Over the past ten years, the field of redox signaling first emerged and then exploded. Almost every aspect of cellular life has been linked to redox processes. Central to redox control are systems that utilize thiols to perform redox chemistry. Thiol-containing proteins are major antioxidants in cells and reversible oxidation of thiols in various phosphatases, kinases and transcription factors has linked thiol-based redox biology to phosphorylation-based signalling, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and other processes and pathways. Dysregulation of thiol-based redox homeostasis has major implications for the development of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and is one of the factors that regulates aging. ? ? Despite the increasing interconnections between thiol-based redox reactions and cellular processes and evidence for the role in disease, no formal conference exists that links researchers in this field that is rapidly gaining momentum. We believe that a thematic conference will bring together researchers working on thiol-based redox systems to promote sharing of new data and interactions between colleagues with overlapping research interests. A conference organized under the GRC umbrella will facilitate recruitment of the top researchers in the field and provide the organizational support necessary for a successful conference. A GRC conference would fill a unique niche and serve to highlight an area that is recognized to be of growing importance. A diverse mix of established and emerging leaders in the field, and of junior and senior investigators will be included in the program. ? ? ?
