This grant will partially support travel costs and conference fees for speakers and session Chairs who have been invited to participate in the Molecular Membrane Biology (MMB) Gordon Conference to be held July 8-13, 2007 at Proctor Academy in Andover, NH. This meeting brings together scientists working on all aspects of membrane structure and function, including vesicle trafficking, organelle biogenesis and structure, lipid biology, membrane protein structure and function, and protein translocation. Hence, MMB has great value in that it facilitates detailed discussion and scientific exchange between investigators focused on understanding the complexity of membrane function. Proposed session topics include: Entering the ER; Traversing the Golgi; Lipid Transport and Localization; Vesicle Formation; Pathogens and Membrane Traffic; Organelle Structure and Dynamics; Membrane Domains; Membrane Fusion; and Reaching the Plasma Membrane. We have invited a diverse group of speakers, many of whom are early in their careers and 22% of whom are female. We have left open at least 19 slots for additional short presentations chosen from submitted abstracts, increasing our opportunities for hearing the most recent and exciting results and diversifying our speakers. We have invited several established investigators (33% female) to serve as session Chairs, and have set aside 20 minutes at the end of each session for the Chairs to present an overview and to lead a general discussion of current controversies, unresolved issues, and future directions, in a manner that will engage a large percentage of the audience. This meeting is generally oversubscribed and is considered a 'must-attend' for many in the field. Research conducted by attendees is funded by several NIH institutes, including NIGMS, NCI, NEI, NIDDK, NICHD, NIMH and NIAID. Thus, the work discussed is of general significance to human health and disease.

R13GM080747

2007-06-25

2008-05-31