The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), in partnership with the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (OTS), is planning a major interdisciplinary conference entitled, 1st Annual Meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society, to be held from September 15 to September 18, 2005 at Rockefeller University in New York, NY. It is being organized by Thomas Tuschl, Ph.D., Professor, RNA Molecular Biology Professor, Rockefeller University, New York, NY and John Rossi Professor and Chair, Molecular Biology and Dean, City of Hope Graduate School, Duarte, CA. The inaugural conference for the OTS will assemble leaders in the various disciplines of oligonucleotide based research and therapeutics in a setting that will cultivate the sharing of ideas relating to this burgeoning area of scientific research. The goal of the symposium is the presentation and dissemination of current findings and the setting of future directions regarding basic research and clinical applications of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics and technologies. The program will address recent advances in: 1) methods of RNA targeting; 2) delivery of nucleic acid-based reagents and therapies; 3) immunomodulation by nucleic acids; 4) identification and validation of targets and systems for pre-clinical studies; 5) novel Oligonucleotide derivatives; 6) clinical studies; and 7) industry-driven therapeutic strategies. The symposium will integrate basic science, drug discovery, pre-clinical and clinical research so that those working in academic and industry settings can develop a mutual understanding of the various technologies offered and their applications in both scientific research and as therapeutic agents. Conference attendees will achieve an understanding of the methods and mechanisms of gene silencing and RNA targeting, applications of gene silencing for investigating gene function, strategies and limitations of delivery of these agents and clinical utility of nucleic acid-based therapies. The conference is organized to mix both formal and informal forums for presenting data. There will be a keynote address, several topically arranged lecture series, short presentations by junior faculty, and two poster sessions.