Journal of Experimental Biology Symposium 2023

Developmental Plasticity: From Mechanisms to Evolutionary Processes

Organisers: Patricia A. Wright and Kathleen M. Gilmour

Date: 11-15 March 2023

Location: Tenuta il Cicalino, Massa Marittima, Italy

Although the concept that conditions encountered during early development can shape an animal’s phenotype is not new, in recent years developmental plasticity has gained prominence in new fields for several reasons. Epigenetics has revolutionized our understanding of the mechanisms underlying developmental plasticity, providing insight into how environmental experiences translate into altered phenotypes both within and between generations. This development, coupled with recognition that plasticity can differ among genotypes, has given new impetus to studies of how developmental plasticity may contribute to evolution. Finally, global change is providing an important and increasingly urgent lens for viewing developmental plasticity as a potential lifeline for species facing environmental challenges.

This meeting will bring together investigators who use innovative approaches across a range of taxa to understand evolutionary mechanisms and physiological processes of developmental plasticity.

Organisers & speakers

Patricia Wright (University of Guelph, Canada)
Kathleen Gilmour (University of Ottawa, Canada)

Simon Blanchet (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Moulis, France)
Anne Bronikowski (Iowa State University, USA)
Paula Brunton (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Jorge Contreras Garduño (Unidad Morelia, Mexico)
Helen Eachus (University of Exeter, UK)
Sophie Jarriault (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France)
Imroze Khan (Ashoka University, India)
Alexander Little (McMaster University, Canada)
Mylene Mariette (Doñana Biological Station, Spain and Deakin University, Australia)
Neil Metcalfe (University of Glasgow, UK)
Armin Moczek (Indiana University Bloomington, USA)
Amy Newman (University of Guelph, Canada)
Rajendhran Rajakumar (University of Ottawa, Canada)
Suvi Ruuskanen (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)
Tobias Uller (University of Lund, Sweden)
Matthew Walsh (University of Texas at Arlington, USA)
Linda Wilbrecht (University of California, Berkeley, USA)

Programme

The symposium is open to invited speakers and delegates only.

However, all presentations will be published as a special issue of Journal of Experimental Biology in early 2024.

View programme

Venue

Tenuta Il Cicalino

In the province of Grosseto in rural Tuscany, the small medieval town of Massa Marittima is just 130 km (81 miles) from Pisa and 225 km (140 miles) from Rome and is easily accessible by road and rail. Surrounded by the wonderful Maremman countryside of olive groves, fruit trees and vineyards, the symposium will be held at the Tenuta Il Cicalino Estate, with accommodation in a variety of beautifully restored, traditional Tuscan farmhouses.

Tenuta Il Cicalino

Località il Cicalino

58024 Massa Marittima (Grosseto)

Italy

Tel: +39 0566 902031

E-mail: info@cicalinogreen.it

Website: https://www.tenutacicalino.com/?lang=en

About JEB

Journal of Experimental Biology is the leading journal in comparative animal physiology. JEB publishes papers on the form and function of living organisms at all levels of biological organisation, from the molecular and subcellular to the integrated whole animal.

Covid measures

We will require all of our attendees to be fully vaccinated to attend our in-person events. We will be following the latest government guidelines regarding safety measures and social distancing, but will also be taking scientific advice to make sure we are doing all that we can to protect our delegates. The safety of our delegates is paramount and we are likely to take a cautious approach in any measures that we introduce.

Dependant care grant

We offer grants of up to £400 to help cover the costs of additional care for dependants while delegates/speakers are attending the meeting.

Deadline for applications: 1 February 2023

Download application form

About JEB Symposia

The JEB Symposia were launched in 1978 at the suggestion of the then Editor-in-Chief John Treherne. Their aim was, and still is, to review knowledge and stimulate further research in an expanding topic of experimental biology and to bring together scientists from different areas to encourage cross-fertilisation of techniques and knowledge across specialisation boundaries. Since the first symposium on ‘Cellular oscillators’, the annual JEB symposia have covered a diverse array of topics within experimental biology, highlighting the relevance and power of the comparative approach to mainstream physiology.

The main aim of the JEB Symposia is to unite outstanding biologists and bring together their varied expertise on one particular subject. It is a leisurely meeting with enough time to talk and to discuss. The number of symposium delegates is limited to invited speakers only.

In order that the proceedings of each symposium are made available to the community as soon as possible, speakers are invited to contribute a Review article to a ‘special issue’ of the journal. These special issues are freely available on the journal website at the time of publication.

Previous special issues

Contact us

For questions regarding the symposium, please click on the link below

Manuscript submission

As part of the journal’s editorial strategy, all oral presentations will be published in the form of a Review article in a special issue of Journal of Experimental Biology in early 2024.

Manuscripts should be a maximum of 7000 words (excluding title page, summary, references and figure captions), with up to 8 display items, and comply with our Submission Guidelines and Manuscript Preparation guidelines.

All invited Review articles for the JEB special issue should be submitted by 5 May 2023.

Submit manuscript