All living organisms are capable of a diverse set of biochemical reactions that are involved both in the biosynthesis and in the breakdown of complex molecules. From the perspective of ecology, an organism's metabolic processes determine the rate of exchange of energy and materials with its environment, and the rate of allocation of these resources to all components of its life history: maintenance, growth and reproduction. From the perspective of evolution, an organism's metabolic rate determines underlying processes that govern rates of molecular evolution, rates of speciation and extinction, as well as patterns in species diversity. This Gordon Conference will bring together a highly diverse set of researchers from both perspectives who are working at the forefront of the field of metabolic ecology. The goal of this NSF Conference proposal is to provide funding support for the Gordon Research Conference on the Metabolic Basis of Ecology and Evolution, which will be held at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, from 9-14 July 2006.
The Gordon Conference environment will attract the brightest and most interactive members of the scientific community to a unique, open forum that will identify and solve new problems in metabolic ecology. The ideas and hypotheses developed at this Gordon Conference will stimulate the growth and evolution of the field of metabolic ecology; will contribute towards a new synthesis of empirical and theoretical findings; and will create a new knowledge base for future Gordon Conferences on metabolism in ecology and evolution.
