A meeting devoted to recent research on ribosomes and the mechanism of protein synthesis, "Ribosomes: Form and Function," will be held at the Sea Crest Resort and Conference Center in North Falmouth, MA, from the evening of Sunday, June 3 through the evening of Thursday, June 7, 2007. It has been five years since the last meeting on ribosome structure and function, and the field has evolved significantly in the intervening years. Just a few years ago, none of the ongoing experiments were designed with the three-dimensional structure of the ribosome in mind, nor were data interpreted in detailed structural terms. Today, everything being done in the field refers to the particle's structure in one way or another. It is now time to review recent progress in the field and develop new strategies for the future. The Organizers have established a Program Committee and, together, have selected 21 speakers prominent in the ribosome field who have all agreed to attend the meeting and make presentations. A further 20-25 speakers will be selected on the basis of abstracts submitted by registrants before the deadline of March 15, 2007. Sessions will be devoted to tRNA and Decoding, Translation Initiation, Peptide Bond Formation, Translocation, Termination and Recycling, Folding and Secretion of Nascent Polypeptides, Translational Control, and Biogenesis and Assembly of Ribosomes. Information on structure and function will be presented in all sessions, as will data from prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. The Organizers wish to enable as many young scientists as possible to participate in this meeting. Accordingly, funding is requested to support ten $500 travel awards for graduate students, postdoctoral scientists and junior faculty, with special consideration given to women and under-represented minorities. Specialized meetings of this sort are vital for the dissemination and exchange of current experimental results, new hypotheses and ideas for further growth. Although participants at all career stages benefit from such activities, they are particularly important for young scientists who will be able to meet, discuss their work, and establish collaborations with their peers as well as more senior scientists from the U.S. and abroad.
