(taken from the application) Funds are requested to support domestic travel and conference fees for U.S.-based speakers at the 19th Lysosome Gordon Conference to be held June 25 to June 30, 2000 at the Proctor Academy, Andover, NH. The conference provides a unique opportunity for formal oral and poster presentations, as well as informal discussions aimed at stimulating research on topics related to membrane trafficking in the endosomal-lysosomal system in normal and pathological conditions. Rapid progress in this field will enable discussions on the molecular mechanisms of endocytosis and lysosomal targeting, as well as the role of endosomes and lysosomes in processes such as synaptic transmission, bacterial pathogenesis, parasite-host interactions, antigen presentation, regulation of insulin-responsiveness, control of cellular proliferation. Sessions will include: 1. The structure of the endocytic machinery. 2. Mechanisms of endocytosis. 3. Transport and sorting in the endocytic pathway. 4 Vesicle budding and fusion in the endosomal-lysosomal system. 5. Protein sorting at the TGN. 6. Lysosome function and dynamics. 7. The yeast vacuole. 8. Disorders of lysosome biogenesis and function. These sessions will provide up-to-date information of direct relevance to a variety of disease-related topics, including neurological disorders, bacterial and parasitic diseases, diabetes, immunological diseases, vaccine development, lysosomal storage disorders, pigmentation and blood clotting disorders. Because of this relevance to translational clinical research, this meeting is regularly attended by medical researchers interested in the development of new therapeutic avenues. Speakers will include many recognized world leaders in this field, as well as younger investigators. One third of the speakers and session chairs are female, reflecting closely the demography of this area of research. The goal of the Conference is to provide a forum for the free exchange of new findings so as to generate new ideas and collaborations among scientists from a variety of backgrounds.
