The 7th International Conference on the Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Tissues is planned for November 9, 2001, and will take place at the Sawgrass Marriott, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Health of bones, cartilage and teeth is essential for the activities of normal daily life (locomotion, eating, conversation); yet, the factors and their complex interactions responsible for the formation of these essential organs and those which contribute to their degeneration during aging and disease and to their repair/regeneration during healing remain unknown. The purpose of these International Conferences is to forecast future directions of research into these questions with the ultimate goal of designing improved therapies for treatment of individuals with mineralized tissue related diseases. The setting of these meetings provides an excellent means for achieving these goals. Participants, usually around 200-250, include crystallographers, geneticists, cell and molecular biologists, engineers and clinicians, and the meeting is organized with state-of-the-art presentations in these fields, with ample time provided for discussions, e.g. breakout groups and meal time. The major impact of previous International Conferences (101-106) can be seen from the frequency with which the meeting proceedings are cited and from the number of new collaborations, which have been established by people attending the conferences.
