The phosphorylation of proteins on serine, threonine and tyrosine residues is an essential element in the control of such fundamental cellular processes as growth and proliferation, differentiation, cytoskeletal function, the cell cycle and metabolism. Although work on protein kinases has dominated the field of protein phosphorylation since its inception, recently, there has been an explosion of interest in protein phosphatase structure and function. The objectives of the seventh FASEB Conference on Protein Phosphatases, to be held at Snowmass Village, Colorado, July 13-18, 2002, are to present the latest and most exciting topics in the Protein Phosphatase field, to discuss emerging technologies that will impact future research, to recognize outstanding achievement by a specific investigator in the field in the form of a Keynote Lecture, and to encourage new participation in the field, particularly by junior investigators, women and under-represented minorities. In addition to typical scientific sessions, the meeting will feature an Opening AMini-Symposium@ on Emerging Technologies, focusing on mass spectrometric methods and imaging technology, and a Keynote address by Nobel prize winner Paul Greengard. Formal sessions will have 5-6 long (approximately 30 minute) talks and 1-2 short (15 minutes) talks. Most (40) of the formal speakers have been invited already, and nearly all (38) have confirmed their attendance. The remainder of the presentations, including all of the short talks, will be chosen on the basis of exciting new developments over the next several months and/or abstracts submitted by Conferees. These sessions will be organized around scientific themes and will have interspersed presentations on serine-threonine and tyrosine phosphatases. There also will be two poster sessions. We anticipate a total attendance of 150-175 individuals, based on previous meetings. The funds requested in this proposal will enable more young investigators, students and post-doctoral fellows to participate, particularly those without their own funding. We hope that the integrated presentation of work across the phosphatase field will foster a sense of cohesiveness and a free exchange of the most exciting developments. The subsequent meetings (2004 and 2006) will follow a similar format and will include topics that are most relevant at the times of those meetings.
