Fifth International Biannual Evolution and Ecology of Cancer Conference (Cooperation, Conflict and Parasitism) meeting report—Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK

Abstract The fifth biannual conference of the International Society of Evolution and Ecology of Cancer (ISEEC) was held between the 17th and 19th of July 2019 in Hinxton (UK) at the Wellcome Genome Campus. The main theme of the conference: cooperation, conflict and parasitism reflected our growing understanding of the role cancer has played in the evolution of multicellular organisms, as well as the urgent need of translating these Darwinian processes to treatment strategies. Below we provide a brief summary of each plenary sessions and other oral presentations, to bring the conference to the broader audience of evolutionary biology and applications.

conference organizers placed special emphasis on and achieved gender and career stage balance amongst the invited speakers.
The conference discussed the evolutionary and ecological aspects of cell competition, cooperation, conflict and parasitism in tumour development and progression as well as the impact of cancer on organismal form and function. The last day of the conference was dedicated to the emerging and exciting field of transmissible cancers. During the conference, special focus was placed on how Darwinian approaches can be applied to cancer treatment via mathematical modelling, experimental designs and by harnessing knowledge from billions of years of evolution since multicellular organisms have emerged.
Below we provide a brief summary of each plenary sessions and other oral presentations, to bring the conference to the broader audience of evolutionary biology and applications.

| SUMMARY OF PRE S ENTATI ON S
The fifth biannual conference of the International Society of presentation was titled 'What protists can tell us about multicellularity, cell death, and the origins of animals'. Dr Leger's research used unicellular organisms (holozoan protists) to gain insight into the origins of various traits and features of closely related multicellular animals. For example, programmed cell death is an ancestral trait found in single cell protists, but apoptosis is a specific trait of multicellular organisms.
Dr Ferran Muinos (Institute of Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona) discussed how 'Systematic learning from tumour genomes enables the identification of cancer genes and driver mutations'. Dr Muinos is interested in understanding which somatic cellular mutations drive tumour development. Using bulk sequencing of single nucleotide variants, his aim is to develop new computational methods that understand mutations in tumours allow for the detection of positive selection. His talk demonstrated that tens of thousands of primary and metastatic cancers have been analysed, using multiple methods, to train the sophisticated computer analysis programme, which has improved in accuracy and allowed the ability to detect mutations providing selective advantage to tumours. Dr Aurora M. Nedelcu (University of New Brunswick, Biology Department, Canada) presented: 'Cooperation is costly, but so is cheating: Implications for the evolution of multicellularity and cancer'. Dr Nedelcu discussed advantages and disadvantages of altruistic behaviour, and cheating in somatic cells, focusing on volvocine algae and tumour suppressor genes regA and RLS1, showing that the expression of these genes conferred advantages, including higher replication, in normal environments. However, these cheater cells are more sensitive to environmental change and are at a disadvantage compared to altruistic somatic cells, in more extreme environments. aged population reduced the growth of cancer. These studies indicate the need for age-dependent selection and life history-dependent evolution to be incorporated into cancer incidence modelling, and for cancer treatment strategies that involve altering tissue microenvironments.
Following the second session, the first poster lightening talks took place, followed by a poster session.
The second day began with session three-Math models of cooperation and competition in cancer. Chaired by Dr Trevor Graham Conference of the Evolution and Ecology of Cancer was the first to take place outside of the United States. This shows how much the field of scientific research in relation to cancer within both medical and ecological environments is growing with exciting progress.

ACK N OWLED G EM ENT
The conference attendance of Georgina Bramwell and Nynke Raven was supported by the International Associated Laboratory on 'Cancer Ecology and Evolution', by Deakin University and by the Wellcome Trust's Student Bursary Award.