GENERAL INFORMATION

This day-long symposium will feature regional life science advances from the Front Range Worms community. Meet your fellow, local nematologists, learn about cutting-edge research, and enjoy the beauty of Laramie, Wyoming in June.

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Dustin Updike whose lab addresses how stem cells maintain their pluripotency by studying Caenorhabditis elegans germ cells and P granules.

This year’s host is Dr. David Fay, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming.

The long-term goal of my lab is to understand how processes within cytoplasmic germ granules contribute to the pluripotent and immortal potential of germ cells. Core germ-granule proteins are conserved from nematodes to humans. As such, we leverage the genetic tools and transparency of C. elegans to observe germ granules in living animals and under wild-type and mutant conditions. In the past, we have employed forward mutagenesis and genome-wide RNAi screens to identify factors that promote germ-granule assembly and confine their expression to the germline. We discovered that germ granules extend a protein size-exclusion barrier into the cytoplasm to create a micro-environment amenable to germ-granule processes. We discovered that compromising germ granules results in both sterility and somatic reprogramming of the germline. We have focused on the earliest steps of somatic reprogramming to better identify what may be more direct targets of germ-granule regulation.  We have explored the contribution of intrinsically disordered domains enriched in germ granules and nucleoli. Over the past five years, we have focused more on core germ-granule proteins and their binding partners, exploring their roles in germline maintenance and identity. 

Service to the scientific community. At the MDI Biological Laboratory, I served as Program Coordinator and  Developmental Research Project Program Director for the NIGMS-sponsored Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (ME-INBRE), a collaborative network of 13 primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) and 4 research institutions across the state. In this capacity, I work with research project leaders and administration at each campus to increase their biomedical and data science training capacities. This includes instructing a CRISPR Genome Engineering short course to undergrads from different Maine PUIs and mentoring INBRE summer undergraduate research fellows. I also serve as PI on an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) site grant at the MDI Biological Laboratory that brings ten undergraduate research fellows to our campus each summer.

SCHEDULE

*Sessions will be held in Room 2010 unless otherwise indicated

LOCATION & TRAVEL

Driving

Most of the region is within driving distance and there are two main routes into Laramie: I-25 and Highway 287. We're not likely to have snow in June (although it's not imposible), there is the possibility of rain. Please check Wyoming Road Conditions if there's any expected weather. Note that the weather between Wyoming and other states can vary greatly, so do not expect that good weather at home means good weather in WY.

Air Travel

Laramie does have a local airport (LAR) with limited flights on United Airlines through Denver International Airport. It may be faster than driving and sometimes cheaper considering mileage reimbursement, although ground transportation in Laramie is limited and flying is only worth it with an over-night stay.

Lodging

You might opt to stay the evening in Laramie rather than drive after a long meeting. We recommend either the Hilton Garden Inn (30-minute walk or 5-minute drive with more amenities) or the Mad Carpenter Inn (2-minute walk with less amenities). We may have alcohol at the after-party. Please drink responsibly and make plans to stay the night if you plan to partake.

Ground Transportation

Taxi & Uber services are limited in Laramie. Enterprise is the only rental car option via the Laramie Regional Airport. Lyft does not operate in Laramie and the bus service is not available during the summer. Please contact the event organizers below if you need help with ground transportation once you arrive in Laramie.

Meeting Location

The meeting will be held at UW's Science Initiative Building located at 459 N 9th St, Laramie, WY 82071. Talks and the panel session will be in the Active Learning Classroom #2010 on the second floor. The poster session and refreshments will be in the lobbies of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd floors. See the map below for more information.

Parking

Parking passes will be available, but street parking is typically easier and closer to the Science Initiative Building. Take care not to park in city sector zones that are clearly marked via street sign. If you prefer a parking pass, please see the map below, park in a designated lot, leave a note on your dashboard, pick up a parking pass at the registration desk and return to your car to place the pass

Map