The inaugural Fusion conference, themed “Balancing Genome Fidelity and Plasticity” was a resounding success with insightful discussions on fundamental processes that extended beyond the core topics of genomic stability. The meeting delved into emerging areas that explored the interplay between transcription, DNA repair, and replication, the impact of these processes during organismal development and evolution, the influence of the subnuclear organization on genetic fidelity, and the power of high throughput genetics in discovering novel and important players in established pathways. What sets this Fusion conference apart was the active participation of trainees, as they were at the forefront of the discussion after the excellent presentations of our speakers. The Fusion team impeccably organized the conference, and the setting in Riviera Maya, Tulum, made it even more memorable.

- Dipanjan Chowdhury (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), Karlene Cimprich (Stanford University) & Angel Sfeir (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

While alterations to DNA underlie genome evolution and antibody diversification, genome instability drives many disorders, including cancer, developmental abnormalities, and neurodegeneration. DNA damage and other genome-threatening replication blocks are generally overcome by a number of DNA repair pathways. The choice of DNA repair pathways, specifically the reliance on error-prone vs. error-free is both intriguing and confounding. Moreover, the deregulation of repair pathway choice can trigger pathological processes. In this conference, we will discuss the delicate equilibrium of genome maintenance pathways, addressing how natural processes such as replication and transcription can threaten genome stability, how the genome can be altered in cancer, signatures of genome instability in human disease, and how cells control the inherent plasticity of their replication and repair machinery. We aim to bring together scientists from diverse fields who are interested in understanding the many processes impacting DNA metabolism and the molecular and biophysical principles that maintain the balance between genome stability and plasticity.

Key Sessions

• Genome Signatures and Evolution
• Tissue Specific Repair and Mutagenesis
• Transcription-Replication Driven Mutation
• Mutagenic Repair and Replication
• Influences of Subnuclear Organization on Genome Plasticity 

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Britt Adamson (Princeton University)
Simon Boulton (Francis Crick Institute)
LOSS OF ATRX ELICITS GENETIC VULNERABILITIES ASSOCIATED TO DISTINCT RESISTANCE MECHANISMS
Dan Durocher (Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute)
CHARTING DNA DAMAGE PATHWAYS AND SYNTHETIC LETHALITY NETWORKS
Anja Groth (University of Copenhagen)
CHROMATIN REPLICATION IN GENOME AND EPIGENOME MAINTENANCE 
Daniel Jarosz (Stanford University)
Scott Keeney (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: HOW TO BUILD A MEIOTIC DNA-BREAKING MACHINE
Houra Merrikh (Vanderbilt University)
REPLICATION-TRANSCRIPTIONCONFLICTS IN BACTERIA DURING INFECTION OF MAMMALIAN HOSTS
Nima Mosammaparast (Washington University in St. Louis)
RNA PROCESSING DEFECTS AND GENOME INSTABILITY SYNDROMES
Serena Nik-Zainal (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)
FUNCTIONAL MULTI-OMICS REVEAL INSIGHTS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL DYSREGULATION AND SOMATIC GENOME EVOLUTION IN NEURODEGENERATION IN XP
Andre Nussenzweig (National Institutes of Health)
NEURONAL PLASTICITY AND GENOME STABILITY
Philippe Pasero (Institute of Human Genetics)
POSTREPLICATIVE RNA:DNA HYBRIDS AS A SOURCE OF REPLICATION STRESS AND INFLAMMATION
David Pellman (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
A UNIFYING MODEL FOR THE MECHANISM OF NUCLEAR ENVELOPE ASSEMBLY 
Julian Sale (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)
THE MUTAGENIC PENALTY OF INITIATING DNA REPLICATION
Jesper Svejstrup (University of Copenhagen)
TRANSCRIPTION AND GENOME STABILITY
Marcel Tijsterman (Leiden University Medical Center)
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF TANDEM DNA DUPLICATIONS
Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla (Helmholtz Zentrum München)
GENOME FIDELITY DURING REPROGRAMMING AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT
Stephan Vagner (Institut Curie)
RNA-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS AT DNA REPLICATION FORKS
Iestyn Whitehouse (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
HIGH-RESOLUTION VIEWS OF DNA REPLICATION
SaraH Zanders (Stowers Institute for Medical Research)
WTF PARASITES AND GENOME EVOLUTION

Trainee Grants

We have 16 trainee grants available for postdocs and students. To apply, please email the Conference Manager, Chloe Trundle, with a talk or poster abstract and a short message outlining why you would benefit from attending by 20^th January 2023.

Student Offer

Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for students! Fully paying academics can bring a student for only $777. Unfortunately, Postdocs are not eligible for this offer. Both registration packages include; accommodation for the 04, 05, 06 May 2023 (on a shared basis for students) and a food and beverage package for the conference period. Once registered, please contact your conference manager to obtain a special registration link for your student.

Target Audience

The meeting, which addresses fundamental questions that pertain to genome instability, is expected to appeal to basic science researchers, including students and postdocs. In addition, the various topics covered will be of interest to translational and clinical investigators in academic institutions and industry.

Educational Need

Genomic integrity is the foundation of human health with a plethora of diseases emerging from any dysfunction in the cellular machinery that maintains our genome. In this conference we focus on emerging areas in the field of genome biology that have gained significant prominence in recent years, specifically, large scale studies on genome evolution and mutational signatures combined with the interplay of DNA metabolism, RNA metabolism and DNA repair in the context of sub-nuclear compartments. We anticipate that attendees at all levels, students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty will be exposed to radical new concepts and cutting-edge technology that will define the genome stability field in the upcoming years. The conference is being designed to facilitate interaction of trainees with senior scientists, and promote scientific collaborations.