Lipid Droplets: Metabolic Consequences of the Storage of Neutral Lipids

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The prevalence of obesity and associated pathologies such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease has prompted an explosion of research on the biology of lipid storage and metabolism. The elucidation of fundamental processes such as lipid droplet biogenesis, storage, trafficking, lipolysis, and oxidation is critical in designing new therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders. This conference on Lipid Droplets: Metabolic Consequences of the Storage of Neutral Lipids will bring together scientists from numerous disciplines for the purpose of defining, describing, and analyzing critical scientific problems and recent advances in the cell biology, biochemistry, and physiology of lipid droplets. The inaugural conference on this topic occurred in 2007 and was met with extreme enthusiasm. Since then, the lipid droplet field has grown exponentially; indeed, 25% of the publications listed in PubMed using the term 'lipid droplet' have appeared from 2008 to present. Thus, the impetus for a meeting on this topic has never been greater. This meeting will bring together scientists working on diverse and varied aspects of this emerging field, but who have not previously attended the same conferences, with the goal of generating new ideas, approaches, and collaborations. The small conference format and secluded conference site will foster an intimate and interactive environment in which junior investigators, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, will have ample opportunity to interact with more senior established investigators. This application requests partial funding to support the participation of 10 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the conference to be held July 25 - July 30, 2010 at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The format will include an opening night Keynote Address and nine sessions of talks with invited speakers and several additional short talks to be selected from submitted abstracts. The session topics include: 1) The architecture and itinerary of lipid droplets, 2) New players in lipid droplet cell biology, 3) Lipid droplet biogenesis, 4) Delivery and metabolism of lipid substrates, 5) Lipid droplet turnover, 6) Neutral lipid synthesis and metabolism, 7) Hepatic lipid storage in health and disease, 8) Lipid droplets in pathogenic processes, and 9) Lipid droplets in fatty acid flux. Two 2-day poster sessions, as well as the short talks to be selected from abstracts, will allow additional investigators, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, to present their research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Project Narrative This conference will bring together experts in lipid biochemistry, cell biology, and physiology of organisms ranging from yeast and plant to mouse and man to discuss the biology of lipid droplets. The development and utilization of lipid droplets in tissues such as fat cells, liver, muscle and heart, are key processes in disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and metabolic syndrome. Thus, a better understanding of lipid droplet formation, dynamics, and turnover will provide new information that may be used to impact the development of these disorders.