Nencki Conference
for Life Sciences 2026

Nencki Conference for Life Sciences 2026 – Focus on Chromatin Biology

One of the central tasks of chromatin biology is to decipher the mechanistic link between genome sequence and phenotype. DNA accessibility, long-range contacts, and the local chemical environment of regulatory elements determines when and where transcription occurs, how cellular states are maintained, and how cells respond to perturbation. These features of genome biology are inherently integrative: gene expression depends on metabolic state of the cells and signaling input it receives. Likewise, the intrinsic properties of chromatin-associated factors, proteins, DNA, RNA, and small molecules, set reaction rates, binding equilibria, and nuclear functions.

The Nencki Conference for Life Sciences 2026 – Focus on Chromatin Biology is designed to capture the most recent progress across the major conceptual and technical frontiers of the field. The program is organized around four complementary angles:

• Chromatin & Metabolism,
• Chromatin Structure & Transcriptional Regulation,
• Computational Approaches in Genome Biology, and
• Structure & Function of Nuclear Bodies.

Together, these sessions connect biochemistry and chemical biology (metabolite-sensitive chromatin regulation), biophysics (genome folding, condensates, and nuclear compartmentalization), and (epi)genomics (high-throughput, quantitative readouts of chromatin and transcription, machine learning in genome biology).

A particular emphasis is placed on mechanisms that translate molecular and physical constraints into transcriptional outcomes: how metabolic cues remodel chromatin to tune gene expression; how DNA sequence and three-dimensional genome architecture define regulatory wiring; and how the intrinsic, biophysical properties of proteins and nucleic acids shape transcription.

By bringing these perspectives into one program, the conference aims to sharpen current models of gene regulation and highlight emerging directions for a predictive, quantitative understanding of genome function.

Nencki Conference for Life Science Series

The Nencki Institute is a flagship research institution of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Conferences and workshops Organized by Nencki Institute focus on scientific excellence and propagate international networking, equality, and diversity.

Main informations

Venue: CN Conference Hall at Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland).

The conference fee is based on the type of registration: Young Scientist – PhD students (75€), Academic (150€). 

Registration for the conference will open soon. Submission deadline: 15th April 2026.