
May 30-June 1, 2007, Stamford Plaza Hotel Brisbane Queensland, Australia

DSB 2007: Speakers

Invited International and Plenary Speakers include:

Tim Huang >>

Ken Kosik >>

Dagmar Ringe >>

John Mattick >>

Kevin Shakesheff >>

Colleen Nelson >>

Mike Wilkinson >>

Tim Huang, Director, Centre for Integrative Cancer Biology, Ohio State University	Dr. Huang is director of CICB. He is also the Leader on Project 1, Dissecting Hierarchies of Epigenetic Control in Gene Silencing. He has extensive experience in cancer epigenomics. He is specifically responsible for the development of a microarray-based technique for genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation. He is also a pioneer in chromatin studies using microarray technology. The interactions between chromatin modifications and DNA methylation play an important role in governing gene transcriptions. Dr. Huang is using integrative tools combining an experimental and bioinformatics approach to study complex epigenetic alterations in cancer and other diseases.
Professor Ken Kosik Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology UC Santa Barbara	Research areas Basic mechanisms and disorders of neural plasticity; the role of microRNAs in stem cell differentiation. Prof Kosik is interested in both the mechanisms of neuronal plasticity and its impairment in neurodegeneration. He and his research team has observed translocation of RNA granules in neurons along microtubules and has engineered a nucleic acid-peptide complex capable of directly visualizing in living neurons the translocation of a 5' untranslated RNA sequence complexed to green fluorescent protein. In parallel to this work are studies directed at the underlying cellular mechanisms by which plasticity is lost in the course of neurodegeneration.

Professor John Mattick, AO RNA-Based Gene Regulation in Eukaryotic Development Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), the University of Queensland	Only 1.2% of the human genome codes for proteins. The vast majority of the human genome and that of other complex organisms consists of vast tracts of sequences within and between genes that are widely thought of as evolutionary debris, or junk. However most of these sequences are in fact transcribed into RNA that is not translated into protein. Therefore the human genome is either replete with useless transcription, or these non-coding RNAs are fulfilling some unexpected functions. Many of these transcripts are processed to smaller RNAs, called microRNAs, that control many aspects of development. MicroRNAs also regulate a variety of developmental processes in plants, and regulatory RNAs are clearly involved in chromosome dynamics and epigenetic modification in all multicellular organisms. Most, if not all, complex genetic phenomena in the eukaryotes appears to be connected to RNA signaling. In addition, a significant proportion of the mammalian genome appears to be under evolutionary selection, both positive and negative, including thousands of ultra-conserved sequences and transposon-free regions, which have remained essentially unchanged throughout mammalian evolution. We are testing the hypothesis that the non-coding sequences constitute a hidden regulatory system that uses RNA signals to direct and coordinate complex suites of gene expression during our growth and development.

Professor Colleen Nelson, Jack Bell Research Centre UBC, Canada	Research Interests The research interests in my laboratory are centered on understanding the role of aberrant gene expression in prostate cancer progression, with a particular emphasis on the mechanism of androgen-specific gene regulation and the progression to androgen independence. To study the progression of prostate cancer we use prostate tumour models that can be analyzed both in vitro and in vivo. In mice the human prostate tumours are grown as subcutaneous zenografts and progress to androgen independence in a predictable time frame after castration, as monitored by the production of PSA as a surrogate marker of progression. This model system provides an excellent opportunity to study changes in gene expression during this pathway with gene microarray technology. Using these systems we are able to readily observe changes in gene expression patterns correlating with progression and treatment. Genes of interest are studied by observing the effects of over expression or down regulation of the gene at the molecular level to characterize their role in progression process. Genes that may be causative of progression or interfere with therapeutic efficacy can be knocked out using antisense oligonucleotide technology and are being tested as new potential therapeutics for advanced prostate cancer. Another set of projects in my laboratory investigates the DNA-binding specificity of steroid receptors and other transcription factors and the mechanisms that result in their discrete modes of transcriptional regulation. We are currently analyzing a number of transcription factors that are upregulated during prostate cancer progression and identifying the cascades of genes that they regulate. Another research focus of my laboratory is to identify substances in environmental contaminants, such as PCBs and pesticides, and dietary factors that influence steroid hormone action. We have developed a tissue culture assay which is highly responsive to agonists and antagonists of the androgen and glucocorticoid receptors. Compounds that demonstrate steroid receptor interference in vitro, are investigated in vivo using transgenic systems and tumour model systems to determine their potential affects on the development and progression of prostate cancer.

Professor Dagmar Ringe Biochemistry, Chemistry, & Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center Protein Crystallography Brandeis University	Research areas Our interests are generally in the relationship of protein three-dimensional structure to chemical function. To this end, research is focussed on the modification of the catalytic properties of a number of pharmaceutically or industrially important enzymes. The methods used are a combination of X-ray crystallography, design of transition-state analog inhibitors, and site-directed mutagenesis. The objectives are to learn how to re-engineer these catalysts to perform useful chemical reactions which may not occur efficiently with the naturally occurring enzyme, to dissect the individual steps in a mechanism and characterize them structurally, or to learn how to inhibit an enzyme specifically and selectively. The proteins being studied currently include enzymes utilizing pyridoxal phosphate as cofactor, a GTP-binding protein, a DNA-binding protein, and several proteases. Different methods are being used to study these systems, including traditional kinetic and structural methods, and low-temperature and time-resolved x-ray structural methods. In addition, a new method for mapping of binding surfaces on proteins is being developed for the design of specific inhibitors.

Professor Kevin Shakesheff, Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, UK	Research areas The Tissue Engineering Group is a highly multidisciplinary group actively researching new methods of growing functional tissues in the laboratory for in vitro modelling and transplantation. Our main areas of interest include liver, nerve, skeletal, and gastrointestinal tissue regeneration and wound healing. We are also involved in synthesising novel biodegradable and biomimetic materials for tissue regeneration. These materials are used to generate scaffolds that support cell and tissue growth. We are currently developing methods of fabricating controlled drug delivery devices within these scaffolds, such that drugs and growth factors may be released during tissue development.

Professor Michael Wilkinson, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, UK	Research interests: Various aspects of crop genetics, with emphasis on the use of molecular genetics and cytogenetics in plant breeding, evaluation and utilization of wild germplasm and the use of biotechnology for crop improvement. Current areas of interest fall into four main categories, including risk assessment studies on the release of genetically modified crops, cryptic introgression of paternal DNA during parasexual hybridization, novel approaches for genetic characterisation and utilisation of wild germplasm and molecular genetics of cocoa.

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