The 2019 Molecular and Cellular Biology of Lipids Gordon Research Conference and Seminar (GRC/GRS) will provide a form for the top scientists in the lipids field to gather and share their more recent, unpublished data. The long term objectives of this meeting is to advance knowledge in lipid and membrane biology, promote the exchange of ideas and methodologies, seed new collaborative efforts, and to enhance the training and career trajectories of young scientists in this field. We expect that these interactions will accelerate the pace of groundbreaking discoveries in an area of science with tremendous impact on human health. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and serum cholesterol and fatty acid levels strongly associate with increased risk of disease. Cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorder, stroke, liver disease, chronic lung disease and chronic inflammation all have strong lipid components to the pathologies. The obesity epidemic and resulting metabolic syndrome is placing an increasing burden on the health of society and our healthcare system. There are huge gaps in our understanding of how lipid metabolism is linked to all of these major health concerns and this meeting seeks to fill these gaps. The ?Lipids? GRC/GRS also has a strong basic science component. Life as we know it cannot exist without biological membranes and nearly every aspect of cell and organismal physiology hinges on the remarkably complex assembly and maintenance of these structures. Lipids are intimately linked to energy metabolism and regulatory circuits controlling metabolism. Lipids not only store energy and form the framework of membranes, they are also potent signaling molecules that contribute to multiple aspects of cell and organismal physiology. It is crucial to develop a holistic understanding of the relationships between this remarkably diverse set of molecules and their roles in cellular and organismal physiology to meet the translational potential of this science. The Lipids GRC/GRS is uniquely poised to bring together scientists in multiple subdisciplines of lipid biology that rarely have the opportunity to interact in this kind of a small, scientifically intense environment. Even though this is a repeating meeting, the focus of the 2019 offering is new as reflected by the fact that most of the invited speakers will be first-time attendees. The specific scientific focus of the 2019 Lipids GRC is on the subcellular organization of dynamic lipid remodeling events with a secondary title of ?Spatiotemporal Regulation of the Lipidome?. NIH funding for this meeting will be used to support young investigators in the field to be certain that cost is not a deterrent from attending the Lipids GRC/GRS.
The lipids we produce endogenously and consume in our diet have an immense impact on our health. Leading causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, liver disease and chronic inflammation, have strong lipid components to the pathologies. The 2019 Molecular and Cellular Biology of Lipids Gordon Research Conference provides a forum for leading researcher in the this field to gather and share their latest research discoveries.
