Drosophilists fly into DC for 51st Annual Drosophila Research Conference

More than 1600 genetics researchers who use Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) as the workhorse to study basic aspects of biology ranging from memory to cancer, from the biology of populations to the mechanisms that underlie evolution, will be gathering in Washington, DC, for the 51st Annual Drosophila Research Conference, sponsored by the Genetics Society of America, and beginning this evening at the Marriott Wardman Park. Scientists will present their research at two plenary sessions, 16 platform sessions and on more than 900 posters during this four-day meeting.

"Drosophila melanogaster may be a small organism, but its power as a tool for exploring critical issues in biology is as enormous as it is enduring. This small fly was used to work out the basis of heredity a hundred years ago, but the breadth of Drosophila work and its enormous implications for the study of human diseases has created a large and vibrant community of fly researchers," said Scott Hawley, GSA president, and a long-time active member of the Drosophila research community.

Scientists will gather to share resources, knowledge and ideas. Plenary speakers will cover issues in developmental biology, such as how organ size is determined during development to findings on the kinesin motor mechanism and motor function in oocyte spindle assembly.

Members of the media wishing to cover the 2010 Annual Drosophila Research Conference are provided with complimentary meeting registration with appropriate press credentials and identification. Registration is on-site at the Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington DC 20008. Please go to the Registration Desk.

A complete meeting schedule is available online at http://www.drosophila-conf.org/cgi-bin/dros10-cgi/drosSOE.pl. Pdfs of the Program Book, Addendum and Abstracts are available at http://www.drosophila-conf.org/2010/index.shtml.

Provided by Genetics Society of America