This proposal requests partial support of the 2012 and 2013 Gordon Research Conferences on """"""""Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways"""""""", which are scheduled for July 15 - 20, 2012 and in July, 2013 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 (8 chosen from poster abstracts), describing recent advances in enzyme mechanisms and regulation, enzyme and metabolic engineering, and the mechanisms underlying metabolic and genetic control. 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, Co-Enzymes and Metabolic Pathways GRC serves as the touchstone for the community of researchers investigating the molecular mechanisms of the biochemical reactions that are literally responsible for life. 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, enzymatically-catalyzed, biochemical pathways underlie all of biology. Discussions at this meeting cover a broad range of topics that are important for understanding the precise mechanisms by which enzyme catalysts enable and regulate these pathways. This understanding is critical to the development of new therapeutic interventions to treat human disease and infections.