This proposal is for partial support of the 2010 and 2011 Gordon Research Conferences on """"""""Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways"""""""", which are scheduled for 18 - 23 July 2009 and 10 - 15 July 2010 at Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. The broad and long-term goal of this conference is to foster a molecular- level understanding of biochemical pathways and their associated catalysts.
Our specific aim i s to present a program of ~36 speakers (6 chosen from poster abstracts), describing recent advances in RNA and Nucleotides, Regulation and Evolution of Pathways, Flavoenzymes, Enzymes in Drug Discovery, Isotope Effects, Biological Oxidations, Dynamics, and Enzyme Mechanisms from Kinetics. Afternoon poster sessions provide a venue for all attendees to present their work and present an opportunity for junior investigators to interact with senior investigators in the field. The significance of this proposal is that the Enzymes GRC serves as the touchstone for the community of researchers investigating the molecular mechanisms of biochemical reactions. The health-relatedness of this application derives from the fact that a molecular description of disease processes is indispensable for the design of chemotherapy.
Vast networks of intricately regulated biochemical pathways underlie all of biology. Discussions at this meeting cover a broad range of pathway-related topics that are important for the development of new therapies for human disease and treatments for human infections.