Partial funding of the 2000 FASEB Smooth Muscle Conference to be held from July 22-27th, 2000 at Snowmass, Colorado is requested. This is the 7th in a highly successful series of smooth muscle meetings held every 3 years since 1982. The FASEB Smooth Muscle Conferences are regarded as the premier forum for researchers in smooth muscle biology, and the meetings are attended by investigators from Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. Understanding smooth muscle function is vital to those interested in cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, digestive and urinary tract physiology and pathophysiology. This conference regularly attracts both basic science and Clinical investigators from several disciplines. Rapid progress has been made during the past 3 years using techniques such as molecular biology, cellular and sub-cellular confocal imaging, and patch clamping, and new insights have been gained about myofilament interactions, development and plasticity of smooth muscles, ion channel identity and regulation, second messenger systems, Ca2+ signaling, and cell-to-cell interactions. Because many smooth muscle investigators work on specific organ systems and frequently attend society meetings related to the specifics of these organ systems, a comprehensive smooth muscle meeting where common issues regarding smooth muscle biology are discussed is extremely important. The FASEB Smooth Muscle Conferences have served this critical need for 2 decades. The format of the meeting is especially conducive to informal discussion and opportunities to develop new ideas. In addition to the programmed lectures described in the application and organized into 9 topical symposia, contributions from young investigators will be selected from abstracts submitted and added to the symposia as oral presentations. The 2000 FASEB Smooth Muscle Conference will provide a comprehensive review of recent progress in smooth muscle biology and constitute an intensive short course for scientists who are beginning investigations in the field or clinical investigators with broader clinical interests in smooth muscle function. The extensive opportunities for informal interactions will allow investigators at all levels to meet new colleagues, explore new ideas and techniques, and develop new collaborations.
