In celebration of 50 years of discoveries on Z-DNA and Z-RNA, we invite researchers to the inaugural ABZ meeting ("A, B and Z: The Structure, Function and Genetics of Z-DNA and Z-RNA") to be held on May 19th, 2021. This year's meeting will be virtual.
We will feature speakers from many different fields to increase awareness of the many innovative approaches available to further advance the field. Our aim to build community and to foster multidisciplinary collaborations.
Special Issue
We also accept abstracts for a joint special issue in Molecules and International Journal of Molecular Sciences , 'Z-DNA and Z-RNA: from Physical Structure to Biological Function'. The deadline is October 1st, 2021.



Program and Organizing Committee

Alan Herbert
InsideOutBio, Inc., USA

Quentin Vicens
University of Colorado, USA

Karen Vasquez
University of Texas, USA

Beat Vögeli
University of Colorado, USA
Speakers

Alan Herbert
InsideOutBio, Inc., USA

Jan Rehwinkel
University of Oxford, UK

Bertram Jacobs
Arizona State University, USA

Quentin Vicens
University of Colorado, USA

Beat Vögeli
University of Colorado, USA

Siddharth Balachandran
Fox Chase Cancer Center, USA

Karen Vasquez
University of Texas, USA

Yukio Kawahara
Osaka University, Japan

Andrew Oberst
University of Washington, USA

Jonathan Maelfait
Ghent University, Belgium

Zev Bryant
Stanford University, USA

Tony Sun
Rockefeller University, USA

Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA

Manolis Pasparakis
University of Cologne, Germany

David Stephen Pisetsky
Duke University, USA
Preliminary Program
8:00-10:00
AM (EDT)
Session I
Alan Herbert, InsideOutBio, Inc., USA
Moderator
Alan Herbert, InsideOutBio, Inc., USA
8:00 AM (EDT) Introduction
Yukio Kawahara, Osaka University, Japan
8:20 AM (EDT) Deciphering the biological significance of ADAR1–Z-RNA interactions
Manolis Pasparakis, University of Cologne, Germany
8:40 AM (EDT) Z-nucleic-acid sensing triggers ZBP1-dependent necroptosis and inflammation
Jan Rehwinkel, University of Oxford, UK
9:00 AM (EDT) Recognition of Z-RNA by ADAR1 limits interferon response
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, PANoptosi St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA
9:20 AM (EDT) ZBP1-PANoptosome: Discovery of ZBP1 as an innate immune sensor of RNA virus that drives inflammatory cell death
Ed Mocarski, Pennsylvania, USA
9:40 AM (EDT) ZBP1, E3L
10:15-12:15
AM (EDT)
Session II
Maria Poptsova, HSE University, Russia
Moderator
Alan Herbert, InsideOutBio, Inc., USA
10:15 AM (EDT) Flipons
Jonathan Maelfait, Ghent University, Belgium
10:35 AM (EDT) Z-RNA in autoinflammatory disease
David Stephen Pisetsky, Duke University, USA
10:55 AM (EDT) The Binding of Anti-DNA Antibodies to Z-DNA and other non-B DNA Conformations
Karen Vasquez, University of Texas, USA
11:15 AM (EDT) Z-DNA
Zev Bryant, Stanford University, USA
11:35 AM (EDT) Single-molecule mechanics of alternative structure formation in supercoiled DNA
Maria Poptsova, HSE University, Russia
11:55 AM (EDT) Z-DNA
12:30-1:30
PM (EDT)
Break out Social
1:45-3:45
PM (EDT)
Session III
Beat Vögeli, University of Colorado, USA
Moderator
Andrew Oberst, University of Washington, USA
1:45 PM (EDT) Regulation and sensing of endogenous RNA by ADAR1 and ZBP1
Bertram Jacobs, Arizona State University, USA
2:05 PM (EDT) Poxvirus induced zRNA as a pathogen associated molecular pattern
Tony Sun, Rockefeller University, USA
2:25 PM (EDT) Decoupled expression of ADAR1 isoforms reveals unique A-to-I RNA edit sites associated with presence of the Zα domain
Siddharth Balachandran, Fox Chase Cancer Center, USA
2:45 PM (EDT) The A-Z of influenza activated necroptosis
Quentin Vicens, University of Colorado, USA
3:05 PM (EDT) ADAR1/Z-RNA Biophysics
Beat Vögeli, University of Colorado, USA
3:25 PM (EDT) ADAR1/Z-RNA Biophysics
3:45-4:30
PM (EDT)
Closing & Next Steps Discussion
Karen Vasquez University of Texas, USA
Moderator
There are 10 minute slots available for late breaking presentations
Contacts
E-mail: info@abz.bio
- Dr. Quentin Vicens
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
E-mail: quentin.vicens@cuanschutz.edu - Dr. Beat Vögeli
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
E-mail: beat.vogeli@cuanschutz.edu
- Dr. Maria Poptsova
Faculty of Computer Science, Big Data and Information Retrieval School, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: mPoptsova@hse.ru - Dr. Alan Herbert
Discovery, InsideOutBio, Inc., Charlestown, MA, USA
E-mail: alan.herbert@insideoutbio.com