Funds are requested to support the Conference on the New Phage Biology, also known as the """"""""Phage Summit"""""""". This meeting is sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and is scheduled for Aug. 1-5, 2004, in Key Biscayne, FL. The meeting is intended to bring together scientists from the very diverse areas of research which constitute the New Phage Biology, along with funding agency personnel, regulators and journalists. This is a unique, one-time meeting which will attract participants from all over the U.S.A. and the world. The funding will be used to facilitate the attendance and participation of U.S. scientists, including those who constitute the """"""""classic"""""""" phage biology within which lie the origins of modern molecular genetics. The conference structure is designed to foster networking between the scientific workers in the different fields now deeply involved in phage biology, including academic, government/military, and industrial scientists. Resources have been set aside to support the attendance of young investigators, post-doctoral scientists and graduate students. The site was chosen to minimize costs, facilitate travel arrangements, and to foster an interactive atmosphere which will break down disciplinary borders.
