Nuclear receptors (NRs) constitute a unique group of transcription factors that play an important role in a wide variety of developmental, physiological and pathological processes and have become important drug targets in many diseases. These receptors regulate transcription in response to small lipophilic biomolecules such as hormones, lipid metabolites, bile acids, heme and xenobiotic compounds thereby functioning as key mediators linking metabolism and external signals to transcriptional regulation. The ability to directly regulate NRs by small molecules makes these transcription factors ideal targets for disease management as well as for mechanistic and system-wide studies of transcription.

This workshop on Nuclear Receptors and Biological Networks continues the very successful EMBO NR conference series. The overall objective of this meeting series is to ensure a European meeting point for current and up-and-coming scientists in the broader field of NRs. The specific objective for the 2018 meeting is to highlight the importance of novel systems approaches for the study of NR functions and to emphasize how NRs constitute excellent tools in systems biology. To facilitate this cross-fertilization of fields, we have invited outstanding speakers with different scientific interests in the NR field as well as world-leading experts in systems approaches.