This proposal applies for support for the 16th Bacterial Cell Surfaces Gordon Conference, to be held from June 27 to July 2 at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire. The traditional focus of this meeting is on the structure and function of bacterial membranes, including such topics as pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance and membrane transport, and these continue to be central themes in the next conference. Aided by high-resolution structural data on membrane proteins such as the AcrB multidrug efflux transporter, the BtuCD ABC ATPase, the Lac permease, the voltage-gated potassium channel and the GIpF aquaglyceroporin, the 2004 Conference will become a major platform for the discussion of mechanistic information obtained on integral membrane proteins. In addition, this meeting will expanded into the areas of bioterrorism and antibiotic resistance, with presentations in 2004 on the function, structure and regulation of toxins, phage lytic enzymes, and detailed discussions of beta-Iactamases. The proposed meeting should thus accomplish the goal of presenting the cutting-edge research in the area of molecular microbiology. The participants at the Bacterial Cell Surfaces Gordon Conference include the leaders in this field, drawn from academics, government and industry, as well as more junior scientists, including many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who represent the future of this area. A major use of the support sought in the current application is to assist such junior people in participating in this meeting. The Gordon Conference is organized to maximize the opportunity for discussion and for the presentation of the latest findings in this area, with poster sessions occurring every afternoon and discussion periods after each formal session.
