Gordon Research Conference - Isotopes in Biological & Chemical Sciences, to be held in Ventura, CA January 9-13, 2000

9907192SchrammPartial为2000年1月9日至13日在加利福尼亚州文图拉举行的戈登生物和化学科学同位素研究会议提供支持。这个由来已久的会议传统上聚集了来自物理、有机和量子化学、大气和地球科学以及生物科学的研究人员。这次会议的与会者包括(1)对理论和物理感兴趣的科学家，(2)对原子水平上了解化学结构和反应速率感兴趣的研究人员，(3)对生化和生物学感兴趣的实验者，(4)将同位素方法应用于地球、大气和考古问题的科学家。统一的主题是应用同位素方法来解决重大科学问题。由于其跨学科性质，会议成为在这些领域产生新概念、新方法和新理论的温床。例子包括同位素在酶反应中的有价值的应用，包括酶反应中的核隧道效应；酶反应中的磁场效应；以及最近在理解酶的过渡态方面的成功。高层大气中氧同位素操作异常的发现刺激了理论家们发展新的化学反应理论。原子核的大小和形状解释了涉及重元素的同位素交换平衡中的反常现象，这在半个世纪里都无法解释。近年来，该会议证明了它在连接化学和生物系统之间的同位素应用方面的作用。这一趋势反映在当前的计划中，该计划包括催化、化学和酶系统中氢转移的新方面。今年的计划还探讨了最近开发的描述和量化同位素现象的技术。四个例子是加速器质谱仪的超灵敏碳测年，测量动力学同位素效应的直接方法，建立质子隧穿的同位素效应与压力的关系，以及建立低势垒氢键的核磁共振方法。大气地球科学通过新的同位素数据和机制解释来研究臭氧层化学。这次会议的一个特别强大的组成部分是，它为理论家和实验者之间的互动提供了一个持续的形式。自然为科学家提供了研究生物和化学变化中的自然过程的有用工具。正常原子的同位素在恒星、太空、空间边界和研究实验室中被创造出来。它们可以用来报告化石的年龄、平流层中臭氧反应的性质以及活细胞中分子的功能。每隔一年，来自不同研究领域的科学家就会齐聚一堂，讨论利用同位素发现新知识的进展。来自世界各地的科学家分享了同位素使用技术的进步，以及同位素在生物学重要问题上的应用。戈登研究会议-“生物和化学科学中的同位素”为理论科学和实验科学之间的信息交流提供了一个论坛，为双方在科学前沿的新进展做好准备。

9907192SchrammPartial support is provided for the Gordon Research Conference on Isotopesin Biological and Chemical Sciences held in Ventura, California,January 9-13, 2000. This longstanding conference has traditionally broughttogether researchers from physical, organic, and quantum chemistry,atmospheric and geosciences, and biological sciences. The conferees ofthis meeting consist of (1) scientists with theoretical and physicalinterests, (2) researchers interested in the atomic-level understanding ofchemical structure and reaction rate and, (3) experimentalists withbiochemical and biological interests and, (4) scientists who apply isotopicmethods to earth, atmosphere and archaeology problems. The uniting themeis the application of isotopic methods to solve important scientificproblems. As a result of its interdisciplinary nature, the Conference hasserved as a breeding ground for the generation of new concepts,methodologies and theories in these fields. Examples include theremarkable applications of isotopes to enzymatic reactions, including therole of nuclear tunneling in enzyme reactions; magnetic field effects inenzymatic reactions; and the recent successes in understanding enzymatictransition states. The discoveries of anomalies in the oxygen isotoperatios in the upper atmosphere have stimulated theoreticians to develop anew theory of chemical reactivity. Nuclear size and shape explain theanomalies in the isotope exchange equilibria involving heavy elements,unexplained for a half century. In recent years, the Conference hasdemonstrated its usefulness in bridging applications of isotopes betweenchemical and biological systems. This trend is reflected in the currentprogram, which includes new aspects of hydrogen transfer in catalysis, bothin chemical and in enzyme systems. This year's program also exploresrecently developed techniques for characterization and quantization of theisotopic phenomena. Four examples are ultra-sensitive carbon dating byaccelerator mass spectrometry, direct methods of measuring kinetic isotopeeffects, pressure-dependence of isotope effects to establish protontunneling and NMR methods to establish low-barrier hydrogen bonds. Theatmospheric geosciences address ozone layer chemistry by means of newisotopic data and mechanistic explanations. One particularly strongcomponent of this Conference is that it provides a continuing format forthe interaction of theoreticians with experimentalists.Nature has provided scientists with useful tools to investigate naturalprocesses in biological and chemical changes. Isotopes of normal atoms arecreated in stars, in space, at the boundaries of space and in researchlaboratories. They can be used to report on the age of fossils, the natureof ozone reactions in the stratosphere and the functions of molecules inliving cells. Every second year, scientists from diverse areas of researchgather to discuss advances in the use of isotopes to discover newknowledge. Advances in technology for the use of isotopes, and isotopicapplication to important problems in biology are shared with scientistsfrom around the globe. The Gordon Research Conference - "Isotopes inBiological and Chemical Sciences" provides a forum for information exchangebetween theoretical and experimental sciences, preparing both for newadvances at the frontiers of science.