Gordon Research Conference:2011 Enzymes, Coenzymes and Metabolic Pathways July 10-15, 2011 Waterville, New Hampshire

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Intellectual Merit:The Gordon Research Conference on Enzymes, Co-enzymes, and Metabolic Pathways will be held July 10-15, 2011 at the Waterville Valley Resort in Waterville, New Hampshire. There may be no other field of science that requires such a wide range of experimental approaches, theoretical frameworks and creative problem solving than the study of enzymes. The simple and fundamental question of "How do enzymes obtain their tremendous rate accelerations and specificities?" is simple to ask, but after over 100 years of study, is still enigmatic. Despite many areas of science being revolutionized by genomics, proteomics and metabolomic approaches, the understanding of enzyme mechanism and function still requires carefully designed integrated experiments that cover the spectrum of physics, chemistry, and biology. The practical importance of understanding enzymes is enormous because of their value as drug targets and industrial catalysts. Moreover, understanding and exploiting the processes of life requires that individual reactions be understood in the contexts of their metabolic pathways. It is at this level that life becomes genuinely more than the sum of the chemistry. The sessions and speakers in this conference will explore both fundamental and applied aspects of enzymology in the context of single enzymes and entire metabolic pathways.Broader Impacts:The Gordon Research Conference on Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways is one of the most influential meetings in the broad area of enzymology and has thrived for more than 60 years.This year's conference is co-chaired by a female enzymologist, and a significant proportion of the speakers and discussion leaders have been chosen from underrepresented groups. In addition, the eight short talks over the week will be populated with speakers from underrepresented groups. The unrushed, open format of the conference facilitates networking opportunities and intellectual development for graduate students and postdocs. In many important ways this unique gathering each year provides the seeds for growing this field of research and fostering the development of new investigators.