It was 1995 when John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry, both evolutionary biologists, decided to integrate all knowledge regarding the commonalities between every evolutionary landmark. This task led to the writing of a book which changed a generation of scien- tists: The Major Transitions in Evolution. Interestingly, during the same year the first bacterial genome sequence was completed, that of Haemophilus influenzae. This achievement also led to a great change in biology, the birth of the genomic era. With the dawn of this epoch, biology entered a stage of overwhelming development in both the theoretical and practical fields. We now are living through extraordinary times, since the development of new analysis tools for large amounts of data has given path to great discoveries in con- temporary biology. Nevertheless, younger generations of scientists still need to face new and greater challenges, one being integrat- ing evolutionary theory to the vast amount of research data which is created on a daily basis. Theodosius Dobzhanskys statement, Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, still bears great significance, and the inclusion of evolutionary theory to other research topics offers the possibility of giving greater depth to our work, granting congruence between it and the natural pro- cess of change all living beings endure. In order to quench the need for conceptual amalgamation, a revision on the great evolutionary transitions offers an invaluable opportunity to learn, from the voice of the great personalities in the field, about the state of the art in research over evolutionary landmarks. Even though John Maynard Smith has passed away, we will count with the valuable presence of E¨ors Szathm´ary. His intervention will focus on integrating the subjects touched through the congress, as well as offering perspectives on the future of these disciplines. This meeting aims to become a milestone for the new generation of scientists in Mexico and the world, who we hope will incorporate an evolutionary approach to their academic schemes. In order to fulfill this, the meeting will be transmitted in several research institutions and higher education facilities in Mexico. Also, a synthesis of the topics and discussions which occur during the congress will be published.
Antonio E. Lazcano Araujo
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Department of Evolutionary Biology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnEwdWUJwg
Evelyn Fox
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Science, Technology and Society
Bruce Alberts
University of California, San Francisco, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNNBm5G9Eew
José F. F. Mendes
Universidade de Aveiro, Department of Physics
Linda Manzanilla
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Institute for Anthropologic Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeOnplW5TDE
Eric H. Davidson
California Institute of Technology, Center for Computational Regulatory Genomics
Richard Michod
The University of Arizona, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Mauro Degli Esposti
Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Uwmn1LUd0
Luis Delaye Arredondo
Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory
Simonetta Gribaldo
Institut Pasteur, Molecular Biology of Extremophile Genes Unit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8UA8N_MOsk
Ada Yonath
Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Structural Biology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baDFcH_pOww
Iñaki Ruiz Trillo
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Department of Genetics
Ada Yonath
Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Structural Biology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJhadb6KNFw
John Logsdon
University of Iowa, Department of Biology
Shahragim Tajbakhsh
Institut Pasteur, Developmental and Stem Cells Biology
Stuart West
Oxford University, Department of Zoology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwJ22Nx3IqQ
Leslea J. Hlusko
University of California at Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology
Robert Berwick
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFK_5buSnRk
Eörs Szathmáry
Parmenides Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science
Closing Ceremony
INAUGURATION | 8:30 | Monday 23 |
Antonio Lazcano | 9:00 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 9:45 | Monday 23 |
Antonio Lazcano | 10:15 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 11:00 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 12:15 | Monday 23 |
LUNCH | 12:45 | Monday 23 |
Evelyn Fox Keller | 15:30 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 16:15 | Monday 23 |
Bruce Alberts | 16:45 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 17:30 | Monday 23 |
COFFEE BREAK | 18:00 | Monday 23 |
José F.F. Mendes | 18:30 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 19:15 | Monday 23 |
Linda Manzanilla | 19:45 | Monday 23 |
Discussion | 20:30 | Monday 23 |
Eric H. Davidson | 9:00 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 9:45 | Tuesday 24 |
Richard Michod | 10:15 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 11:00 | Tuesday 24 |
Mauro Degli Esposti | 11:30 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 12:15 | Tuesday 24 |
LUNCH | 12:45 | Tuesday 24 |
Luis Delaye | 15:30 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 16:15 | Tuesday 24 |
Simonetta Gribaldo | 16:45 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 17:30 | Tuesday 24 |
COFFEE BREAK | 18:00 | Tuesday 24 |
Iñaki Ruiz Trillo | 18:30 | Tuesday 24 |
Discussion | 19:15 | Tuesday 24 |
Ada Yonath | 19:45 | Monday 23 |
John Logsdon | 9:00 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 9:45 | Wednesday 25 |
Shahragim Tajbakhsh | 10:15 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 11:00 | Wednesday 25 |
Stuart West | 11:30 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 12:15 | Wednesday 25 |
LUNCH | 12:45 | Wednesday 25 |
Leslea Hlusko | 15:30 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 16:15 | Wednesday 25 |
Robert Berwick | 16:45 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 17:30 | Wednesday 25 |
COFFEE BREAK | 18:00 | Wednesday 25 |
Eörs Szathmáry | 18:30 | Wednesday 25 |
Discussion | 19:15 | Wednesday 25 |
CLOSING CEREMONY | 19:45 | Wednesday 25 |
Secretario General
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Laboratorio del Origen de la Vida
Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva
Instituto de Ecología
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Biología Evolutiva
Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Ecología Genómica
Centro de Ciencias Genómicas
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Ecología Genómica
Centro de Ciencias Genómicas
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular
Instituto de Biotecnología
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos
Instituto de Biotecnología
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Neurociencia Cognitiva
Instituto de Fisiología Celular
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Departamento de Genética Molecular
Instituto de Fisiología Celular
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Proporciona un espacio universitario adecuado para eventos a gran escala.
Este colosal espacio ha sido diseñado para proporcionar instalaciones con capacidades técnicas y de espacio idóneas para albergar todo tipo de eventos, tanto nacionales como internacionales; de carácter docente, cultural, científico, deportivo, de investigación, gestión universitaria y de entretenimiento; todo esto en un solo lugar.
El Centro de Exposiciones y Congresos UNAM está dedicado a la realización de ferias, exposiciones, convenciones, congresos y seminarios a gran escala, tales como "La Feria de Útiles Escolares y Cómputo", "La Feria del Empleo", "Al Encuentro del Mañana", así como eventos patrocinados por diversas empresas y organizaciones.
Este Recinto sirve como referente de programación de exhibiciones de carácter universitario, estableciéndose como un medio adicional de vinculación de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México con la sociedad mexicana y el mundo académico nacional e internacional.
Su ubicación al costado sur de Ciudad Universitaria, lo sitúa en un lugar privilegiado con amplias avenidas de comunicación y de acceso.
Aquí encontrará el ambiente idóneo para que la organización de su evento entre en contacto con la comunidad universitaria. La Máxima Casa de Estudios y el Centro de Exposiciones y Congresos UNAM son sus mejores aliados para su realización.
Professor Martin S. and Helen Kimmel of Structural Biology, as well as Director of the Helen and Milton Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly. Her research is based on de- scribing the structure of the ribosome using novel crystallography techniques. Her work has earned her numerous awards, including the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Israeli Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Prize in this same area in 2009. Recently the National Autonomous University of Mexico has named Dr. Yonath Extraor- dinary Professor. She will discuss the role of the Ribosome in evo- lution.
Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology. Her re- search interests consist on understanding the genetic basis of mam- malian skeletal variation and evolution, with a focus on primates. In order to do this, she integrates information from diverse disciplines, including from paleontology, neontology, quantitative genetics, and developmental genetics. Also, she is Associate Faculty Curator and Associate Researcher at the Museum of Paleontology and the Mu- seum of Vertebrate Zoology respectively, both form the University of California at Berkeley. She will mainly discuss the topic of Hu- man Evolution.
Senior Scientist. His research interests are several, including fields such as bioenergetics, bioinformatics, apoptosis, cell biology, apop- tosis, biochemistry and bacterial evolution. His broad activity has led him to travel around the world, working in four different coun- tries in three continents. His contribution to the congress will consist mainly on discussing the theories around endosymbiosis
ICREA Professor and researcher from the Multicellgenome lab- oratory. Using molecular and bioinformatic techniques, he and his group obtain genomes from animals which are closest to unicellular organisms in order to perform functional and comparative genomics analyses. He is currently part of the editorial board of Biology Let- ters and EvoDevo journals. He will review the Origin of Multicel- lularity.
Director of the Parmenides Center for the Conceptual Founda- tions of Science. His research interests focus on evolutionary theo- retical biology, with emphasis on the study of the common principles behind the great evolutionary transitions, such as the origin of life, the first appearance of cells, rise of animal societies, and the devel- opment of human language. Along with John Maynard Smith, he wrote The Major Transitions in Evolution, a book which influenced a whole generation of scientists interested in the fascinating field of evolution. Since this congress results from an interest in revisiting the great transitions, his presence will be of the utmost importance throughout the event. He will integrate all information on the eval- uated topics considered in the meeting and will offer perspectives on the study of the great transitions.
Prpfessor pf physics. His research has focused on studying the properties of complex networks. Ar a result of his work, he published the book Evolution of Networks: from biological nets to the Inter- net and WWW (2003), which has been extensively cited. Mendes has received several awards, including the Gulbenkian Science Prize 2004. He also has been named member of the European Academy and of the Portuguese Society of Physics. He will discuss the Evo- lution of Information Processing from the cell to the internet.
Evolutionary biology professor. His research interests are focused on the origin of life, and he is considered to be a pioneer in the study of this field in Mexico. Dr. Lazcanos work has had a profound im- pact in the development of biological sciences. His reputation has led him to gain great international recognition, including being named by NASA honorary Director of the Lynn Margulis Institute, in the Galapagos Islands. He also served two terms as President of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life. His contri- bution to the congress will consist mainly on the discussion regarding the theories around the Origin of Life and Prebiotic Chemistry.
Professor of Computational Linguistics and Learning Theory. Dr. Berwick and his research group investigate computational models of language acquisition, processing, and change, within the context of machine learning, modern grammatical theory, and mathemati- cal models of dynamical systems. Under the joint direction of Dr. Noam Chomsky and Dr. Marvin Minsky, implemented the first modern computer program to learn language. He has been hon- ored with a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as MITs highest award given to faculty for exceptional research and teaching. Co-director of MITs Center for Biological and Computational Learning. Pro- fessor Berwick will undoubtedly have an impact of importance in the meeting, as he will review the implications of the Origin and Evolution of Language.
Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy of Science. She works on history and philosophy of modern biology, as well as on gender and science. Also, Fox Keller has authored several books, such as The Century of the Gene (2000) and Making Sense of Life: Explaining Biological Development with Models, Metaphors and Ma- chines (2002). She has been awarded with several honors, including her becoming a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sci- ences. She will focus on reviewing the Definition of Life during the congress.
Researcher at Cinvestavs Irapuato Unit. His work emphasizes on the origin and evolution of new genes, reduced genomes, early evolution of life and horizontal gene transfer. Delaye incorporates computational analyses to his evolutionary studies. His contribu- tion to the congress will consist of discussing the subject of the Last Universal Common Ancestor.
Bruce Alberts is a prominent biochemist who is best known for his studies on proteic complexes which allow chromosome replica- tion as the cell divides. Alberts is also well known in academia for his contribution to scientific literature, as he is author of one of the main molecular biology references: Molecular Biology of the Cell. He was president of the National Academy of Sciences from 1991 to 2005, editor-in-chief of Science magazine and has been given the Vannebar Bush Award. He also has been named Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Alberts participation will focus on the discussion surrounding the Evolution of Biochemical Complexity.
Professor of Evolutionary Biology. His research is mainly fo- cused on the evolution of societies in various organisms. His work has been subject of media attention and he has published numer- ous research articles in high impact journals, amongst them Nature, Science, PNAS and Current Biology. Also, he has earned the Philip Leverhulme Prize, the Scientific Medal from the London Zoological Society and Duke Universitys Rising Star award. His contribution will consist of discussing the Origin and Evolution of Societies.
Professor and head of Department. His laboratory studies evolu- tion of multicellularity and sex using volvocine green algae as models for individual evolutionary transitions. Michod uses a wide array of methods, ranging from evolutionary population biology to philos- ophy, including genomics and ecology. He has received important grants from institutions like NASA. His contribution to the meeting will focus on discussing the Origin of Sex and Multicellularity.
Researcher on microorganism phylogenies. Her work consists on tracing the emergence and evolution of structures and processes through the use of phylogenomic approaches. Her research aims to highlight the evolutionary links between the domains of life (Ar- chaea, Bacteria, Eukarya). Her contribution will consist in dis- cussing the Origin of Eukaryotic Organisms and Endosymbiosis.
Professor of Genetics. Her work is centered on evolution, mechanisms and function of DNA intake in Haemophilus influenzae. Redeld is, nevertheless, better known for her implacable scientic rigour; in 2011, Nature magazine named her one of the "ten people who matter. This happened as a result of the professionalism with which she pointed out the multiple deciencies of a high prole publication. Her commitment to scientic accuracy is the reason why Redeld will have the role of discussion moderator throughout the meeting.
Associate Professor of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. His re- search interests consist in studying the origin and evolution of meio- sis, sex and recombination. To this end, he and his team use com- parative molecular techniques. Through the analysis of genes in- volved in recombination and DNA repair he has determined their evolutionary history in several eukaryotic organisms. Logsdon will mainly discuss evidence on the Origin and Evolution of Sex.
Norman Chandler Professor of Cell Biology. Using sea urchin em- bryos, his laboratory takes advantage of a systems biology approach for understanding the evolution of regulatory networks controlling development. Davidson has dedicated most of his career to elu- cidate the processes of embryogenesis at the genetic level. He has been granted several honors, including the Alexander von Humboldt award, the Kowalevsky Medal and the International Biology Award. For the congress, he will discuss Evolution of Regulatory Networks throughout development.
Head researcher. Her work focuses on studying urban centers and States in Mesoamerica, the Andine Region, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, as well as domestic archaeology. She was the first mexican woman to become part of the United States National Academy of Sciences. Also, she has been awarded the Universidad Nacional prize, a Do- corate Honoris Causa from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Alfonso Caso prize for best archaeological research from the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Her con- ference will offer a historical and cultural approach to one of the most important prehispanic cultures in Mexico, Teotihuacan.
Professor and researcher at the Development and Stem Cell Unit. His research is based on understanding the processes which lead stem cells to self-renewal. He also works on elucidating mechanisms of skeletal muscle establishment during embryonic, fetal, and adult stages in mice. To this end, his group has developed unique genetic tools. His contribution will emphasize on discussing the Origin and Evolution of Gene Regulation and Animal Tissue Development.
It was 1995 when John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry, both evolutionary biologists, decided to integrate all knowledge regarding the commonalities between every evolutionary landmark. This task led to the writing of a book which changed a generation of scien- tists: The Major Transitions in Evolution. Interestingly, during the same year the first bacterial genome sequence was completed, that of Haemophilus influenzae. This achievement also led to a great change in biology, the birth of the genomic era. With the dawn of this epoch, biology entered a stage of overwhelming development in both the theoretical and practical fields. We now are living through extraordinary times, since the development of new analysis tools for large amounts of data has given path to great discoveries in con- temporary biology. Nevertheless, younger generations of scientists still need to face new and greater challenges, one being integrat- ing evolutionary theory to the vast amount of research data which is created on a daily basis. Theodosius Dobzhanskys statement, Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, still bears great significance, and the inclusion of evolutionary theory to other research topics offers the possibility of giving greater depth to our work, granting congruence between it and the natural pro- cess of change all living beings endure. In order to quench the need for conceptual amalgamation, a revision on the great evolutionary transitions offers an invaluable opportunity to learn, from the voice of the great personalities in the field, about the state of the art in research over evolutionary landmarks. Even though John Maynard Smith has passed away, we will count with the valuable presence of E¨ors Szathm´ary. His intervention will focus on integrating the subjects touched through the congress, as well as offering perspectives on the future of these disciplines. This meeting aims to become a milestone for the new generation of scientists in Mexico and the world, who we hope will incorporate an evolutionary approach to their academic schemes. In order to fulfill this, the meeting will be transmitted in several research institutions and higher education facilities in Mexico. Also, a synthesis of the topics and discussions which occur during the congress will be published.