FASEB SRC on Glucose transport: Gateway for metabolic systems Biology

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The simple monosaccharide glucose is the primary source of energy and carbon throughout the biological world. In mammals, the circulating concentration of glucose is maintained within a very narrow critical range, and disruption of glucose levels is the central pathophysiological manifestation of Type-2 diabetes. Moreover, glucose-derived energy is parsed into specific cellular functions such as growth, proliferation and maintenance, and cancer cell growth is critically dependent on glucose-dependent pathways. There has been major progress in the field of glucose transport, exemplified by the elucidation of the atomic structure of glucose transporters, and the generation and use of selective inhibitors of glucose reuptake in clinical settings. However, many questions remain, and further impact on disease mechanisms is contingent upon understanding glucose transport within the wider context of energy metabolism and its regulation. This application seeks support for housing and travel for young investigators to attend the 2013 FASEB Science Research Conference "Glucose transport: Gateway for Metabolic Systems Biology" July 14-19, 2013, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA. For 20 years this conference has been the single most important opportunity for scientists involved in the study of glucose transport to meet face to face to discuss new findings, arising questions, and emerging experimental approaches to the complex problem of glucose transport and its vast physiological repercussion. The specific aims of this conference are 1) To integrate diverse approaches to understanding glucose transport and metabolism within the context of whole-body metabolic complexity and disease, and 2) To attract new investigators into the complex and important field of glucose and energy metabolism. Modern approaches include hypothesis-driven and screen-driven discovery, the later involving the generation of sophisticated databases and tools to enable hypothesis testing. In addition, current concepts of energy metabolism must account for the effects of multiple genomes of the microbiome, interacting at different niches within the human body. Eight sessions spanning from atomic mechanisms to systems biology of glucose transport and energy metabolism are proposed, chaired by experienced, leading investigators in each field. To insure timely discussion of emerging information, approximately 30 percent of the program will be chosen from abstracts, and participation by young investigators and scientists from groups underrepresented in the field will be favored.