This award will support early career researcher attendance at the Ribosome Structure and Function Meeting, which will be held at the Fiesta Americana Hotel in Merida Mexico on January 6-10, 2019. An important aim of the conference is to provide early career researchers with experiences that help them develop professional skills. The format of the conference is a combination of talks, poster sessions and informal meetings. This format promotes scientific exchange in both formal and informal settings, and provides opportunities for networking with leaders in the field of ribosome research.
Protein synthesis is catalyzed by the ribosome, the ancient and evolutionary conserved cellular machine. Although recent decades have brought a basic understanding of the mechanisms of protein synthesis, many aspects of translation remain largely unanswered. These aspects include the ribosome dynamics during translocation, tRNA selection and peptide release, the kinetics of individual steps of translation, the modes of action of many protein synthesis inhibitors and many others. An overarching goal of the meeting is to bring together researchers working on different aspects of translation, exploiting different experimental approaches and using different experimental models. The most recent discoveries related to the ribosome will be presented within 10 scientific sessions structured around thematic topics. The scientific program will showcase advanced techniques and the use of multidisciplinary approaches for solving key biological problems related to gene expression and protein synthesis. In addition to the oral and poster presentations the organizers plan to disseminate the information through a special volume of one of the mainstream scientific journals, with chapters written by invited speakers and trainees.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
