Cell proliferation, which depends on the intimately linked processes of growth and division, is a fundamental systems-level attribute of all life forms. The precise regulation of proliferation in response to internal and external cues is critical for development, tissue renewal and evolutionary fitness, while the disregulation of cell proliferation underlies a variety of human diseases, most notably cancer and aging. Historically, breakthroughs in our understanding of cell growth and division have derived from cross-fertilization of results and ideas from researchers studying a wide range of model organisms, from yeast to humans. The basis for cell proliferation entails the control of key signaling and cell cycle regulators through transcriptional, translational, post-translational, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Indeed, many conceptual breakthroughs in cell regulation have derived from analyses of basic cell cycle mechanisms. This Gordon Research Conference on the Molecular and Genetic Basis of Cell Proliferation aims to provide an integrated perspective on the multitude of processes that govern cell growth and division across a spectrum of eukaryotic model systems. Many frontiers of cell division research will be covered, including fundamental cell cycle modules, checkpoints and cancer, chromosome replication and dynamics, control of cell growth and polarity, growth factors and signal transduction, ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis, gene regulation and systems-level approaches. This meeting affords an opportunity to access an interdisciplinary cross-section of cell cycle research as presented by international leaders in their respective fields. In recent past meetings, discussion has been lively as researchers exchange their diverse perspectives on cell proliferation. Participation from meeting applicants will be encouraged through the selection of many short talks from the submitted abstracts.