Fifty Years of Reverse Transcriptase October 28 – 31, 2020 Abstract The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Genentech Center Conference on the History of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology will explore important themes of discovery in the biological sciences, and bring together scientists who made many of the seminal discoveries that began the field with others whose interests may include the current status of the field, the historical progress of the field, and/or the application of these techniques and approaches in biotechnology and medicine. The tenth meeting in the series is entitled “Fifty Years of Reverse Transcriptase”, and will seek to address research over the last five decades into the basic process of reverse transcription in many biological processes, how this process underpins many human and animal diseases including HIV/AIDS, and shedding light on fundamental mechanisms such as cancer. Anticipated topics include: 1) Pre-discovery, discovery, and impact of reverse transcriptase (RT); 2) Mechanism of RT and role in (retro)viral replication; 3) RT as tools and target; 4) RT, retroviruses, cancer and other disease; 5) RT and Evolution I: endogenous retroviruses; and 6) RT and Evolution II: Other retroelements/normal roles. Speakers who made many of the seminal discoveries that began the field, as well as those who are working on the topic now. We also invite historians of science who have examined the topic, setting it in its scientific and societal context. Like the previous meetings in the series, this meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to look in-depth at a topic and share the stories that are often missing from academic accounts. We anticipate the meeting will interest a broad range of individuals, including scientists, clinicians, historians, and journalists, as well as inspiring the next generation of early career scientists. The CSHL Genentech Center will permanently archive video recording of the proceedings for future use by historians and scholars.

Fifty Years of Reverse Transcriptase October 28 – 31, 2020 Lay Narrative Fifty years ago, the central dogma of biology – that information flowed only from DNA to RNA to protein – was overturned by the discovery of reverse transcription, the copying of information from RNA into DNA. The importance of this discovery was highlighted by the Nobel prizes awarded to Howard Temin and David Baltimore in 1975, who had independently discovered key aspects of this unexpected biological process, paving the way for many subsequent discoveries into the viruses that use this mechanism to infect their animal and human hosts, underlying the etiology of diseases such as HIV/AIDs and explaining the molecular basis of many cancers. This unique meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to look in-depth at progress over the past five decades and share insight and observations that are often missing from straight-forward academic accounts of research findings. We anticipate the meeting will interest a broad range of individuals, including scientists, clinicians, historians, journalists, and early career scientists who will benefit from the unusual breadth and scope of the conference and interaction with the outstanding group of invited speakers, who were responsible for the seminal discoveries in the field. The entire proceedings will be recorded and made available for broader dissemination via the internet to a wider audience who may be unable to attend in person, and will be archived as a resource for future historians and scholars of this period.