origins of bilaterality.William Detrich (Northeastern University). Comparative genomics and the Antarctic fish species flock.
Tom Kocher (University of New Hampshire, Hubbard Center for Genome Studies). Genetic and genomic analysis of adaptive traits in cichlids.
Christina Cheng (University of Illinois). Evolution of antifreeze proteins and cold adaptation.
Carol Lee (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Genetics and genomics of invasive species.
Alison Murray (Desert Research Institute). Environmental genomics and microbial adaptation.
Nipam Patel (UC Berkeley), Morphological divergence in arthropods.
David Kingsley (Stanford University). Genetics and genomic analysis of morphological divergence in sticklebacks.
Gunter Wagner (Yale
University). Genome evolution and the fin-limb transition.
Gary Litman (All Children's Hospital, Florida). Genomic diversification of the immune system in primitive vertebrates.
Tony De Tomaso (Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University). Genetics of allorecognition in ascidians and the origins of the adaptive immune system.
Jonathan Rast (University of Toronto). Genomic regulatory networks in sea urchins and the origins of the vertebrate immune system.
Billie Swalla (University of Washington). Evolution of innate immunity in primitive chordates.
Katie Peichel (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center). Genetic analysis of reproductive behavior in sticklebacks.
Hans Hofmann (Bauer Center for Genomics Research, Harvard University). Functional phenomics of behavioral plasticity in cichlids.
Willie Swanson (University of Washington). Comparative genomics and adaptive evolution in reproductive proteins.
Louis Bernatchez (Universite Laval). Genetic and genomic analysis of reproductive isolation between sympatric fish species.
John Postlethwait (University of Oregon). Evolution of the vertebrate genome.
Chris Amemiya (Benaroya Research Institute). Genome duplication and vertebrate development.
