The proposed FASEB summer meeting entitled """"""""Molecular Biophysics of Cellular Membranes"""""""" will be held on July 15-20, 2000 at the Vermont Academy in Saxton's River, Vermont. With the accumulation of sequence information in genomic databases, it has become apparent that a very large number of genes are devoted to the specification of membrane proteins. Further, membrane proteins and their lipid environment have yielded more slowly to the efforts of structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, given the difficulties of solubility, stability, and purification that arise for these molecular species, emphasizing the need for new approaches and ideas. In this conference, the important subject of applying ideas from biophysical chemistry to problems in membrane biology is addressed. Few meetings approach the subject with the depth and rigor than has characterized this meeting in the past and that is planned for the next iteration. By providing a venue for a deep treatment of fundamental ideas in this subject area, an environment is created for the education of young scientists entering the field, as well as for the development of thinking by more senior figures. An emphasis will be placed on the use of quantitative approaches to an understanding of structure and mechanism. It is felt that the development of detailed analysis is the most important pathway to the development of generalizing ideas in this important field of biology.
