An ambitious goal in modern biology is to understand stem cell states. Although much is known about both the behavior of stem cells under various conditions and the molecular details of stem cell identity, there is a gap between these two bodies of knowledge. This meeting sets out to bridge this gap, with a focus on transcriptional and epigenetic control of stem cell function.
Advances in these areas will enable us to devise new strategies not only to probe stem cell biology more deeply, but to model disease and to develop cellular therapies. This Keystone Symposia meeting will bring together researchers who strive to: 1) Describe transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that control specific stem cell behaviors; 2) Generate predictive models of stem cell fate determination; 3) Delineate the influence of cell cycle and signaling on stem cell state; and 4) Understand mechanisms governing cell fate change, including differentiation, reprogramming and transdifferentiation.
Ultimately, the meeting will provide an opportunity to view copious empirical data on stem cell behavior through a molecular lens. We will bring together scientists from very basic research fields exploring transcriptional control and chromatin modifications, but also stem cell and developmental biologists seeking to understand stem cell function in various biological contexts, as well as translational researchers thinking about developing therapies or model specific diseases. The knowledge exchanged at the meeting will accelerate the optimization of existing stem cell technologies (e.g., iPSC) and catalyze entirely novel approaches to manipulating stem cells for studying and treating disease.