ISTANBUL 5th International Conference on Genetics, Cellular & Molecular Biology: IGCMB-27

Call for papers/Topics

Topics of Interest for Submission include, but are Not Limited to:

1. Cellular Biology (The Structural & Functional Unit)

This area focuses on the cell as an autonomous unit, its internal architecture, and how it interacts with its environment.

Cell Structure and Organelles

• Plasma Membrane: Fluid mosaic model, lipid bilayers, membrane proteins, and selective permeability.

• The Endomembrane System: Endoplasmic reticulum (rough and smooth), Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and vesicles (protein trafficking and lipid synthesis).

• Energy Transducers: Mitochondria and chloroplasts (their endosymbiotic origin, structure, and autonomous DNA).

• The Nucleus: Nuclear envelope, nucleolus, nuclear pores, and chromatin organization.

• Peroxisomes and Vacuoles: Macromolecule breakdown and turgor pressure.

The Cytoskeleton and Motility

• Microfilaments (Actin): Cell shape, amoeboid movement, and muscle contraction.

• Intermediate Filaments: Mechanical strength and nuclear lamina structure.

• Microtubules: Intracellular transport, mitotic spindle formation, cilia, and flagella.

• Motor Proteins: Kinesin, dynein, and myosin.

Membrane Transport and Cellular Homeostasis

• Passive Transport: Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis.

• Active Transport: Primary active transport (e.g., Sodium-Potassium pump) and secondary active transport (cotransport).

• Vesicular Transport: Endocytosis (phagocytosis, pinocytosis, receptor-mediated) and exocytosis.

Cell Signaling and Communication

• Signaling Molecules: Hormones, neurotransmitters, and local paracrine factors.

• Receptor Types: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), and ion channel receptors.

• Signal Transduction Pathways: Second messengers ($cAMP$, $Ca^{2+}$), phosphorylation cascades (MAPK pathway), and nuclear responses.

Cell Cycle, Mitosis, and Apoptosis

• Phases of the Cell Cycle: $G_1$, $S$, $G_2$ (Interphase), and $M$ phase (Mitosis and Cytokinesis).

• Cell Cycle Regulation: Cyclins, Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs), and tumor suppressors (e.g., p53, Rb).

• Programmed Cell Death (Apoptosis): Intrinsic (mitochondrial) and extrinsic (death receptor) pathways, and caspases.

2. Molecular Biology

This area explores the molecular basis of biological activity, focusing on the synthesis, interactions, and regulation of DNA, RNA, and proteins.

Nucleic Acid Structure and Biochemistry

• DNA Structure: Double helix, anti-parallel strands, major/minor grooves, and Watson-Crick base pairing.

• RNA Structure: Single-stranded dynamics, secondary structures (hairpins, stem-loops), mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, and non-coding RNAs (miRNA, siRNA, lncRNA).

• Chromatin Higher-Order Structure: Histones, nucleosomes, euchromatin vs. heterochromatin.

DNA Replication and Repair

• Replication Mechanics: Semi-conservative replication, replication forks, leading/lagging strand synthesis, and Okazaki fragments.

• Enzymatic Machinery: DNA polymerases, helicase, primase, ligase, and topoisomerases.

• The End-Replication Problem: Telomeres and telomerase activity.

• DNA Repair Mechanisms: Proofreading, mismatch repair (MMR), nucleotide excision repair (NER), base excision repair (BER), and double-strand break repair (NHEJ and homologous recombination).

Gene Expression: Transcription

• Prokaryotic Transcription: Sigma factors, promoters, and RNA polymerase.

• Eukaryotic Transcription: RNA Polymerases I, II, and III, general transcription factors, enhancers, and silencers.

• Post-Transcriptional Modifications: $5'$ capping, $3'$ polyadenylation, and pre-mRNA splicing (spliceosome mechanics and alternative splicing).

Gene Expression: Translation

• The Genetic Code: Triplet codons, degeneracy, and the wobble hypothesis.

• The Translation Machinery: Ribosome structure (A, P, E sites), tRNA aminoacylation (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases).

• Stages of Translation: Initiation (scanning mechanisms), elongation (peptide bond formation), and termination (release factors).

• Post-Translational Modifications: Phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, and protein folding (chaperones).

Regulation of Gene Expression

• Prokaryotic Regulation: Operon models (inducible like lac, repressible like trp).

• Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation: Transcription factors, chromatin remodeling complexes, and histone modifications (acetylation, methylation).

• Epigenetics: DNA methylation, genomic imprinting, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.

• Post-Transcriptional Regulation: RNA interference (RNAi) and mRNA stability.

3. Genetics

This area covers how traits are passed down, how genetic variation arises, and how genomes evolve over time.

Transmission (Classical/Mendelian) Genetics

• Mendelian Principles: Segregation, independent assortment, dominance, recessiveness, and test crosses.

• Non-Mendelian Inheritance: Codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, and lethal alleles.

• Gene Interactions: Epistasis, pleiotropy, polygenic inheritance, and continuous phenotypic variation.

• Sex-Linked Inheritance: X-linked and Y-linked traits, dosage compensation, and X-inactivation (Barr bodies).

• Linkage and Mapping: Genetic linkage, crossing over, recombination frequency, and chromosome mapping.

Cytogenetics and Chromosomal Abnormalities

• Karyotyping and Chromosome Morphology: Centromere positioning and banding patterns.

• Numerical Abnormalities: Aneuploidy (monosomy, trisomy) caused by non-disjunction, and polyploidy.

• Structural Abnormalities: Deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations (e.g., Robertsonian translocations).

Molecular Genetics and Genomics

• Mutations: Point mutations (silent, missense, nonsense), frameshift mutations, and chromosomal rearrangements.

• Mutagenesis: Spontaneous vs. induced mutations (chemical mutagens, UV/ionizing radiation).

• Genomics and Sequencing: Next-generation sequencing (NGS), genome assembly, and comparative genomics.

• Transposable Elements: Transposons, retrotransposons, and their impact on genome evolution.

Population and Evolutionary Genetics

• Hardy-Weinberg Principle: Allele/genotype frequencies and conditions for genetic equilibrium.

• Forces of Evolution: Natural selection, genetic drift (founder effect, bottleneck effect), gene flow, and mutation pressure.

• Quantitative Genetics: Heritability, phenotypic variance ($V_P = V_G + V_E$), and artificial selection.

4. Key Interrelated Subfields & Interdisciplinary Topics

These topics represent fields where cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics collide seamlessly.

• Cancer Biology: Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, genomic instability, angiogenesis, metastasis, and the breakdown of cell cycle checkpoints.

• Developmental Biology & Morphogenesis: Differential gene expression, stem cell potency (totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent), pattern formation, and homeotic (Hox) genes.

• Immunogenetics: V(D)J recombination, Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) diversity, and the molecular basis of antibody generation.

• Recombinant DNA Technology & Biotechnology: Molecular cloning, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, gene therapy, and transgenics.

• Non-Nuclear/Cytoplasmic Inheritance: Maternal effect genes, mitochondrial inheritance, and chloroplast inheritance (defying Mendelian laws due to organelle cell biology).