Past Conference

2nd Dynamic DNA & RNA Structures in Damage Responses & Cancer Conference

Date

22 Feb - 25 Feb 2016

Location

Cancun, Mexico

Early Bird - Expired  •  Talk Submission - Expired  •  Poster Submission - Expired  •  Registration & Payment Deadline - Expired

Report

The 2016 conference focused on insights into dynamic DNA and RNA complexes acting in DNA damage response and cancer and comprising targets for advanced cancer interventions and for understanding and preventing carcinogenesis. Returning conference chairs, Sir Tom Blundell (FRS, FMedSci, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK) and Dr. John Tainer (Director (SIBYLS Advanced Light Source, Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA) brought together under one roof many of the people driving advances in defining the relevant structural biology and mechanisms, in order to enable uniquely productive and informative interactions for those working on DNA damage responses and cancer. The meeting emphasized informal as well as formal discussions in concert with informative talks and poster sessions.

The talks concerned the frontiers of structural biology for DNA and RNA damage responses and cancer. Highlights on damage responses included cutting-edge structural and single-molecule approaches to characterize damage recognition, ribonucleotide repair, non-coding RNAs, the connection of inflammation with DNA damage, and epigenetics in the repair responses. Discussion was vigorous and informative but the chairs kept the meeting on time to preserve time for informal discussions and subgroup meetings on collaborations. The conference venue had breath-taking views of the Caribbean Sea and white sandy beaches that facilitated informal as well as formal interactions and conversations. One thing that differentiates this conference from others is the combination of top researchers with younger investigators and the very effective interactions among them.

The Poster Session was extremely successful and generated many interactive discussions. We were delighted to award five prizes to the following winners;

1st Place - Ms. Julia Reinert
2nd Place - Ms. Somaira Nowsheen
3rd Place - Ms. Elizabeth O'Brien
4th Place - Mr. Shun-Hsiao Lee
5th Place - Mr. Cory Rice

The Closing Comments by Walter Chazin and Tom Blundell generated a vibrant discussion linking DNA repair enzymes to changes in expression and even animal behavior. There was the feeling that there is an increasing need to form partnerships between creative talent in the academic sector with innovation and technical advances being championed by industry. Overall, several insights were discussed. During the conference collaborations were established, which may well lead to some of the next breakthrough results.

The meeting was expertly organized and supported by Fusion Conferences, Ltd.  We thank Laura Trundle and her team for their helpful interactions with the organisers and participants.

Synopsis

This conference will focus on insights into dynamic DNA and RNA complexes involved in the damage response and cancer. It will emphasize informal as well as formal discussions together with informative talks and poster sessions. DNA repair is a target for advanced cancer interventions. DNA repair systems are also essential for preventing carcinogenesis. The 2016 conference will focus on dynamic complexes and the control of biological outcomes relevant to cancer biology and the development of new therapeutic targets and strategies. Talks will include highlights on damage responses including cutting-edge structural and single-molecule approaches to characterize damage recognition, ribonucleotide repair, non-coding RNAs, the inflammation – damage connection, and epigenetics in the repair responses.

Key Sessions

Key sessions will include emerging results and breakthrough methods concerning:

  1. DNA and RNA complexes
  2. Chromatin Remodeling
  3. Post-translational modifications
  4. Interface of repair with Replication, Transcription and Recombination
  5. RNA responses to damage
  6. Pathway selection & cross-talk
  7. Damage signaling and processing
  8. DNA repair and disease

Confirmed Speakers

Walter Chazin (Vanderbilt)
'WHAT ARE THOSE Fe-S CLUSTERS DOING?'

Wei Yang (NIH)
'ENZYME CATALYSIS BY A HIT-AND-RUN METAL ION' 

Lorena S. Beese (Duke University Medical Center)

Susan Lees-miller (University of Calgary)
'APLF IS INTRINSICALLY FLEXIBLE AND STABILIZES AN EXTENDED FUNCTIONAL CORE COMPLEX FOR EFFICIENT NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING'

Magnar Bjorås (Oslo University Hospital)
'MODULATING BEHAVIOR BY OXIDATIVE DNA BASE LESION REPAIR'

Tom Ellenberger (Washington University in St. Louis)
'TARGETING POLY(ADP-RIBOSE) TURNOVER FOR CANCER THERAPY'

Sheila David (UC Davis)
'MUTYH, CHEMISTRY AND CANCER: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE'

Bennett Van Houten (University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University)
'SINGLE MOLECULE ANALYSIS OF DNA REPAIR ENZYMES REVEALS A NOVEL “RECOGNITION AT DISTANCE” MECHANISM'

Stephen West (The Francis Crick Institute)
'ACTIVATION OF MUS81 STRUCTURE-SELECTIVE ENDONUCLEASE BY FORMATION OF THE SMX COMPLEX'

Dorothy Erie (University of North Carolina)
'CHARACTERIZATOIN OF THE ASSEMBLY OF MUTS AND MUTL HOMOLOGS AT A MISMATCH'

Titia de Lange (The Rockefeller University)
'CHROMOTHRIPSIS FROM TELOMERE FUSIONS'

Karl-Peter Hopfner (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)
'STRUCTURAL MECHANISM OF ATP-DEPENDENT DNA BINDING AND DNA END JOINING BY EUKARYOTIC Rad50'

Jessica Downs (University of Sussex)
'PROTECTIVE PACKAGING FOR DNA: THE ROLE OF THE PBAF AND INO80 CHROMATIN REMODELLING COMPLEXES IN MAINTAINING GENOME STABILITY'

Jean-Baptiste Charbonnier (Institute of Integrated Biology of the Cell)
'PIVOTAL ROLES OF MUTL HOMOLOGS IN DNA REPAIR AND RECOMBINATION'

Dale Wigley (Imperial College London)
'STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM OF ADDAB AND RECBCD COMPLEXES' 

Titia Sixma (Netherlands Cancer Institute)
'SNAPSHOTS OF DNA MISMATCH REPAIR: TRAPPING TRANSIENT STATES'

Samir Hamdan (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)
'PROBABILISTIC ACTIVE SITE ASSEMBLY CONTROLS CATALYTIC SELECTIVITY IN HUMAN FLAP ENDONUCLEASE-1'

Takashi Ochi (University of Cambridge)
'SCAFFOLDS WITH STRINGS ATTACHED OF MULTI-PROTEIN ASSEMBLIES IN NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING'

Steve Smerdon (Medical Research Council)
'THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF Nbs1-Mdc1 INTERACTIONS – NEW TRICKS FOR OLD DOGS!'

Terence Strick (University of Paris – Diderot)
'CORRELATIVE SINGLE-MOLECULE ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC COMPLEXES IN DNA REPAIR'

Mark Glover (University of Alberta)
'MECHANISM OF RNF8 STIMULATION OF Ubc13 AND ROLE IN DNA DAMAGE SIGNALING'

Ilya Finkelstein (UT-Austin)
'SINGLE-MOLECULE VIEWS OF EUKARYOTIC DNA MISMATCH REPAIR'

Aidan Doherty (University of Sussex)
'UNRAVELING THE ROLES OF PRIMASE-POLYMERASES IN DNA REPLICATION AND REPAIR' 

Confirmed Speakers

Invited Speakers

Programme

DISCUSSION IS VALUED: 5 MINUTES IS SAVED FOR DISCUSSION AFTER EACH TALK

Monday 22nd February 2016

14:00 – 14:45

Registration

14:00 – 14:45

Group Welcome Lunch
*Kalmia Buffet Restaurant*

HOMOLOGOUS RECOMBINATION INTERACTIONS
Session Chair: John Tainer

14:45 – 15:00

Welcome and Opening Remarks by Tom Blundell & John Tainer

15:00 – 15:20

Stephen West
Francis Crick Institute

ACTIVATION OF MUS81 STRUCTURE-SELECTIVE ENDONUCLEASE BY FORMATION OF THE SMX COMPLEX

15:25 – 15:45

Priscilla K Cooper
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

XPG PARTNERS WITH BRCA1 AND BRCA2 IN HOMOLOGOUS RECOMBINATION TO MAINTAIN GENOME STABILITY

15:50 – 16:00

Kara Bernstein
University of Pittsburgh

THE CONCERTED FUNCTION OF THE SHU COMPLEX AND THE RAD51 PARALOGS IN RAD51 PRESYNAPTIC ASSEMBLY

16:05 – 16:15

Christian Biertuempfel
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

HUMAN HOLLIDAY JUNCTION RESOLVASE GEN1 USES A CHROMODOMAIN FOR EFFICIENT DNA RECOGNITION AND CLEAVAGE

16:20 – 16:40

Dale Wigley
Imperial College London

STRUCTURE AND MECHANISM OF ADDAB AND RECBCD COMPLEXES

16:45 – 17:15

Refreshments and Poster Set Up

17:15 – 17:35

Karl-Peter Hopfner
Gene Center

STRUCTURAL MECHANISM OF ATP-DEPENDENT DNA BINDING AND DNA END JOINING BY EUKARYOTIC Rad50

17:40 – 18:00

Steve Smerdon
Francis Crick Institute

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF Nbs1-Mdc1 INTERACTIONS – NEW TRICKS FOR OLD DOGS!

18:05 – 18:15

Yaron Galanty
Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge

SYSTEMATIC E2 SCREENING REVEALS A UBE2D-RNF138-CtIP AXIS PROMOTING DNA REPAIR

18:20 – 18:30

Aaron Alt
University of Sussex

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE CHROMATIN TARGETING DOMAIN OF ONCOGENE CHD5

18:35 – 18:45

Christos Coucoravas
Karolinska Institutet

ROLE OF SPECIFIC NON-CODING RNAS IN DNA DOUBLE-STRAND BREAK REPAIR

18:50 – 19:00

General Discussion
Moderators: Susan Lees-Miller and John Tainer

19:00 – 19:45

Poster Highlights
Moderators: Susan Tsutakawa and David Finger
2 minute presentations per poster presenter

19:45

Dinner at Leisure

Tuesday 23rd February 2016

07:00 – 08:30

Breakfast

BREAK REPAIR
Session Chair: Tom Blundell

08:30 – 08:40

Tom Blundell        
University of Cambridge

Opening Comments

08:40 – 09:00

Susan Lees-Miller
University of Calgary

APLF IS INTRINSICALLY FLEXIBLE AND STABILIZES AN EXTENDED FUNCTIONAL CORE COMPLEX FOR EFFICIENT NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING

09:05 – 09:15

Anthony Davis
UT Southwestern Medical Center

PHOSPHORYLATION OF Ku70 (OR SIMPLY Ku) DICTATES DNA DOUBLE-STRAND BREAK REPAIR PATHWAY CHOICE IN S PHASE

09:20 – 09:40

Takashi Ochi
University of Cambridge

SCAFFOLDS WITH STRINGS ATTACHED OF MULTI-PROTEIN ASSEMBLIES IN NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING

09:45 – 10:05

Tom Blundell           
University of Cambridge

NON-HOMOLOGOUS END JOINING IN SPACE AND TIME: SCAFFOLDS, STRINGS AND STAGES

10:10 – 10:30

Jean-Baptiste Charbonnier
CEA-CNRS-Univ Paris Saclay, France

PIVOTAL ROLES OF MUTL HOMOLOGS IN DNA REPAIR AND RECOMBINATION

10:35 – 11:05

Refreshments and Informal Poster Viewing

11:05 – 11:25

Aidan Doherty
University of Sussex

UNRAVELING THE ROLES OF PRIMASE-POLYMERASES IN DNA REPLICATION AND REPAIR

11:30 – 11:40

Marcus Wilson
Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

STRUCTURAL BASIS FOR 53BP1 RECRUITMENT TO DNA DOUBLE-STRAND BREAKS

11:45 – 11:55

Alba Guarne
McMaster University

A NOVEL NON-CANONICAL FHA DOMAIN-BINDING INTERFACE MEDIATES THE INTERACTION BETWEEN RAD53 AND DBF4 PROTEINS

12:00 – 12:10

Luxin Sun
University of Alberta

STRUCTURAL INSIGHT INTO BLM RECOGNITION BY TOPBP1 IN MAINTENANCE OF GENOME STABILITY

12:15 – 12:35

Mark Glover
University of Alberta

MECHANISM OF RNF8 STIMULATION OF Ubc13 AND ROLE IN DNA DAMAGE SIGNALING

12:40 – 12:50

General Discussion
Moderators: Tom Blundell and Magnar Bjørås

12:50 – 16:00

Lunch at Leisure & Free Time

THE DAMAGE RESPONSE: TRANSCRIPTION, REPLICATION, AND CHROMOSOME DYNAMICS
Session Chair: Priscilla Cooper

16:00 – 16:10

Priscilla K Cooper
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Opening Comments

16:10 – 16:30

Yuan He
Northwestern University

STRUCTURAL BASIS OF EUKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTION PROMOTER OPENING AT NEAR-ATOMIC RESOLUTION

16:35 – 16:45

Ivaylo Ivanov
Georgia State University

INTEGRATIVE MODELING OF MACROMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES FROM LOW TO NEAR-ATOMIC RESOLUTION

16:50 – 17:00

Sylvie Doublié
University of Vermont

WHEN THE (3') END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS OR HOW A FAMILY A POLYMERASE SOLVES A MAJOR CHALLENGE

17:05 – 17:25

Jessica Downs
Genome Damage and Stability Centre

PROTECTIVE PACKAGING FOR DNA: THE ROLE OF THE PBAF AND INO80 CHROMATIN REMODELLING COMPLEXES IN MAINTAINING GENOME STABILITY

17:30 – 18:10

Refreshments and Informal Poster Viewing

18:10 – 18:20

Julia Reinert
Friedrich Miescher Institute

THE N-TERMINAL DOMAIN ENCIRCLES DNA TO ANCHOR YEAST RIF1 TO TELOMERIC AND NON-TELOMERIC DNA ENDS

18:25 – 18:45

Titia de Lange
The Rockefeller University

CHROMOTHRIPSIS FROM TELOMERE FUSIONS

18:50 – 19:00

General Discussion
Moderators: Priscilla Cooper and Karl-Peter Hopfner

19:00 – 20:30

Poster Session, Cocktails & Refreshments

20:30

Dinner at Leisure

Wednesday 24th February 2016

07:00 – 08:30

Breakfast

CATALYSIS AND DYNAMICS
Session Chair: Jane Grasby

08:30 – 08:40

Jane Grasby
University of Sheffield

Opening Comments

08:40 – 09:00

Wei Yang
National Institutes of Health

ENZYME CATALYSIS BY A HIT-AND-RUN METAL ION

09:05 – 09:15

Piero Bianco
University at Buffalo

THE ROLES OF SSB AND RecG IN STALLED DNA REPLICATION FORK RESCUE IN E.COLI

09:20 – 09:40

Walter Chazin
Vanderbilt University

WHAT ARE THOSE Fe-S CLUSTERS DOING?

09:45 – 09:55

Elizabeth O'Brien
California Institute of Technology

A REDOX DNA-BINDING SWITCH IN THE [4FE4S] DOMAIN OF HUMAN DNA PRIMASE REGULATES ACTIVITY

10:00 – 10:10

David Rueda
Imperial College London

ACTIVATION-INDUCED DEOXYCYTIDINE DEAMINASE (AID) CO-TRANSCRIPTIONAL SCANNING AT SINGLE-MOLECULE RESOLUTION

10:15 – 10:45

Refreshments and Informal Poster Viewing

10:45 – 11:05

Terence Strick
CNRS/Institut Jacques Monod

CORRELATIVE SINGLE-MOLECULE ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC COMPLEXES IN DNA REPAIR

 

 

11:10 – 11:30

Bennett Van Houten
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

SINGLE MOLECULE ANALYSIS OF DNA REPAIR ENZYMES REVEALS A NOVEL “RECOGNITION AT DISTANCE” MECHANISM

11:35 – 11:45

Emily Beckwitt
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

SINGLE MOLECULE STUDIES OF XPA ON DNA

11:50 – 12:10

Samir Hamdan
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

PROBABILISTIC ACTIVE SITE ASSEMBLY CONTROLS CATALYTIC SELECTIVITY IN HUMAN FLAP ENDONUCLEASE-1

12:15 – 12:25

General Discussion
Moderators: Jane Grasby and Brandt Eichman

12:25 – 16:00

Lunch at Leisure & Free Time

MISMATCH AND EXCISION REPAIR
Session Chair: Sylvie Doublié

16:00 – 16:10

Sylvie Doublié
University of Vermont

Opening Comments

16:10 – 16:30

Dorothy Erie
University of North Carolina

CHARACTERIZATOIN OF THE ASSEMBLY OF MUTS AND MUTL HOMOLOGS AT A MISMATCH

16:35 – 16:55

Titia Sixma
Netherlands Cancer Institute

SNAPSHOTS OF DNA MISMATCH REPAIR: TRAPPING TRANSIENT STATES

17:00 – 17:20

Lorena Beese
Duke University Medical Center

MMR AND EXOI FUNCTIONAL CONFORMATIONS

17:25 – 17:35

Susan Tsutakawa
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

MEASURE THRICE-CUT ONCE IN STRUCTURE SPECIFIC FLAP ENDONUCLEASE

17:40 – 18:10

Refreshments and Informal Poster Viewing

18:10 – 18:30

Ilya Finkelstein
UT-Austin

SINGLE-MOLECULE VIEWS OF EUKARYOTIC DNA MISMATCH REPAIR

 

18:35 – 18:45

Brandt Eichman
Vanderbilt University

GLYCOSYLASE RECOGNITION OF DNA DAMAGE WITHOUT BASE FLIPPING ENABLES BASE EXCISION REPAIR OF BULKY LESIONS

18:50 – 19:00

Luay Joudeh
King Abdullah University of Science & Technology

DISSECTING THE STIMULATION OF FEN1 ACTIVITY BY PCNA ON FLAP SUBSTRATES AT THE SINGLE MOLECULE LEVEL

19:05 – 19:15

Jane Grasby
University of Sheffield

CELLULAR ACTIVE N-HYDROXYUREA INHIBITORS OF HUMAN FLAP ENDONUCLEASE 1

19:20 – 19:30

General Discussion
Moderators: Sylvie Doublié and Bennett Van Houten

20:00

Gala Dinner, Group Photo & Poster Awards
*Lower Pool Deck*

Thursday 25th February 2016

07:00 – 08:50

Breakfast

DNA DAMAGE, FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY AND DISEASE
Session Chair: Walter Chazin

08:50 – 09:00

Walter Chazin
Vanderbilt University

Opening Comments

09:00 – 09:20

Tom Ellenberger
Washington University School of Medicine

TARGETING POLY(ADP-RIBOSE) TURNOVER FOR CANCER THERAPY

09:25 – 09:35

France Carrier
University of Maryland, Baltimore

THE HETEROGENOUS RIBONUCLEOPROTEIN A18 (hnRNP A18) PROMOTES TUMOR GROWTH BY INCREASING PROTEIN TRANSLATION OF SELECTED TRANSCRIPTS IN CANCER CELLS IN RESPONSE TO CELLULAR STRESS

09:40 – 09:50

Qian Wu
University of Cambridge

STRUCTURE OF BRCA1-BRCT/ABRAXAS COMPLEX REVEALS PHOSPHORYLATION-DEPENDENT BRCT DIMERIZATION AT DNA DAMAGE SITES

09:55 – 10:15

Sheila David
University of California, Davis

MUTYH, CHEMISTRY AND CANCER: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE

10:20 – 10:50

Refreshments

10:50 – 11:00

Wilson Chun Yu Lau
University of Hong Kong

MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE Ub-PCNA/Pol η COMPLEX BOUND TO DNA

11:05 – 11:25

Magnar Bjørås
Oslo University Hospital

MODULATING BEHAVIOR BY OXIDATIVE DNA BASE LESION REPAIR

11:30 – 11:50

John Tainer
MD Anderson

THE RISE OF THE MACHINES

11:55 – 12:05

General Discussion
Moderators: Walter Chazin and Tom Blundell

12:05 – 12:15

Closing Comments by Walter Chazin and Tom Blundell

Friday 26th February 2016

08:15 – 17:30

Chichen-Itzá Group Tour
 For those wanting to extend their stay we have organised a private day trip to Chichen-Itzá. Full details can be found under the ‘Group Activities’ tab on the conference website.

Supported by

Bronze Sponsors
Media Partners

Interested in sponsoring this conference?

Contact us

Venue & Location

Fiesta Americana Condesa

This stylish hotel features contemporary Mexican architecture, including one of the largest and most impressive thatched-roof "palapas" in the entire country. There are cultural activities, arts and crafts and sports programs to keep you constantly entertained, plus time to relax and enjoy the Mayan culture, soak up the Caribbean sunshine and revel in the international ambiance that settles in after the sun goes down.

Throughout your stay delegates will enjoy a full meal plan, inclusive of beverages. Take your pick from the aromatic Asian delights at Kaumbu, traditional fare at El Mexicano, delicious international cuisine at Kalmia Buffet or perhaps sample the sumptuous Italian dishes at Rosato. There are also several other dining opportunities such as the Cevichería, Pizzeria, Sushi Corner, pool and lounge bar areas. The Gala Night with either a Mayan or Caribbean theme takes place on the third evening of the conference with a mouth-watering feast of local cuisine, an open bar and amazing local entertainment.  We welcome all delegates and their accompanying persons to the Gala Night – a truly fun filled night not to be missed!

Hotel Facilities

  • Lagoon Pool
  • Extensive Health Club and Spa
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi in guest rooms and throughout hotel and conference areas

The Fiesta Americana Condesa, Cancun is the 2015 Winner of the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and also received the Travellers Choice Award in 2014. 

The remains of ancient Mayan cities are scattered throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and no trip to Cancun would be complete without a visit to these majestic temples and pyramids set amongst lush tropical vegetation. We will be working very closely with a reputable tour company who will be organising trips to Tulum, Chichen Itza, Coba and Xcaret  to name a few, some of which may require a full day. Full day excursions will be arranged pre or post conference and may be on an individual or group booking so we would recommend booking extra nights to extend your stay as early as possible to avoid disappointment should these excursions be of interest to you and/or your party. For further information please contact us.

General Information

Venue Rating

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Address

Fiesta Americana Condesa, Blvd.Kukulkán km 16.5 Zona Hotelera, Cancun, 77500 Mexico

Nearest Airport

Cancun International Airport

Location

Cancun is a delightful combination of natural beauty, islands, ecological reserves and white sandy beaches. However, besides sun, sand and sea, this destination also offers an infinite variety of underwater activities to choose from: the diving, snorkelling and fishing here are outstanding and you will find an undersea world packed with tropical fish that live on the second largest barrier reef in the world. Sports enthusiasts might choose one of the many eco-tourism activities, such as cycling or hiking through the tropical forest or kayaking through mangroves, or something a little more adventuresome, like zip lining through the treetops.

Apart from the more well-known ancient Mayan archealogical sites such as Tulum, Cobá and Chichén Itzá you may like to visit the Aktun Chen caverns, voted one of the Top 10 underwater walks by National Geographic described as a truly magical experience.

Bronze Sponsors

Media Partners

If you're interested in sponsoring this conference please contact us.

Conference Manager

Sarah Trundle

Need some help? Chat to the Fusion team today

As a family run business, our dedication runs deep. We’re committed to each other and, even more so, to every attendee’s experience, delivering a level of care and passion that’s truly unmatched.

Call us

+44 (0) 1638 555057

Looking for forthcoming conferences?