? Funding is requested to support the Gordon Research Conference on Cellular & Molecular Fungal Biology to be held from June 29-July 4, 2008 at the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The conference co-chairs are Dr. Nancy P. Keller (Wisconsin) and Dr. Neil A. Gow (Aberdeen); the vice co-chairs are Dr. John Taylor (Berkeley) and Dr. Michelle Momany (Georgia). This conference provides a forum for presentation of the latest advances in fungal research with two signature features. First, there is an emphasis on both model and pathogenic fungi, which serves to broaden ideas about both methodology and biology. Second, the environment, format, size, and Gordon Conference tradition all strongly encourage interaction, which fosters the development of new ideas into feasible and significant projects. Participants include leading international scientists as well as graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. The scientific program will include these session topics: Cell Biology, Pathogen Strategies, Rhythms and Environmental Responses, Symbiosis and Fungal Associations, Cell Surface of Fungi - the Interface, Small Molecules and Bioreactive Processes, Genomic Insights and Morphogenesis. In addition, late-breaking scientific discoveries will be included in a session of oral presentations selected from submitted poster abstracts. In summary, the conference provides a unique opportunity to examine the breadth of fungal biology in a small meeting format that encourages in-depth discussion among the attendees. to public health: Fungi have impact on health science in two ways. First, they are models for understanding biological processes in Humans and all organisms in mechanistic terms. Second, they are agents of disease whose severe effects cut across age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Our conference brings together both areas of fungal research to develop new ideas about how to eradicate disease agents, and to inspire development of new models to better understand disease processes. ? ? ?
