Funds are requested for support of the Gordon Research Conference entitled Mechanisms of Membrane Transport, to be held June 10-15, 2007, at Tilton School, Tilton, New Hampshire. This conference has met biannually for the past 40 years, largely focusing on areas related to the mechanistic aspects of membrane transport proteins. In 2007, we will continue to emphasize the striking advances and insights enabled by high-resolution structures of channels and transporters. We also focus on the most recent findings on other methods that reveal membrane protein structure and function, including areas such as NMR and analysis at the single-molecule level. Insights gained from such work now allows critical evaluation of mechanisms central to the functioning of renal and GI systems, the basis of excitability in muscle and nerve, signal transmission at nerve synapses, and extrusion of drugs. In addition to highlighting the timely and important advances, this conference will bring together scientists from a broad range of disciplines, promoting interactions that are otherwise difficult to establish. These fields include such areas as physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, neuroscience, cell biology, microbiology, biophysics and optics. The program focuses closely on selected examples where high-resolution is now available (or soon will be) or where pre-existing structures have successfully been used to guide work in more complex examples. The conference will include 7 formal sessions that include 24 primary lectures, each of 30 minutes length, followed by sufficient time (15 minutes) for significant dialog with the audience. We are also devoting time on the podium (6 shorter presentations) to highlight the contributions of selected poster presenters, with an emphasis on new findings by students, postdoctoral fellows and young investigators. In addition, we are allowing time for open discussion of topical issues of a more controversial nature. As is our usual practice, we will encourage all attendees to bring posters of their latest work; based on historical data, this will allow for two poster sessions (Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday) with 30-40 posters each. We have consciously selected a number of young investigators to present primary lectures, and have recruited a number of speakers who have not before attended this conference. Sufficient flexibility remains in the program to take advantage of late-breaking unanticipated findings with significant impact. ? ? ? ?
