A Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Applied and Environmental Microbiology will be held July 24-29, 2005, at Connecticut College in New London, CT. The program covers a wide range of topics, seeking to investigate several areas of science that are in the midst of intellectual change and exciting new discoveries. The program brings together two traditionally separated groups, those involved with basic research in microbiology, and those involved with applications of this basic work to real-world situations. The basic research aspect of the meeting is high-lighted by presentations on subjects such as ecophysiology, microbial diversity, symbiosis, metabolic networks, aquatic viruses, and metagenomics. The more applied lectures cover subjects such as sustainable biotechnology, renewable fuels, biofilms, and new methods of cultivation. In many sessions basic research and applications talks are back to back to stimulate this exchange. Speakers have been asked to present only state of the art new material, to leave ample time for discussion, and to challenge the audience with new ideas. With regard to the broader impacts, the bringing together of researchers in the GRC format will introduce two communities of scholars to each other, and add a mixture of students and postdocs to the list. The participation of students and postdocs is being specifically targeted with this goal in mind.
