The Keystone Symposia conference on Precision Genome Engineering: From Basic Mechanisms to Application will assemble scientific leaders working across all areas of genome editing. The program focuses on understanding fundamental biology and mechanisms related to gene editing systems, features the latest technology developments having an impact in the field, and identifies ongoing progress and challenges in translating gene editing toward the clinic. From a basic research perspective, the conference will include new discoveries that inform structural and mechanistic understanding of genome editing tools, that relate these tools to natural defense and transposon systems, from which they have been derived, as well as to the DNA damage repair processes that they depend upon. The conference will highlight the development and understanding of new methods for making small and large edits to the genome, epigenome and transcriptome and will contribute to the goal of developing precision genetic medicines. In addition, numerous applications of CRISPR-based tools across biology, including functional genomics and identifying new therapeutic targets, will be a focus throughout the program. Finally, the conference will feature the latest data on translating gene editing modalities for therapeutic applications and will include updates on emerging clinical data using gene editing in humans. Delivery and target selection remain critical hurdles for the broad implementation of precision genetic medicines across diverse areas of human disease, whether they involve genome editing or other modalities of nucleic acid-based medicines. The 2026 meeting will be held jointly with the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics and Targeted Delivery Keystone Symposia conference, which will stimulate discussion and innovation around the central challenges shared by both fields: the need for selective targeting of RNA and ribonucleoprotein complexes to cells and tissues for therapeutic applications. Through shared keynote and joint scientific sessions, meals and poster sessions, participants will have an opportunity to network and share cross-disciplinary insights, encouraging innovative collaborations that will advance genetic medicines toward greater clinical impact. 

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