This proposal requsts partial support for postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists to attend the XIth International Symposium on Glycoconjugates to be held June 30-July 5, 1991 in Toronto, Canada. The host organization for this meeting is the Society for Complex Carbohydrates, the North American component of the international organization. Complex carbohydrates or glycoconjugates are widely distributed in nature, mainly as glycoproteins or glycolipids. The presence of carbohydrates on proteins plays a role in protein stability and modulates protein function. Glycoproteins and glycolipids on cell surfaces confer specificity to the cells and play a crucial role in phenomena such as the selective binding of hormones, growth factors and toxins, the immune response, fertilization, differentiation, and growth, and the social behavior of cells. The past decade has witnessed an extraordinary burst of activity in glycoconjugate research, particularly because of the possible role of carbohydrates in growth and development, and in modulation of the immune system. The International Symposia on Glycoconjugates have, over the years, been the most important meetings for dissemination of information in this area of research. It will be extremely important for postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists to be able to attend and present their work at the forthcoming meeting.
