Novel Experiments in Biological Systems Symposium, August 12-17, 2012, Cancun, Mexico

本提案寻求资金部分支持10名美国参与者参加2012年8月12日至17日在墨西哥坎昆举行的第21届国际材料研究学会大会上的生物系统新表征方法技术研讨会。美国研究人员、学生和博士后的参与表明了美国在生物系统重要领域的强大全球地位。美国的研究人员和学生将通过思想交流、创造和加强现有的国际合作，以及继续参加未来的主要材料论坛和专题讨论会，获得更多的知识。本次研讨会召集了实验和理论生物物理工具方面的专家，他们通常不会交换意见，目的是利用新的表征技术来阐明生物材料的结构和特性。本次研讨会将吸引大量来自材料科学与工程领域的学生、博士后、助理教授和专业人士参加。生物系统及其表征对当前对生物、材料、微纳米工程和物理化学系统的分子和表面行为的理解有重要贡献。因此，发展这一多学科领域来解决超分子和纳米级系统的结构和动力学行为是非常重要的，这些系统在健康、制药、微电子、能源、食品、聚合物、绘画、建筑等行业具有很大的技术相关性。为了进一步扩大研究与教育的参与和整合，NSF的大部分资金将用于支持美国助理教授，博士后研究员和学生的出席。

Alcantar1239606This proposal seeks funding to partially support the travel of 10 U.S. participants to attend technical symposium Novel Characterization Methods for Biological Systems, in Cancun, Mexico at the XXI International Materials Research Society Congress from August 12-17, 2012. The participation of U.S. researchers, students, and postdoctoral fellows at this symposium demonstrates the nation's strong global standing in the important field of biosystems. U.S. researchers and students will become more knowledgeable through the exchange of ideas, creation and enhancement of existing international collaborations, and continued participation at future leading materials forums and symposia. This symposium convenes experts in experimental and theoretical biophysics tools, who would not normally exchange ideas, with the goal of interdisciplinary advances towards elucidating biomaterial's structures and properties using novel characterization techniques. This symposium will attract a large audience of students, postdoctoral fellows, assistant professors, and professionals in the area of materials science and engineering. Biosystems and their characterization contributes significantly to current understanding on molecular and surface behavior of biological, materials, micro- and nanoengineering and physicochemical systems. Therefore, it is important to develop this multidisciplinary area to resolve the structure and dynamic behavior in the supramolecular and nanoscale systems that have a great technological relevance in industries such as health, pharmaceutics, microelectronics, energy, food, polymer, painting, construction, etc. In order to further the NSF priorities of broadening participation and integration of research and education, the majority of the funds will be used for supporting the attendance of U.S. assistant professors, postdoctoral fellows, and students.