Conference: 2012 Biomolecular Interactions & Methods GRC & GRS to be held in Galveston, TX January 14-20,2012

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract This award is in support of a Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on "Biomolecular Interactions and Methods" (BIM) will be held on January 15th - 20th, 2012 at the historic Hotel Galvez in Galveston, Texas. In addition, the second associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will be held at the same location on the preceding weekend (January 14th - 15th, 2012). The 2012 GRC/GRS will provide an international forum for information exchange that will incorporate a broad array of both experimental and theoretical approaches and catalyze new connections between the atomic and cellular levels, enhancing our understanding of how intact biological systems carry out their complex functions through tightly regulated interactions. The GRS is specifically designed to encourage and enrich young scientists. This meeting will provide a unique opportunity for a diverse group of scientists to share their ideas and discuss the latest research that underpins biological interactions, from atoms to organisms, to push the frontiers of quantitative biological research. Intellectual merit: Dynamic interactions between biological molecules underlie the cellular processes that govern all living organisms. While molecular biology and genetics approaches identify key players in a given biological process, the detailed characterization of these players and the timing of their interactions is required to develop an in-depth understanding of their functional roles in the cell. Current methods are now capable of providing a time-resolved view of isolated biological interactions. Moreover, theoretical frameworks have been established to model not only specific molecular recognition events, but also systems of interacting molecules, bringing us tantalizingly closer to the prediction of cellular outcomes. This meeting will gather together a highly interdisciplinary group of scientists, with expertise ranging from computer simulation to experiments including single molecules, biochemistry, biophysics, live cell imaging and studies of intact systems, in order to define the frontier of research to predict how events at the individual molecule level must be correlated to overall cellular processes. Broader Impact. The GRC organization has a strong commitment to supporting diversity in the sciences. For the 2012 GRC BIM, 50% of the formal leadership roles are being held by women: two of the four meeting organizers, four of the eight Discussion Leaders, and one of the two GRS /GRC keynote speakers are women. We have identified one Hispanic scientist (Bertrand Garcia-Moreno, Johns Hopkins U.) and one African American scientist (Paul Adams, U. Arkansas) as speakers. Of the proposed additional GRC speakers, 25% are women and 7% are underrepresented minority scientists, for a total of anticipated participation of women and minorities as highly visible speakers at this meeting. The GRS is organized by and for graduate students and postdocs, and is dedicated to the training and mentoring of these young scientists. The GRC and GRS planned programs are highly interdisciplinary, with a key objective of fostering exchange of concepts and ideas across diverse areas of science to break down barriers and generate novel directions of investigation. This conference and seminar are supported by the Biomolecular Dynamics, Structure and Function Cluster, in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.