Conferences of Broad Interest

Tuberculosis Symposium (ASBMB)

April 21 – 12, 2012. San Diego, CA Squire Booker and Clif Barry (NIH) are organizing a symposium for the 2012 ASBMB meeting, which will be held April 21–25, 2012 in San Diego, California. The theme of the symposium, which is sponsored by the ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), is “Tuberculosis. ” There will be three sessions, convening on three separate days. Each session will have three invited speakers (names and talk titles are given below), as well as three short talks chosen from submitted poster abstracts. Please encourage your graduate students, undergraduate students, and postdocs to submit abstracts for consideration. Two cash prizes for Best Poster Honors will also be announced during our Wednesday session. A fourth session entitled “Will Combined MD-­-PhD Training Make Me Twice as Successful,” is also sponsored by the ASBMB MAC THE DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND TRAVEL AWARD APPLICATIONS IS NOVEMBER 8, 2011 AT 5 PM EST!

Gordon Research Conferences

Bioanalytical Sensors

June 17– 22, 2012, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI. The 2012 GRC on Bioanalytical Sensors (June 17-22, Salve Regina) will present cutting-edge research in a highly multidisciplinary atmosphere by leaders in the field. This GRC will serve as a conduit for collegial discussions of unpublished data in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, and physics as they apply to the development and applications of bioanalytical sensors. This meeting will bring together a diverse group of participants ranging from technologists, who are at the forefront of developing novel sensing platforms, to engineers with cutting-edge integration concepts, to biologists/clinicians with highly impactful application areas that demand new sensing systems. Research themes that will be discussed in this GRC include: 1) novel recognition elements and reporters, 2) recent advances in optical, electrochemical, and mechanical detection, 3) real-world applications including in vivo sensing, 4) the use of nanotechnology to advance the understanding of molecular interactions and integration into sensor designs enabling novel applications, and 5) system integration technologies. Specific topical areas that will be covered include (but are not limited to), single molecule-based sensing, intracellular sensing, biomaterials with enhanced optical or electronic properties, nanomaterials, nanostructures, engineered surfaces, miniaturization and automation, and multiplexed detection in complex matrices. This GRC will also provide for informal discussions on funding opportunities in the area of bioanalytical sensors and strategies for the commercialization of new platform technologies.

Biocatalysis

June 10 – 15, 2012. Bryant University, Smithfield, RI. Biocatalysis encompasses the use of enzymes or whole cell systems for effecting the conversion of readily available, inexpensive starting materials to high value products. Enzymes are fully recyclable catalytic proteins that frequently display exquisite chemo-, enantio- and regioselectivity and operate under mild conditions of pH and temperature. These characteristics make them cost effective and sustainable catalysts for a wide range of chemical transformations. Modern tools of protein discovery, design and engineering aid the development of novel biocatalysts and their tailor-designed integration into industrial processes. Consequently, they find wide application in the production of pharmaceutical intermediates, novel materials and diagnostics,as well as fine, performance and agrochemicals. The Biocatalysis Gordon Conference highlights the best science, technologies and case studies responsible for the understanding, development and practical use of biocatalysts around the world.

Bioelectrochemistry

July 1 – 6, 2012. Il Ciocco Tuscany Resort, Lucca (Barga), Italy.  The 2012 Gordon Research Conference on Bioelectrochemistry will present cutting-edge research on the body electric: understanding the role of endogenous electric fields in development, regeneration and cancer and utilizing electric fields to treat diseases. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, such as: the role of voltage gradients and endogenous electric fields in development and regeneration; sensing electric fields/voltage; the use of endogenous EFs/ionic flow and EF pulses in the detection and treatment of cancer/diseases; modeling/techniques and biosensors for the in vivo study of bioelectricity; biological responses to nanosecond and picosecond pulses; electroporation and the brain – responses and imaging; DNA electroporation and immunity – modulation of the immune response by and in response to electroporation; the cell biology of gene transfer – during and after the pulse and the final hot topics session.

Invited speakers are experts in the field of bioelectrochemistry and the related specialties of biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, electrochemistry, bioelectromagnetics, and medicine as they relate to the effects of weak and strong electric fields on membranes, cells, and tissues. The Conference will bring together a collection of investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work at both the GRS and the GRC in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Some poster presenters will be selected for short talks within the GRS or the GRC. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

Biointerface Science

May 20 – 25, 2012. Les Diablerets Conference Center, Les Diablerets, Switzerland.  The 2012 GRC on Biointerface Science aims at bringing together scientists and engineers that work (and learn) in diverse fields of physics, chemistry, biology, biotechnology, materials science, diagnostics, medicine and environmental technologies. By presenting and discussing the latest fundamental research results dealing with the interactions between biomolecules of different chemical nature and origin and surfaces of various materials we will try to bridge the gap and enhance the intellectual interaction between molecular/cellular biology and the medical disciplines on the one side, and the physical and chemical sciences on the other side. This cross-disciplinary dialog is expected to enhance our quantitative understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the response of complex macromolecular and/or biological systems when exposed to artificial surfaces and devices. By integrating engineers and materials experts into the discussion we hope to also contribute to the translation of the developed biomolecular concepts into the world of applications, e.g., biomedical devices, sensors, etc. that are urgently needed for diagnostic strategies and new medical treatments of human diseases, for process monitoring or in environmental technologies. By inviting young scientists and students to the conference we hope to also contribute to a paradigm shift in the way we train our young colleagues at the intersection of the natural sciences, medicine and engineering.

Biomineralization

August 12 – 17, 2012. Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH.  The Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization is exploring the basic principles by which organisms synthesize, control and make use of minerals, as well as potential applications of these. Spectacular advances have been made in the last years and are impacting various scientific fields, from biology to geology, from medicine to materials science and from evolutionary sciences to engineering. The central goal of this GRC is to create a stimulating environment for scientists from all these disciplines to discuss latest ideas and recent advances on how minerals interact with biomolecules, on how cellularly driven biomineralization is regulated by extracellular matrix molecules, on how the structures of mineralized tissues relate to their function and on how these principles might influence our thinking in materials science and engineering. The conference will cover all kinds of biominerals, including carbonates, phosphates, oxides and silica, in vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. It will also address human health issues related to abnormal mineralization or diseases connected to mineral growth and homeostasis in the skeleton or in teeth.

The great success which this GRC experienced in the last years is largely due to its lively afternoon poster sessions, complementing the invited lectures. This provides the best opportunity to present latest research and exchange ideas in a more informal setting and all conferees are encouraged to submit and present posters. As done in previous conferences, 8-10 poster contributions will be selected for short oral presentations. All this has made this GRC very attractive for young scientists and – as the consequence of a vote in 2010 – the GRC on bimineralization 2012 will be complemented for the first time by a Gordon Research Seminar preceding the meeting.

Bioorganic Chemistry

June 10 – 15, 2012. Proctor Academy, Andover, NH The Gordon Research Conference on Bioorganic Chemistry was founded in 1992 to bring together scientists from a range of disciplines to present and discuss cutting-edge research at the interface between chemistry and biology. Both fundamental and applied research relevant to academia and industry are highlighted. To maintain a balance between these areas, the conference is organized by two co-chairs, one from academia and one from industry. The conference emphasizes the presentation of techniques or approaches that are broadly applicable across multiple areas of chemical and biological research. Traditionally, small molecules that probe, modulate, or mimic cellular components or processes as well as studies of biology at the molecular level have been of particular interest. The meeting in 2012 will showcase sessions in the areas of medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, chemical biology, chemical proteomics, biosynthesis, synthetic biology, natural products, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. As a new feature of the meeting, a discussion-based session will be included to foster conversation and ideas on challenges facing the community. For this 2012 meeting, the discussion will focus on “How to make a small molecule modulator to every biology target”.

Biopolymers

June 3 – 8, 2012. Salve Regina University, Newport, RI.   The 2012 Biopolymers Gordon Research Conference will explore recent advances and future trends in understanding the relationship between structure and function of biological polymers (e.g. proteins, nucleic acids, macromolecular assemblies), with emphasis on physical and chemical principles underlying their behaviors in solution and in the cellular environment. Session topics will span multiple disciplines, including the consequences of macromolecular crowding, the mechanisms of macromolecular complex assembly and aggregation, structural dynamics and allostery, elasticity and mechanics, and protein folding and design. The sessions have been organized so that each topic is addressed using diverse approaches and techniques including simulation, spectroscopy, single molecule measurements, x-ray crystallography and a variety of biochemical and biophysical solution methods, with applications to basic and clinical science. The Biopolymers GRC is uniquely poised to foster multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary connections between chemistry, computer science, physics and biology. This meeting of scientists applying experimental and theoretical methods to study biological polymers encourages the exchange and discussion of results and ideas among participants with different backgrounds, thereby promoting interdisciplinary research activities.

We encourage early registration and submission of abstracts for the poster session. We plan to select posters for short presentations for most of the meeting sessions.

Brain Energy Metabolism and Blood Flow

August 12 – 17, 2012. Colby College, Waterville, ME.  Brain blood flow and metabolism are vital to the normal mammalian nervous system and provides the basis for functional imaging. Over the last decade, dramatic progress has been made in molecular biology, biophysics and genetics that impact our understanding of brain energy metabolism, neural organization, cell signaling and vascular regulation. In addition, new technologies have emerged to measure blood flow and metabolism with high spatial and temporal resolution. The stage is set to use the methodological progress to address fundamental issues related to the organization of brain function, blood flow and metabolic activity. We anticipate that progress in this field will drive new discoveries in the experimental and clinical neurosciences and impact diagnosis and treatment of stroke and other neurodegenerative disorder. The biannual Gordon Research Conference is devoted to presentations of frontline research of brain metabolism, cell signaling, cell-cell interactions and vascular regulation in the normal and injured brain. The conference is a unique opportunity for experts and newcomers alike to exchange state-of-the-art advances in methodology and concepts, as well as outline promising avenues for collaborative research. For the 5th GRC on Brain Energy Metabolism and Blood Flow, the overall general theme turns around oxygen, blood flow and mitochondria in normal and pathological brain function.

Chromatin Structure and Function

May 6 – 11, 2012. Il Ciocco Tuscany Resort, Lucca (Barga), Italy.  The 2012 Gordon Conference on Chromatin structure and function will present cutting-edge research on how the genome is dynamically organized in three dimension in the nucleus and how this architecture is involved in regulating nuclear processes The Conference will feature how variation in chromatin structure ranging from its building block, the nucleosome up to defined domains in the nucleus or chromosomes can be achieved, and the talks will cover a wide range of topics, nucleosome structure, nucleosome remodeling, covalent modification of histones, histone exchange and histone variants. Compaction of chromatin, higher order structures, long-range interactions, mitotic and meiotic mechanisms, RNA-based mechanisms, transvection and paramutation, genome and epigenome duplication and stability will also be covered. Invited speakers represent a broad variety of approaches including genetics, structural biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and bioinformatics. This conference has a long history of attracting the top researchers in the field of chromatin structure and function and fostering interactions to promote new collaborations and integration of new members in the field. The 2012 Conference will continue the trend of extending coverage of the variety of approaches used to study chromatin. Space will be held for young scientists, and all applicants will have the opportunity to present a poster on their work if they wish. Many of the platform presentations will be chosen from the submitted abstracts to ensure inclusion of the latest developments during the formal sessions. Significant time for discussion will be scheduled into every session to promote the lively exchange of ideas and interpretations. The conference schedule allows ample time in the afternoons and after the session in the evening for the informal interactions that have always played a key role at this Conference.

Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases

May 20 – 25, 2012. Il Ciocco Tuscany Resort, Lucca (Barga), Italy.  The cyclic-nucleotides cAMP and cGMP are intracellular chemical signals that control most aspects of cellular behavior. These so-called “second messenger” responsive pathways have long been considered therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiovascular and inflammatory airway diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. The 2012 Gordon Conference on Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases will convene in Il Ciocco Italy from May 20-25, 2012. This 8th meeting in the series will provide a forum for investigators from academia and industry to present cutting-edge research and ponder the latest concepts in molecular and cellular cyclic nucleotide metabolism and cell signaling. The opening session of the meeting will set the scene with lectures from three renowned experts in cyclic nucleotide signaling. Pharmacological intervention of second messenger responses as therapies for a variety of pathophysiological disorders will be a featured topic of discussion. The scientific program will also feature a range of lectures that explore the structural biology of phosphodiesterases, the spatial organization of cAMP/cGMP effector molecules, genetic manipulation of phosphodiesterases and the pathophysiolgical implications of defective cyclic nucleotide signaling. The keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr. Johannes L. Bos on the interface of cAMP and cancer signaling pathways. The organizers encourage junior scientists and graduate students to attend. Delegates should submit an abstract of their research for poster presentation and selected individuals will be invited to give short talks on emerging aspects of cyclic nucleotide research. The collegial atmosphere of this conference, with discussion sessions and informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, creates an optimal environment for scientists from different disciplines to interact.

Drug Metabolism

July 8 – 13, 2012. Holderness School, Holderness, NH.  2012 is the 42nd Drug Metabolism Gordon Conference and will focus on cutting-edge ADME research. The scientific program being developed will include topics such as Predicting drug metabolism using P450 structural information. Other topics include the importance of Environmental factors, such as seasonal variation and our gut genome, on drug metabolism. Time dependent inhibition of drug metabolism will also be covered. New tools for ADME studies such as stem cell derived tissue-specific cells and various Humanized mouse models will also be discussed. Other topic areas include metabolomics linking transporters and drug metabolizing enzymes to new metabolic pathways. A final focus will be new frontiers, new techniques, methodologies, and data analysis. The program will continue to follow the traditional GRC Drug Metabolism format with a Keynote lecture Sunday evening, four morning sessions – each with four speakers, and three evening sessions with three speakers each. The Wednesday evening program will feature a mix of six graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who will deliver oral presentations that are selected from the many outstanding posters submitted. Vice Chair James Mangold will organize the poster sessions and attendees are encouraged to submit posters. As always, this meeting offers a wonderful opportunity to learn and discuss unpublished research, discuss new ideas, and establish collaborations with senior and junior scientists from academia and industry. Of course we will maintain the traditions passed down from generations of Drug Metabolism Gordon Conferences including the historic Tuesday afternoon Academia vs. Industry softball game (bring those gloves!), Monday afternoon tennis and Wednesday afternoon golfing, and there are always hiking and canoeing outings in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. As always housing and all meals are included in the registration fee.

Enzymes, Coenzymes and Metabolic Pathways

July 15 – 20, 2012. Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville, NH This conference will integrate fundamental and applied aspects of modern enzymology. A broad cross section of academic and industrial research will be merged into program that will showcase the most innovative current thinking in enzymatic reaction mechanisms and in applied enzymology. The meeting will bring together a vibrant mix of established and new academic investigators with students and industrial researchers with the aim of stimulating dialogue among experts of diverse approaches and applications of enzymology. This year’s meeting will include topics such as multi-enzyme assemblies, covalent and allosteric regulation, metabolic engineering, single molecule enzymology, nucleic acid processing and modification, redox enzymes, metalloenzymes and, of course, the interplay between enzyme structure, mechanism and inhibition.

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

July 8 – 13, 2012. Mount Snow Resort, West Dover, VT.   The 2012 Gordon Conference on Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) is shaping up to be an exciting and important meeting. The growing recognition of the role of IDPs in complex biological functions makes this an opportune time to bring together scientists in the field to identify the important questions, take stock of current progress, and chart the course for rapid and meaningful progress in the study of conformational heterogeneity and its role in function.

The program features an outstanding and diverse group of scientists at the forefront of research in the IDP field. The meeting will be organized around seven thematic sessions focusing on Transcriptional regulation, Signaling pathways & modules, IDP phase behavior and Molecular recognition, Emerging Technologies for Studying IDPs, IDP quality control and homeostasis, Regulated self-assembly and mis-assembly of IDPs, and IDP targeting, trafficking and processing. The meeting will be bookended by two keynote sessions.

Poster sessions will be organized to encourage active participation from young scientists. The organizers have arranged to postdocs and graduate students to compete for present up to seven awards based on their poster presentations, which will be judged by leaders in the IDP field. The new location for this conference is scenic, convenient, and promises to be an excellent setting for numerous information discussions during the conference.

Ion Channels

July 8 – 13, 2012. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA.  The 16th Gordon Research Conference on Ion Channels will continue the strong tradition of providing a unique venue for the presentation of unpublished, cutting-edge biomedical research focused on the proteins responsible for ion transport. The 2012 scientific program will cover all aspects of ion channel biology, with topics including, but not limited to the structure, function, dynamics, mechanisms of regulation and modulation, protein biogenesis and trafficking and integrated aspects of ion channels in physiological function. Invited Speakers will be selected to ensure a diverse set of topics, channels and presenters. All participants are asked to bring a poster since approximately ten abstracts will be chosen for short talks. We strongly encourage graduate students and post doctoral associates to apply to both the 2012 Ion channels GRC and GRS. In addition, selected abstracts from these “early-career” investigators will be chosen for a “Data Blitz”, in which the presenters will have two minutes and a slide to present their key findings that can be further discussed during the GRC poster sessions.

A main goal of the meeting is to stimulate detailed discussions among all attendees, giving rise to new ideas and directions for the field. Interactions are promoted by programming a generous amount of time for discussion sessions and by providing opportunities for informal gatherings at meals and in the afternoons and evenings. The 2012 meeting will be held at Mt. Holyoke College in idyllic Western Massachusetts. Mt. Holyoke College is within easy driving distance from Boston’s Logan Airport, and a shuttle bus will provide transportation prior to and at the conclusion of the meeting. Travel awards are available for selected postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and minority participants.

Iron-Sulfur Enzymes

June 10 – 15, 2012. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. First organized in 1994 to focus on nitrogenase and its unique iron sulfur chemistry, knowledge about iron sulfur clusters has grown exponentially in the last two decades, and in 2006, the name of the conference was accordingly changed to Iron Sulfur Enzymes. The conference has tremendous breadth, featuring sessions on numerous iron sulfur enzymes of unicellular organisms, animals, and plants, and important insights into how these versatile protein cofactors are synthesized and function. Proteins containing FeS cofactors perform a variety of biological functions ranging across electron transfer, acid-base catalysis, and sensing where they are agents for cell regulation through transcription (DNA) or translation (RNA). They are redox catalysts for radical-based reactions and the activation of H2, N2 and CO2, processes that offer scientific and economic challenges for industry. Iron-sulfur centers provide the focus for fundamental investigations of chemical bonding, spectroscopy and paramagnetism, and their functions have numerous implications for health and medicine and applications for technology, including renewable energy. This conference will include distinguished speakers and discussion leaders from many fields, and topics will range from mechanistic discussions of bacterial enzymes to discussion of an emerging class of human diseases characterized by abnormalities in their iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis pathway.

Lipoprotein Metabolism

June 17 – 22, 2012. Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville Valley, NH.  The Gordon Research Conference on Lipoprotein Metabolism is one of the longest standing conferences in the 80 year history of the GRC. The scientific content of our conference has continually evolved since the first meeting and, traditionally, is considered the preeminent forum in our discipline for the presentation of high impact leading edge science. The program for the 2012 Conference on Lipoprotein Metabolism will communicate new and exciting advances in the field and will bring together a range of established investigators, new investigators, and trainees from around the world to present and discuss a spectrum of topics related to new developments in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, particularly in those areas that impact upon human disease. Basic molecular and cell biological studies, animal models of metabolism, and genetic studies in humans will be presented. Topics include the structural and functional diversity of HDL; cholesterol efflux and ABC transporters; cellular sterol trafficking and lipid droplet biology, alternate functions of LDL receptor family members and recent advances in therapy to treat dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Novel mechanisms of plasma cholesterol homeostasis, genetic determinants of plasma lipids and the use of metabolomics and proteomics to study lipid and lipoprotein metabolism will also be featured. In addition to outstanding leading-edge lectures and discussion, poster presentations represent an integral part of the scientific program. Additional Oral Sessions will be selected from among submitted abstracts.

Membrane Transport Proteins

July 1 – 6, 2012. Les Diablerets Conference Center, Les Diablerets, Switzerland. The Gordon Research Conference on Membrane Transport Proteins, held for the 8th time in 2012, will address the physiological role of membrane transport from a range of system and experimental perspectives. Recent developments, particularly in the area of protein structure, have revealed unanticipated commonality among different transport systems, and this conference aims to bring together investigators working in fields from plant biology to neuroscience who might not otherwise interact. It will also focus on transport systems from pumps to ATP-binding cassette (ABC), secondary active ion-coupled transporters, organellar carriers and channels, and bring together groups with different experimental approaches from cell biology and genetics to biophysics and structure. The talks will focus on the relationship between mechanism and physiology, including disease. The program will include junior as well as senior investigators, and several posters will be selected for oral presentation. In addition, the programmed discussion time, afternoon free time and poster sessions as well as meals will provide abundant time for interaction among the diverse groups.

Molecular Basis of One-Carbon Metabolism

August 5 – 10, 2012. Bates College, Lewiston, ME.  One-carbon (C1) compounds play a central role in microbial metabolism. C1 compounds include methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methanol as well as coenzyme-bound one-carbon compounds. They are of broad global importance because several of these (e.g., methane) are important energy sources, some (e.g., carbon dioxide and methane) are potent greenhouse gases, and others (e.g., dichloromethane) are xenobiotics. C1 compounds are central in pathways of energy metabolism and carbon fixation by microorganisms and many are of industrial interest. The 2012 Gordon Conference will present and discuss cutting-edge research in the field of microbial metabolism of C1 compounds. The conference will feature the roles and application of C1 metabolism in natural and synthetic systems at scales from molecules to ecosystems. The conference will stress molecular aspects of the unique metabolism exhibited by autotrophic bacteria, methanogens, methylotrophs, aerobic and anaerobic methanotrophs, and acetogens. Complementary perspectives will be provided by leading scientists in biochemistry, general microbiology, molecular biology, ecology, systems- and synthetic biology.

The Conference will bring together investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. In addition, some poster presenters will be selected to give short talks in the different sessions. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with extensive discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an ideal setting for scientists from different disciplines to exchange ideas, brainstorm and discuss cross-disciplinary collaborations.

NOX Family NADPH Oxidases

June 3 – 8, 2012. Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville Valley, NH.  The Gordon Research Conference on NOX Family NADPH Oxidases meets biannually, alternating between US and European sites so as to attract a broad range of international scientists active in this rapidly growing field of biomedical research. The 2012 meeting will also include the first NOX Gordon Research Seminar for research trainees. The NOX GRC will feature cutting-edge unpublished work presented by experts across the NOX field, whereas the NOX GRS will be geared specifically to the interests and needs of young research trainees in the field, primarily graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

NADPH oxidases of the NOX family have in recent years been shown to comprise the predominant source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by most types of cells. It is abundantly clear that the science in this field is moving very rapidly, with many exciting advances in understanding of the basic biochemistry and cell biology of the NOX family of enzymes, particularly the contrasting properties and functional roles of the seven discrete isoforms comprising the family. Moreover, NOX-generated ROS are directly involved in a wide range of both physiologic and pathologic processes. Many linkages between NOX enzymes and disease pathogenesis are being elucidated and this knowledge is dramatically accelerating advances in the identification of new and often unexpected therapeutic targets and development of disease-modifying pharmacologic agents. The NOX Gordon Conference program has been clearly established as the top forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest advances in this field. Thus, the 2012 NOX GRC/GRS meetings promise to be timely, exciting, and paradigm-challenging.

The program for the meeting has been developed around the theme of “NOX Biology and its Translation to Human Disease and Therapy.” The preliminary conference program comprises nine scientific sessions, four with basic themes and five with a disease-oriented translational emphasis, including one session devoted entirely to recent exciting advances in the development and testing of small-molecule NOX inhibitors. Each session features a discussion leader and three to four speakers, plus a few young investigator presentations to be selected from among an anticipated ~100 poster abstracts. There will be ample time for vigorous discussion after each talk. The GRS program will feature speakers selected from among trainee abstracts, as well as career development components and mentoring by senior scientists. Attracting a diverse group of participants is a major priority, as reflected for example in the high prevalence of women scientists (35%) listed in the preliminary GRC program.

Phosporylation and G-Protein Mediated Signaling Networks

June 10 – 15, 2012. University of New England, Biddeford, ME.  The Phosphorylation & G-Protein Mediated Signaling Networks Gordon Research Conference was established in 1970 and fostered by Nobel Laureates such as Earl Sutherland, Edwin Krebs, Alfred Gilman and Martin Rodbell and many other pioneers in the signal transduction field. Whereas initial meetings concentrated on the roles of cyclic nucleotides as second messengers, the conference has expanded to include many mechanisms by which cells respond to extracellular stimuli, with emphasis on protein kinase and heterotrimeric G protein-dependent networks directly regulated by cell-surface receptors. Malfunctions in these signaling pathways contribute to health problems that affect millions worldwide. Consequently, cell-surface receptors represent major pharmaceutical targets, and a greater understanding of the signaling networks they control will provide many future opportunities for novel and more selective therapeutic intervention.

To this end, the 2012 meeting will bring together world leaders and early stage investigators to facilitate the exchange of ideas and accelerate the pace of research in the signal transduction field. Sessions will cover recent advances in the study of heterotrimeric G protein and protein kinase signaling pathways, how these pathways contribute to disease, and how they might be targeted through translational research. There will be a strong emphasis on dissecting the molecular mechanisms of signal transfer and on new technologies being brought to bear on formerly intractable problems. Other sessions will include cutting-edge research in lipid mediated signaling pathways and desensitization mechanisms.

Financial assistance is available for underrepresented minorities who are attending their first GRC meeting through the Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship (CSURM) program. Please see the GRC web site for further details.

Proteolytic Enzymes and their Inhibitors

June 17 – 22, 2012. Il Ciocco Tuscany Resort, Lucca (Barga), Italy.  Proteolytic enzymes act in a resolute fashion to direct the well structured universe of cellular molecules. Proteolytic enzymes must acquire delicate molecular structures to initiate and execute their tasks. Proteolytic enzymes are supervised by their inhibitors. It is the team work of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors which makes a go of many cellular functions. We recognize proteolytic enzymes as managers that catalyze the most important and ubiquitous post-translational modifications in cells. Irreversible and uncompromising, proteases regulate life and death of every organism. Diseases caused by mutations in the genes of proteases or their inhibitors, threats introduced by bacterial, fungal or viral proteases taught us to look more closely on the hundreds of diverse proteases and the many inhibitors interacting with them to direct cellular functions.

Evolution was clever enough to come up with an excellent system of cellular decision makers, but the system can be cheated in the most mischievous way – arthritis, cancer, diabetes, obesity, malaria, neurodegenerative disorders and many more can be caused by stray proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors. Understanding the structures and functions of proteases, watching proteases in action, and approaching their intricacies in the protease web is a must but more so, it is a hope for designing new drugs and better therapeutic treatments based on translational research. On the bright side of life, proteases enable development and maintain physiology. Proteases and their inhibitors are clearly sustainable, they are vital.

Klaudia Brix and James Whisstock invite you to explore the post-genomics and not-yet-post-proteomics times of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors. The 2012 Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibitors Gordon Research Conference will present the most exciting advances in proteolysis research. We will continue to explain how, when and where cells become radical, desperate and visionary enough to perform proteolytic cleavages. Dogmas may still exist and data is overwhelmingly complex, networks seem within and beyond our scopes, but you may expect to experience the most cooperative, friendly, and integrative families of multidisciplinary researchers unravelling the secrets of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors.

We plan to build bridges spanning the many disciplines of life sciences that engage in the field of proteolysis. Researchers from academia and industry are welcome, younger scientists will be involved as much as established researchers. For the first time in the history of the GRC on Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibitors, the accompanying Gordon Research Seminar will serve as the ideal inauguration for the younger scientists. The GRS is open to Graduate Students and Post Docs exclusively while allowing only few Senior Mentors to assist Sheena McGowan igniting the Spirit of the Gordon Conference in the beauty of Tuscany – join us for The forward-looking, enjoyable and most rewarding conference on proteolysis in 2012.

Thiol-Based Redox Regulation and Signaling

July 29 – August 3, 2012. Bates College, Lewiston, ME.  Many environmental toxins provoke a rise in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cellular macromolecules, potentially triggering apoptotic signaling. However, ROS are also necessary components of growth factor, cytokine and immune signaling and may be involved in aberrant proliferative signaling that is the hallmark of cancer. Thiol-containing proteins and small molecules are important targets of ROS action, where reversible oxidation can act as a molecular switch to modulate function and regulate cell signaling pathways. Thiol oxidation is also crucial for protein folding, protein secretion and protein trafficking. While redox “imbalance” is widely regarded as the cause of ROS-dependent pathology, we have only a limited understanding of how ROS generation is associated with normal cell signaling. Furthermore, antioxidants have conflicting effects when used as dietary supplements or chemotherapeutics. The need has never been greater for research scientists, physician scientists, scientists from governmental agencies as well as those from industry to come together in this highly interdisciplinary setting to exchange ideas and perspectives and foster new collaborative research interactions. By bringing together investigators with varied expertise in biophysical methods, bioinformatics and animal model systems, with physicians focused on disease processes, the meeting is expected to further stimulate collaborations and catalyze scientific progress as has been exemplified by the successes of the previous meetings.

This conference is in its fourth cycle after three very successful meetings in the U.S. and Italy in 2006, 2008 and 2010. The highly international flavor of this meeting is reflected in the U.S.- and France-based chair and vice chair, respectively, and a diverse range of speakers from around the globe. Topics will include disulfide bond formation in intraorganellar protein folding, chemical biology of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and action, and how perturbations in the localized reactive oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur redox environment can alter signaling and lead to disease. Significant emphasis will be placed on cellular signaling dysfunction from environmental stresses and their link to cancer development. Participation by junior researchers in this conference will also be enhanced through a preceding Gordon Research Seminar with keynote speaker Mike Marletta and speakers and discussion leaders chosen from among the graduate student and postdoctoral community in this field.

Other Conferences of Broad Interest

Past Conferences

Albany 2011, Conversation 17

June 14 – 18, 2011 State University of New York, Albany, NY Participants will arrive on Tuesday June 14th, there is a reception that evening. The scientific program starts Wednesday morning June 15th and will end after lunch on Saturday June 18th at 2:00 PM. The conference will have roughly 50 lectures by leading scientists, in addition to several short lectures by young scientists who will be selected from abstracts submitted for poster presentations. We will have on display, throughout the conference, some 250 posters. We anticipate about 400 participants with diverse background from over 20 countries for these continuing conversations.

17th International Symposium on Flavins & Flavoproteins – IUBMB Symposium S13/2011

July 24 – 29, 2011 University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Now in their 5th decade, the triennial International Flavin Symposia highlight cutting edge developments on flavins and flavoproteins from researchers all over the world. The flavin field is teeming with advances in understanding of structural tuning of flavin reactivity, exciting discoveries of novel flavin-catalyzed reactions as well as surprising involvement of flavoproteins in all manner of cellular signaling, repair and maintenance functions. On the practical side, clever chemists, biochemists and biophysicists are finding imaginative ways to “put flavoproteins to work” as “green” catalysts and as sensitive triggers to control initiation of biological and chemical processes toward discovery and practical ends. Featured topics include: Non-redox flavin-catalyzed reactions; unusual flavin-catalyzed reactions; control of oxygen activation; structure & mechanism of Complex I; chemical synthesis with flavoproteins; fine tuning flavoprotein chemistry; flavoproteins in cellular signaling; complex flavoproteins; flavoproteins & health; flavin physics & chemistry; flavoproteins & natural products; flavoprotein dynamics. Up to 200 posters will be displayed throughout the meeting.