Conference: Keystone Symposia meeting on "AAA+ and Related ATP-Driven Protein Machines" being held at the Granlibakken Resort, Tahoe City, CA

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Intellectual merit. The goal of this Keystone Symposium on "AAA+ and Related ATP-Driven Protein Machines: Structure, Function and Mechanism" is to stimulate the development of novel concepts and approaches directed at a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying a set of complex cellular processes. The conference focuses on processes that require mechanical work powered by the AAA+ (ATPases Associated with diverse cellular Activities) family of molecular machines. These protein assemblies belong to a special class of enzymes that are involved in key biological processes including transcription of RNA from DNA, the replication of DNA preceding cell division, the biosynthesis and turnover of proteins, the highly regulated processes associated with trafficking of membranes from one part of the cell to another, and remodeling of the dynamic protein scaffolding or "cytoskeleton," which gives the cell its shape and mobility. This meeting will bring together researchers with very diverse backgrounds and perspectives: physical scientists, who are applying biophysical approaches to complex systems, and biologists, who seek deep mechanistic understanding of fundamental cellular processes. This meeting aims to foster innovation by bridging methodological and disciplinary boundaries. Indeed, the meeting program will bring together speakers from diverse fields who typically have had few opportunities to interact but have elucidated critical aspects of different AAA+ proteins. Speakers will also include those who have made breakthroughs in the understanding of proteins that do not belong to the AAA+ family but are either functionally or structurally related. The perspectives transcend both molecular scales, from the cellular to the atomic level, as well as methodologies, from cell biology and genetics to single-molecule biophysics. This combination will likely lead to insights into the common mechanism of these proteins and to novel experimental approaches and discoveries. Broader impacts. This conference was conceived and organized around the central goal to stimulate new ideas and novel approaches in AAA+ protein research. To attain these goals, speakers were selected who have been pioneers in many different biological areas or who have achieved recent conceptual or experimental breakthroughs at different levels of analysis (e.g., structural, chemical, cellular). This meeting will enhance infrastructure by fostering networking and collaborations. With regard to the educational benefits to trainees and new invesitigators in attendance, the meeting will achieve the following: 1) acquaint these individuals with state-of-the-art information; 2) encourage critical scientific analysis; and 3) promote their career development with opportunities to participate in the discussion of cutting-edge science and to network with established scientists who might contribute to their scientific and professional development.