This is a multi-year application for partial support of the biennial Glycobiology Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and inaugural Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) to be held on March 2-8, 2013 at the Ventura Beach Marriott in Ventura, CA and in the spring of 2015 in a European GRC venue. All 17 prior Glycobiology GRCs have been nearly or fully subscribed. The Glycobiology GRC is one of the most prestigious forums for the presentation of the latest and most significant research in the field. The 2013 and 2015 conferences will continue a tradition of emphasis on the structure, function, and biology of macromolecular glycoconjugates. Oral sessions will include: glycan diversity (keynote session), glycosylation and quality control, structure and mechanisms of protein glycosylation, analytical methodologies, glycan synthetic chemistry, viral glycobiology, microbial and parasite model systems, glycan biosynthesis and catabolism, roles of O-GlcNAc modification, immunology and cancer, host-microbe interactions, and genetic disorders and vertebrate pathology. Poster sessions will be held each of the four full days in the late afternoon, and will continue informall after the evening sessions. Unique features of this conference include: a) a 5-7-minute discussion following each oral presentation, b) the cloistered meeting venue where all participants dine and socialize together outside of the sessions, c) afternoon social activities planned to promote networking, and d) poster displays accessible throughout the day and following evening sessions to maximize exposure. Short oral presentations will be selected from outstanding poster abstracts to bring forth the latest developments in the field and top graduate student, post-doc, and very junior faculty poster presentations will be judged and recognized in the main meeting session. A Glycobiology GRS pre-meeting will focus on graduate student and postdoc presentations, posters, and a mentoring session, to attract young investigators and provide opportunities for training, networking and mentoring. The breadth of topics and the diversity of techniques employed in this highly multidisciplinary field will attract a diverse grou of scientists with a common interest in glycoconjugates and their functions. All applicants will be encouraged to present a poster. Speakers and participants will also include young scientists, women, and minorities. Proper facilities are available to accommodate handicapped individuals who will also be considered equally in the selection of attendees and speakers. The meeting will focus on the latest hot-topic research areas at the frontiers of biomedical research and bring together the leading and developing scientists in the field.
Recent advances in glycobiology have revealed contributions of carbohydrate structures in numerous biological processes including development and cell differentiation, cell adhesion, cell signaling, cell-matrix interactions, regulation of metabolism, tropism and response to infection, and numerous congenital and acquired disease states. We anticipate that the scientific discussions, research presentations, and informal interactions between the participants in this established GRC and in the inaugural GRS will significantly contribute to advancing our understanding of the important roles of these post-translational modifications in human biology and disease. In addition, the GRS will provide unique training, networking, and mentoring opportunities for graduate students and postdocs that will nurture and support new investigators in the field.
