Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled Frontiers of Structural Biology, organized by Andrew B. Ward and Wayne A. Hendrickson. The meeting will be held in Snowbird, Utah from March 30 - April 4, 2014. Direct observation of biological phenomena on a structural level provides a basis for understanding and manipulating molecular interactions within a cell and enabling endeavors such as structure based drug design. The field of structural biology now operates on a scale from atoms to cells and the most exciting research is being conducted at the interface of different technologies. Thus, it is important that practitioners of the various structural biology techniques come together and discuss a more holistic view of the field. Therefore, the goals of this meeting are to connect leaders in the structural biology field and to evaluate novel methods and technologies. Importantly, the meeting will highlight complex cell biological insights made by pioneering structural efforts (across multiple biophysical disciplines) and contributions made by large-scale, high throughput efforts. Additionally, because of the large amount of structural information that is becoming available (and will continue to do so) the meeting will also highlight innovations made in areas of bioinformatics and modeling/design that have begun to harness the increasing structural information. Because this meeting brings together a diverse group of structural biologists that employ a variety of experimental techniques we aim to support the dissemination of cutting edge advances and promote interaction among the vibrant international structural biology community. Opportunities for interdisciplinary interactions will also be significantly enhanced by the concurrent meeting on G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Structural Dynamics and Functional Implications, which will share opening and closing keynote addresses and a plenary session with this meeting.
Direct structural analysis of large biomolecules is central to developing a comprehensive understanding of dynamic structure/function relationships. The information generated allows structural biologists to manipulate molecular interactions and engage in endeavors such as structure based drug design. The 2014 Keystone Symposia meeting on Frontiers of Structural Biology will highlight 1) complex cell biological insights made by pioneering structural efforts, 2) contributions made by large-scale, high throughput efforts, and 3) innovations made in areas of bioinformatics and modeling/design that have begun to harness the increasing structural information. This meeting is unique in encompassing the entire structural/biophysical community, with emphasis on technology and how advances enable difficult biological problems to be addressed.
