Conference: "2012 Origin of Life GRC and GRS" to be held in Galveston, TX

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit The 2012 Origins of Life Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will be held on January 8-13 and 7-8, respectively at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston, TX. The overarching goal of the 2012 Origin of Life Gordon Conference, (GRC), will be to foster new collaborations that will move us toward a more complete understanding of the origin, distribution and early history of living systems. Towards this end, the 2012 GRC will create a forum for the synthesis and evaluation of new concepts, and a mechanism to clarify and crystallize new research directions. The Origin of Life GRC fills a unique role: there are no other meetings allowing focused discussion on just the Origin of Life problem in the US. The GRC will bring together scientists with a common interest in the Origin of Life and overlapping specializations for a week of intense discussion and examination of the most advanced topics in the field. Some of the proposed meeting topics include: Genetics, Energetics and Compartmentalization Organics in Meteorites Early Earth Environments Prebiotic Chemistry and Self-Organization Laboratory Models of Cellular Processes Early Translation Broader Impacts At this year's conference, approximately 25% of the speakers will be women. It is anticipated that the majority of the session chairs for both the GRS and the GRC will also be women prominent in their respective disciplines. A concerted effort has been made to advertise the meeting to national and international organizations, including former attendees of GRC and GRS meetings in this and other disciplines, the members of all of the major international astrobiological societies, as well as SACNAS (a society of scientists dedicated to advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science) and Spelman College, a historically black women?s college in Atlanta, GA.