European Cytoskeletal Forum Meeting 2016

The European Cytoskeletal Forum (ECF) has been the academic forum for cytoskeleton research in Europe for the last 34 years.

 

The cytoskeleton is essential for embryonic development and homeostasis throughout the lifetime of a multicellular organism. It provides cells with structural support and also mediates their adhesion and migration. Dysregulation of the cytoskeleton can lead to diseases such as neurodegeneration, muscle dystrophies, and cancer metastasis. Exciting recent developments in imaging now allows the study of cell migration in vivo at an unprecedented level of detail and in physiological conditions. Novel techniques to manipulate the genome of cells combined with FRET probes as well as FRAP and photoactivation approaches enables the analysis of the regulation of actin dynamics by signalling networks in live cells. Novel physical methods to analyse forces inside cells and in the extracellular matrix allow correlation of chemical and physical parameters to provide a more comprehensive picture of cell behaviour. This meeting will bring together international experts from a wide range of disciplines, including biophysicists, biochemists and cell biologists to discuss current developments in actin dynamics, the functions of the cytoskeleton to support membrane protrusions, signalling regulating cell motility, cell adhesion, and cell migration during development and disease. This focussed meeting will allow intense discussions and synergy between scientists of different disciplines working on various models at different scales.