This grant will partially support the 11th Gordon Research Conference on 3D Electron Microscopy of Macromolecules. Electron microscopy (EM) occupies a unique position in the biological armamentarium in that it can address questions at the molecular and cellular level that are unapproachable by other structural methods. EM can bridge light microscopic studies at subcellular resolutions with atomic resolution structures provided by X-ray crystallography and NMR. Recent, technical breakthroughs enable 3D structures to be determined with ever increasing accuracy thereby opening the way to the study of macromolecular systems under defined physiological conditions. The result is new opportunities for understanding biological mechanisms, interactions between macromolecules and the principles of biomolecular design.
The 2005 Conference is organized around the theme of "Whither EM?" - looking forward to envision how to move from mainly gathering structural information to improving understanding of biological mechanisms and function. The goal is to create a dynamic forum for (i) the dissemination of major progress in the field over the past two years and (ii) identification of new technical and biological challenges which must be addressed in order for 3D EM to become an essential and ubiquitous tool for solving cell biological problems. In the spirit of the Gordon Conference, a program has been chosen that represents the frontier of the field. Speakers have been chosen based on the importance of their recent contributions and the potential impact of their particular research approach. Speakers from outside the field have been selected in the hope of fostering interdisciplinary approaches and for challenging the field to reach in directions it has so far not contemplated. Based on past experience, it is confidently expected that the 3D EM Gordon Conference will continue to play a central role in defining new technical challenges, and in focusing a concerted approach to understanding fundamental biological questions. The impact of the conference will be the improved abilities of the participants and their colleagues to carry out their current projects on subjects of importance in basic biology and medicine, and the inspiration to develop new directions that take advantage of new knowledge and capabilites in advancing these fields.
Intellectual Merit: This series of conferences fosters an integrated view of biological complexity by bringing together scientists working at different levels of the structural hierarchy. These meetings serve to define the challenges of the future and to focus a concerted approach to problems in the preparation, imaging and interpretation of biological specimens that range in size from the molecular to the subcellular. The impact of the preceding ten conferences has been such that the 3D EM community has come to regard this Gordon Conference as an event of pivotal importance. Thus the intellectual merit of the activity lies in the sharing of information on latest results and technological developments among participants. There are very few opportunities for organized training in this type of work. The 3DEM GRC is the largest gathering of people at the cutting edge of molecular and three-dimensional microscopy in terms of the number of attendees and the length of the conference.
Broader Impact: The broader impact of the 3DEM GRC is far reaching, as attendees return to their labs with new insights on how EM can be better used to address a wide range of problems in molecular and subcellular structure. The Conference provides one of the primary venues for introducing modern biological electron microsocpy to new users and disseminating the very latest advances to the community. It is thus unique in the amount of information shared, the training it provides to those new to the field, and the intellectual support it provides to even the most established labs. It is also a forum for presenting and discussing the insights and implications derived from the basic technology that it helps to foster.
