Induction and Programming of the Germ Cell Lineage

Germinal stem cells are the most potent known stem cell population, capable of giving rise to all embryonic and extraembryonic cell types. Germ line stem cells were the first stem cell population recognized and, ever since, have been the subject of intense research. They ultimately give rise to eggs and sperm and have the critical responsibility of guarding the genome and transmitting it to the next generation. Researchers around the world focus on understanding how germ line stem cells arise and how they are regulated at the genetic and epigenetic levels to induce and maintain potency while safeguarding against the potential to differentiate as somatic cell types or to form tumors. Lessons learned from this research have been instructive for all stem cell biology and are crucial for understanding fertility and managing reproductive disorders. The pace of synthetic biology has accelerated in recent years due to the advances in techniques such as single cell sequencing, epigenetic analysis, and gene editing. New methods have allowed researchers to discover ways of efficiently inducing germ line potency from a starting population of somatic cells and, more recently, of forming gonadal somatic lineages from iPS cells that can potentially support germ cell development in mice, monkeys, and humans. These discoveries advance the hope of producing gametes in vitro for applications in biomedicine such as infertility, and applications in biotechnology such as species preservation and livestock management. This conference will gather international scientists at the forefront of germ cell research with the goal of sharing the rapid developments in the field among community members. This conference is focused on mammalian systems, however vertebrate systems where recent advances have occurred are often included. We aim to make this conference a forum for exchange among scientists interested in the basic biology of germinal stem cells and those engaged in clinically relevant aspects of germ cell biology and fertility. Honoring the tradition of Gordon Research Conferences, the meeting will be a venue to present unpublished data and cutting-edge advancements in the field, followed by robust discussions. It will highlight emerging concepts and new research directions and help establish collaborations across disciplines and across nations. Topics to be discussed include: specification of the germ line, germ cell niches and signals, synthetic primate embryology, managing the X chromosome and other silencing events in the germline, environment x epigenetic programming in the germ line, in vitro development of germ cells and fertility recovery; sex chromosomes and meiosis; mutation and aneuploidy in the germ line; RNA metabolism and post-transcriptional control of germ cell development; and the bioethics of synthetic human embryology.