Fungal genetics meeting to showcase breakthroughs in molecular biology

BETHESDA, MD - Nearly 1,000 scientists from 35 countries will attend the 28th Fungal Genetics Conference organized by the Genetics Society of America (GSA), March 17-22, 2015, at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA. The conference will feature approximately 900 presentations (including over 200 talks) of cutting-edge fungal genetics research - with a focus on filamentous fungi - on topics including genomics, gene regulation, cell biology and development, evolutionary biology, fungal-host interactions and biotechnology.

Professor Michael J. Hynes from the University of Melbourne will present the Perkins/Metzenberg Lecture on Saturday, March 21 at 5:45 pm, just prior to the closing conference banquet. This lecture is given at each Fungal Genetics Conference by a leader in fungal genetics research; it often includes an historical and thought-provoking perspective as well as an outlook on the future of the field. For more information on the conference program, including the timing of plenary sessions - each of which ends with a Chair's Choice Talk presenting high impact studies nominated by the scientific community - please see the schedule of events.

Numerous species of fungi are instrumental model organisms for the study of biology - particularly of genetics and related phenomena including heredity, gene function, reproduction, metabolism, and evolution. For example, the field of molecular genetics is said to have begun in Neurospora crassa, where experiments showing that genes act by regulating definite chemical events led to the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The genetic and experimental tractability of fungi make them excellent systems for studying the effects and mechanisms of mutations and transposable DNA elements that move to different locations in the genome. Their short yet complex life cycles allow for studies of long-term evolution and sexual reproduction, while their multicellularity allows for studies of development, intracellular communication, and morphogenesis. Interactions between fungi and other organisms have also enabled studies of pathogenesis, infection, and symbiotic relationships. The industrial applications of fungi are numerous, including biotechnology, biofuels, fermentation, pharmaceuticals, citric acid production, and more. The 28th Fungal Genetics Conference will integrate the areas in which fungi have been instrumental as model organisms or industrial tools.

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For additional information, please see the conference website at http://www.genetics-gsa.org/fungal/2015/.

Media Eligibility: The 28th Fungal Genetics Conference is open to media representatives, including those from bona fide print, broadcast, radio, and online venues, and freelance writers on a verifiable assignment from an established news source. Please contact press@genetics-gsa.org for information about complimentary press registration.

About the Genetics Society of America (GSA)

Founded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional scientific society for genetics researchers and educators. The Society's more than 5,000 members worldwide work to deepen our understanding of the living world by advancing the field of genetics, from the molecular to the population level. GSA promotes research and fosters communication through a number of GSA-sponsored conferences including regular meetings that focus on particular model organisms. GSA publishes two peer-reviewed, peer-edited scholarly journals: GENETICS, which has published high quality original research across the breadth of the field since 1916, and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, an open-access journal launched in 2011 to disseminate high quality foundational research in genetics and genomics. The Society also has a deep commitment to education and fostering the next generation of scholars in the field. For more information about GSA, please visit http://www.genetics-gsa.org.

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Fungal genetics meeting to showcase breakthroughs in molecular biology