Meiosis is the essential cell division process that enables sexually reproducing organisms to produce haploid gametes. The 2010 Meiosis Gordon Conference will bring together researchers who study meiosis using complementary approaches, including molecular cell biology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, and evolutionary biology. Both oral and poster presentations will emphasize new, unpublished insights from diverse model organisms, including fungi, plants, and animals, as well as studies of meiosis in humans. Session topics will include: control of the meiotic cell cycle; initiation and regulation of meiotic recombination; crossover control; checkpoints that coordinate meiotic events; the roles of chromatin in meiotic mechanisms, contributions of RNA-based processes; chromosome pairing, assembly, disassembly, and function of the synaptonemal complex; cohesion and chromosome condensation; the meiotic bouquet and the nuclear envelope; spindles, kinetochores, and chromosome segregation; and the evolution of meiosis and sexual reproduction. While the emphasis will be on meiotic chromosome dynamics, the conference will also encompass pathways that impinge on meiosis, such as gene regulation, gametogenesis, and chromatin organization. Students and postdoctoral researchers are especially encouraged to participate in the Meiosis Gordon Research Seminar, which will precede the GRC and provide an introduction to the field in an forum geared toward junior researchers.