50 Years of Histone Acetylation. Barcelona Conference on Epigenetics and Cancer

One of the biggest challenges in biomedicine today is understanding how signal pathways regulated by the interaction of genetic programming and environmental factors impact on the epigenetic plasticity of chromatin in health and disease. This knowledge could be exploited for the generation and improvement of novel tools for the prediction, the diagnosis, and eventually the individualized treatment of cancer.

As a joint venture of five leading Barcelonian institutes, the Barcelona Conferences of Epigenetics and Cancer (BCEC) series has been launched to bring together leading investigators in the fields of chromatin research and cancer. The second edition of the BCEC series, is coorganized by B·Debate and Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC-IDIBELL) and will focus on discussing in breadth and depth the current challenges, opportunities and perspectives of cancer epigenetics.

This meeting celebrates the 50th anniversary of the paper “Acetylation and methylation of histones and their possible role in the regulation of RNA synthesis” published by V.G. Allfrey, R Faulkner and A. E. Mirsky which was published in PNAS in 1964. The paper was seminal in establishing the relationship between histone post-translational modifications and gene expression.  It also takes into account that during many years since then, Barcelona has been one of the cities in Europe with the largest concentration of researchers working on histones and chromatin.

Organizers: Alejandro Vaquero, Esteban Ballestar, Juan Ausió and Manel Esteller.

Speakers: Andrés Aguilera, Peter Becker, Shelley Berger, Colyn Crane-Robinson, James Davie, Manel Esteller, Wei Gu, Tony Kouzarides, Marian Martínez-Balbas, Lorraine Pillus, Danny Reinberg, Bryan Turner, Eric Verdin, Jerry Workman, Ed Seto, Li-Huei Tsai, John Denu and Alejandro Vaquero.

NEW DATELINE! Abstract presentation: the program for October, 1-2, is broken down into six scientific sessions with short talks by researchers selected by the organizers from the abstracts received. The deadline to submit abstracts is September, 12^th, at 3pm. Abstract submission option is available after Registration. The speakers selected will be announced by mid September. For any question about the abstracts please contact Alex Vaquero (avaquero@idibell.cat) or Helena Díaz (hdiaz@idibell.cat) or Phone: +34 93 2607095.

• Information about BCEC 1st Edition, 2013