The maintenance of genome integrity is critical for the suppression of several pathological disorders in humans, including cancer, infertility and neurodegeneration. Moreover, the accumulation of unrepaired errors in DNA is commonly cited as a likely cause of tissue and organismal ageing. Destabilization of the genome can occur as a result of several cell intrinsic or extrinsic factors, including errors arising during DNA replication or chromosome segregation, as well as exposure of cells to agents that induce DNA damage. In this conference, we aim to bring together scientists studying DNA replication, DNA repair and chromosome segregation with those interested in how chromosomal instability can influence human pathology. Moreover, we aim to show how high throughput and high content screening methods can be used as a discovery tool both for basic science applications and to identify potential therapeutic modalities.
