With this proposal we seek partial support for the 2017 Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways GRC/GRS. These conferences will occur July 15?16 (GRS) and July 16-21 (GRC), 2017 at the Waterville Valley, in Waterville Valley, NH. The ?Enzymes? GRC/GRS is the pivotal conference for researchers focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms of biochemical reactions and provides a central meeting place for the exchange of ideas. The long-term goals of this conference are to foster interactions and communication within the research community focused on studying the roles of enzymes in the biological processes that are fundamental for life. To achieve these goals, the GRC has created a program of ~36 Speakers (27 invited and 8 chosen from poster abstracts), and the GRS has put together a program of ~9 Speakers (1 invited and 8 chosen from poster abstracts) as well as a Bioscience Careers Panel (5 leaders from diverse backgrounds). These talks will describe current advances in enzyme mechanisms, experimental methods to study them, as well as how these areas link to disease processes. During the afternoon, poster sessions will be held where all attendees can present their work to the broader community of scientists. These poster sessions provide a unique opportunity for junior scientists and senior investigators to interact. This proposal has high significance; the Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways GRC/GRS will celebrate the 70th anniversary in 2017, remaining the principal conference for researchers focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms of biochemical reactions and provides a central meeting place for the exchange of ideas in this field. Furthermore, this meeting continues to showcase the very best in enzyme and metabolic studies and their relevance to human diseases. From a medical perspective, this proposal is highly significant due to the focus areas on the development of new pharmaceuticals. A key outcome of this proposal will be to further advance our understanding of how enzymes, co-enzymes and metabolic pathways contribute to the development of new antibiotics.
Enzymes and coenzymes enable almost all metabolic transformations within organisms. For this reason, knowledge of enzymes often plays a key role in the amelioration of disease. A major challenge for the enzymologist is to understand enzymatic transformations, in terms of both mechanism and cellular context, in order to treat and/or cure specific diseases. How these processes occur and what can be done to manipulate them to improve human health are central topics of our meeting.
