Topoisomerases are nuclear enzymes that control the dynamic genome structures in all living organisms, regulating the winding of the DNA double helix and untangling DNA and RNA for cells to carry out the required functions for life. Many antibacterial and anticancer drugs listed as essential medicines by the World Health Organization focus on interfering with topoisomerase actions.

FIU faculty and students are collaborating with scientists from other research organizations to illuminate the details of topoisomerase mechanism of action, as well as identify (or design) novel small molecules that can target these enzymes in cancer or bacterial cells for the development of new medicines.

This international conference would provide a venue for outstanding scientists from across academia, government and industry to discuss new ideas and unpublished results at the very frontier of genome dynamics in biology and medicine.