Diffraction Methods in Structural Biology 2008 Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）：部分支持要求戈登研究会议（GRC）的“衍射方法在结构生物学”将举行贝茨学院，刘易斯顿，缅因州从2008年7月13日至7月18日。结构生物学是一个巩固我们对疾病分子基础的基本理解的领域，因此也是疾病预防的基础。来自晶体样品的X射线衍射用于获得关于大的生物学重要分子的三维形状的信息。这些知识通常允许定义生物分子的功能和确定与人类健康相关的分子途径的作用机制。它提供了必要的信息，以干扰这些途径，如果他们有不良的结果（例如，基于结构的药物设计，针对细胞周期蛋白，控制细胞分裂的癌性肿瘤）。这个GRC是在美国的主要论坛，用于介绍和讨论衍射方法各个方面的最新进展。2006年的会议出席率很高，并通过允许来自不同地理位置的积极参与方法开发的人员进行广泛讨论，在该领域发挥了至关重要的作用。 2008年会议将由Elspeth Garman（牛津大学LMB）和Andrew Leslie（剑桥MRC-LMB，副主席）主持，该领域许多重要的软件和硬件开发人员将作专题介绍。会议还计划讨论膜蛋白质结构测定所带来的挑战，以及开发世界各地许多大分子晶体学同步加速器光束线的潜力。2006年会议的一项创新是，列入了关于“其他生物物理技术”和“未来成像方法”的非常有启发性的会议。我们计划在2008年再举办两次这样的会议，其中将包括关于中子衍射、EXAFS、并行X射线和在线光谱测量、电子显微镜方法学和X射线衍射成像的发展以及使用自由电子激光进行单分子成像的可行性研究的最新进展的会谈。越来越多的人认识到，使用这种互补技术非常有利于研究目前正在调查的日益复杂的生物分子组装。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Partial support is requested for the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on `Diffraction Methods in Structural Biology' to be held at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine from 7/13/2008 -7/18/2008. Structural Biology is a field which underpins our basic understanding of the molecular basis of disease, and hence of disease prevention. The diffraction of X-rays from crystalline samples is used to obtain information on the three-dimensional shapes of large biologically important molecules. This knowledge often allows both the function of the biomolecule to be defined and the mechanisms of action of molecular pathways relevant to human health to be determined. It provides the necessary information required to interfere with these pathways if they have undesirable outcomes (e.g. structure based drug design against cell cycle proteins which control cell division in a cancerous tumour). This GRC is the main forum in the United States for the presentation and discussion of recent advances in all aspects of diffraction methods. The 2006 meeting was very well attended and fulfilled a vital role in the field by allowing extended discussions between those actively involved in methods development from geographically diverse locations. The 2008 meeting will be chaired by Elspeth Garman (LMB, Oxford University) and Andrew Leslie (MRC-LMB, Cambridge, Vice-Chair) and will include presentations from many of the key software and hardware developers in the field. Sessions are also planned to discuss the challenges posed by membrane protein structure determination and on developing the potential of the many macromolecular crystallography synchrotron beamlines worldwide. An innovation at the 2006 meeting was the inclusion of very stimulating sessions on `Other Biophysical techniques' and on `Imaging methods of the future'. We plan two more such sessions for 2008 which will include talks on neutron diffraction, EXAFS, concurrent X-ray and on-line spectroscopy measurements, developments in electron microscopy methodology and X-ray diffraction imaging, as well as recent advances in research on the feasibility of single molecule imaging using a Free Electron Laser. There is a growing recognition that the use of such complementary techniques highly benefits the study of the increasingly complex assemblies of biological molecules now under investigation.