Conference: FASEB SCIENCE RESEARCH CONFERENCE: Genetic Recombination and Genome Rearrangements

This award will provide support for the 2026 Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB) Science Research Conference on “Genetic Recombination and Genome Rearrangements”, to be held July 12-17, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The conference addresses a unique need in the field. It brings together researchers focused on “genetic recombination”: the process by which a broken DNA molecule interacts with another DNA molecule to enable its repair that impact the development of biotechnologies relevant to understanding and treating cancer and other human diseases. The primary goals of the conference are to share cutting-edge insights into recombination and to foster new collaborations, leading to a deeper understanding of the process. More broadly, the conference will educate trainees and help them to network with leaders in the field for career development in biotechnology and STEM careers.

The conference will cover a broad range of topics, from structural and biophysical analyses of recombination enzymes to whole-genome analysis of mutagenesis, genome rearrangements and telomere maintenance, with studies performed in a broad array of model systems. These studies are relevant to physiological processes such as meiosis and also to biotechnology development that can impact human disease, notably cancer and aging. The conference will feature unpublished research on cutting-edge questions that drive the field forward. The program includes talks and poster presentations from trainees, early-stage investigators and senior scientists. All attendees are encouraged to participate by presenting a poster or an invited/selected oral presentation and by participating in poster sessions and social events. The conference design encourages formal and informal discussions that will promote new collaborations and welcome newcomers to the research community, including young investigators and trainees. Successful outcomes of the conference will include new collaborations that drive the field forward.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2609303
Principal Investigator: Ralph Scully
Funds Obligated: $16,000
State: MD