The Mammalian DNA Repair Gordon Research Conference meets biannually. Unlike the several much larger conferences in this rapidly expanding field that meet less frequently, the Mammalian DNA Repair GRC does not attempt to be comprehensive in its coverage of the multiplicity of DNA repair processes and their biological importance but rather highlights recent major advances in selected key areas. As evidenced by a number of rare human genetic diseases involving DNA repair defects and by mouse models, DNA repair processes are now understood to be critical for maintaining genetic integrity and genomic function and stability in the face of abundant endogenously generated DNA damage as well as the typically low environmental exposures to genotoxins. A number of recent research advances using these systems place DNA repair squarely at the crossroads of cancer and aging, and mechanistic understanding of key processes is progressing rapidly. The 2007 conference will emphasize eukaryotic mechanisms for coordination and regulation of multiple DNA repair pathways and damage tolerance processes, both faithful and mutagenic; repair pathway intersections and coordination with replication, transcription, and telomere maintenance; and the interplay between chromatin structure and DNA repair. Major emergent themes are the importance of post-translational modifications and dynamic multi-protein interactions as regulatory mechanisms in all these areas.

Presentation of unpublished results will be strongly emphasized in instructions to all speakers, and interactive discussions involving all conferees will be actively encouraged. Broad participation will be facilitated through the selection of short talks from submitted abstracts, including those from postdocs and graduate students. This conference has frequently been over-subscribed in the past, so early application with submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged to aid in selection of conference participants and short platform talks.