Conference: Biological Membranes: Emerging Challenges at the Interface between Theory, Computer Simulation, and Experiment to be held in June 2004 in Sun Valley, Idaho

Wabash College, Crawfordsville IN

Investigators

Abstract

The interface between theory, computer simulation, and experiment is a critical area for the development of methods to characterize complex macromolecular assemblies of biological importance. Lipid bilayer membranes are an ideal target for this combined experimental/theoretical approach, because of both the practical importance of the cell membrane and because there is an active community of researchers in the membrane biophysics community who are committed to collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches. To facilitate communication among investigators, and to identify challenges in the field where theory, computation, and experiment can complement each other, the P.I. (Scott Feller) and Greg Voth are organizing a meeting to be held June 20-25, 2004. An explicit goal of this meeting will be to develop relationships between established researchers in the field and beginning investigators, specifically women and members of under-represented minority groups who are found predominantly, at least in the membrane field, among the junior investigators (many of whom are in the process of establishing funding in their labs). Several women are among the invited speakers, as well as an African-American. This grant will support travel costs for these beginning investigators as well as postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates, in the hope of expanding and diversifying the field of membrane biophysics