Understanding Cell Behavior through Single Cell and Single Molecule Biology

The UNM Centennial Engineering Center, January 10-12, 2013

Overview:

Many biological experiments are performed on groups of cells, under the assumption that all cells of a particular "type" are identical. However, individual cells within the same population may differ dramatically as a function of cell cycle stage or microenvironment, and these differences can have important consequences for the health and function of the entire population. Furthermore, individual cells can exhibit enormously heterogeneous behavior from one region to another, as shown for example by evidence for lipid rafts and protein islands that segregate membrane components into microdomains with distinct compositions and functions. Imaging single molecules allows the measurement of quantitative parameters, such as the number of molecules, reaction rate constants and diffusion coefficients, at the subcellular level with spatial distributions and temporal fluctuations. This detailed information is essential for constructing quantitative models of reaction networks that provide a systems-level understanding of the mechanisms by which various cellular behaviors are emerging.

Understanding Cell Behavior through Single Cell and Single Molecule Biology is a conference in two parts.

Day one will be dedicated to a Symposium on Single Cell/Single Molecule Biology, with invited talks and contributed posters featuring these topics:

• Probes, imaging instruments and microfluidics devices for single cell and single molecule biology
• New biological insights resulting from application of these new tools in immunology and cancer

Days 2 and 3 will be organized as an interactive Conference on Quantitative Bioimaging, in which tutorials to introduce key problems in Single Molecule Biology and image analysis will be followed by intense discussion and poster sessions.

Participants may register for the Symposium, the Conference or for both events. The event is free, although registration is requested and attendance will be capped at 190 participants (Symposium) and 150 participants (Conference). All participants are encouraged to submit poster abstracts aligned with one of the subject areas.

The event is sponsored by the New Mexico Spatiotemporal Modeling Center, a NIGMS National Center for Systems Biology, the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center, a member of the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, and by Sandia National Laboratories. Additional support comes from the UNM Cancer Center, the UNM Center for Biomedical Engineering and the New Mexico Consortium.