8th Nucleic Acids Conference

Memo

DNA and RNA are built from just four nucleotide elements but rich in information content and functional diversity. DNA sequence encodes the cell's genetic blueprint and operating system, and must be copied with unprecedented fidelity once every cell cycle. The integrity of the genetic blueprint is vital to the cell and maintained by various mechanisms to fend off the constant onslaught of DNA damage. In addition to replication, DNA is repeatedly transcribed to RNA for protein synthesis (translation) and cellular regulation (non-coding RNA). Nevertheless, readout of DNA at single-nucleotide level by cellular machineries takes place in the context of the compacted DNA form (chromosomes), within which 2 m of human genomic DNA are compacted and stored in the cell nucleus.In contrast to the relatively uniform DNA double helix, RNA assumes versatile structure and function. RNA is the worker bee of genetics to the DNA's queen. In addition to its roles as messenger (mRNA), interpreter and amino acid-carrier (tRNA), RNA is also the critical functional part of the ribosome and spliceosome machines and can catalyze peptide bond formation and phosphoryl-transfer reactions (and who knows what more?) as ribozymes. Furthermore, RNA can act as a molecular switch responding to small molecules (riboswitches) to control gene expression or mediating and executing DNA and RNA cleavage as in the CRISPR-Cas defense system. Failure of any of these DNA and RNA transactions can lead to disease. Meanwhile application of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and CRISPR-Cas technology have revolutionized gene therapy, and cell and organism manipulation. In the 8th nucleic acid conference, the central theme will be to understand processes involving DNA and RNA at the molecular and chemical level, with a marked structural and mechanistic perspective. We plan to have an up-to-date discussion of the following: •    DNA replication in the context of chromatin and telomere•    DNA repair and recombination•    Transcription and splicing•    RNA structure and function•    Translation and post-translation modification•.   Gene editing by ASO and CRISPR-Cas9 •    AI-assisted nucleic acid research