US-Japan Seminar - Frontiers in Marine Natural Products Research

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A joint US - Japan seminar, entitled "Frontiers in Marine Natural Products Research" will be held in Park City Utah, USA on July 1-6, 2007. This joint seminar will feature 36 speakers and 8 observers. The venue will be The Canyons Resort which is located on the outskirts of Park City, approximately 35 miles from downtown Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake City International Airport. This will represent the VIth US - Japan seminar on Marine Natural Products. The first seminar in this series was held in Okinawa in 1986, hosted by Professor Paul J. Scheuer, University of Hawaii and Professor Isao Kitagawa, Osaka University. This first seminar constituted an important step towards increasing interaction between marine chemistry-oriented research groups from these two countries. It is well documented that the US and Japan lead the world in innovation and technology development. In parallel, the US and Japan are the world powerhouses for marine natural products research, and researchers from these two countries have been responsible for many of the seminal findings in this field. The objective is to exchange information and explore future prospects on a broad range of topics. Themes planned for the meeting are: (a) marine-derived micro and macro organisms as unique sources of chemical diversity (b) biomedical potential of marine micro and macro organisms; (c) marine natural products as tools in molecular biology and biotechnology; (d) interactions between species mediated by secondary metabolites; (e) marine biosynthesis studied by classical as well as molecular genetic methodologies, and (f) chemical synthesis and properties of biomedically-important marine metabolites. These topics will provide opportunities to explore a variety of fundamental subjects along with emerging new techniques. The format for this seminar will emphasize the presentation and discussion of ideas which will undoubtedly underlie future research to be conducted in this field, and will necessarily stimulate new bilateral collaborations on these important biomedical topics. The list of participants includes representatives from major academic, industrial, and government laboratories, and provides a balance of established investigators, individuals at early stages of their careers, minorities and women. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]