U.S.-Japan Joint Seminar: Learning Nature's Strategies for Making Natural Products: Pathways, Mechanisms, Functional Genomics, and Biosynthetic Applications

该奖项支持美国科学家参加将于2001年6月24日至29日在阿拉斯加州格德伍德举行的美日研讨会，该研讨会的主题是学习大自然制造天然产物的策略：途径、机制、功能基因组学和生物合成应用。共同组织者是康奈尔大学的Tadhg Begley教授和日本东京大学的Yutaka Ebizuka教授。在基因组学的影响下，生物合成领域很可能在未来十年经历重大的增长和发展。生物合成是一个重要的研究领域，原因有很多：从基本的角度来看，为了了解细胞是如何工作的，了解来自不同环境的细胞使用的化学逻辑是必不可少的。从实用的角度来看，许多天然产物在医学中很重要，排名前25位的药物几乎都是天然产物或以天然产物为基础。研讨会的主要目的是讨论对天然产物生物合成感兴趣的科学家如何利用基因组测序产生的大量信息，并最有效地为功能基因组学做出贡献。来自广泛学科背景的参与者之间的智力互动将对这种增长如何发生产生强烈影响。研讨会将包括以下主题：1)90多种细菌的全基因组测序；2)基因组学研究新工具的开发及其在生物合成中的应用；3)操纵生物合成基因簇生成新的聚酮类和多肽类抗生素；4)萜烯生物合成新途径的阐明；5)萜烯、聚酮、维生素、b-内酰胺等生物合成途径中生物合成酶的结构研究；6)不可培养土壤微生物生物合成研究新技术。研讨会的组织者特别努力让年轻的研究人员作为参与者和观察员参与。与该领域的日本专家交流想法和数据将使美国参与者能够推进自己的工作，并为未来的合作项目奠定基础。关于讨论会的资料将在万维网上分发。

0003819BegleyThis award supports the participation of American scientists in a U.S.-Japan seminar on learning nature's strategies for making natural products: pathways, mechanisms, functional genomics and biosynthetic applications, to be held in Girdwood, Alaska, from June 24-29, 2001. The co-organizers are professors Tadhg Begley of Cornell University and Professor Yutaka Ebizuka of Tokyo University in Japan. Under the impact of genomics, the field of biosynthesis is likely to undergo major growth and development over the next decade. Biosynthesis is an important field of study for many reasons: From a fundamental point of view, it is essential to understand the chemical logic used by cells from diverse environments, in order to understand how the cell works. From a practical point of view, many natural products are important in medicine and almost all of the top 25 drugs are either natural products or are based on them. The primary aim of the seminar is to discuss how scientists interested in biosynthesis of natural products can exploit the enormous amount of information being generated from genome sequencing and most effectively contribute to functional genomics. The intellectual interactions among the participants, drawn from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, will have a strong influence on how this growth occurs. The Seminar will consist of the following topics: 1) complete genome sequencing for more than 90 bacteria; 2) development of new tools in genomics research with applications in biosynthesis; 3) manipulation of biosynthetic gene clusters to generate new polyketide and polypeptide antibiotics; 4) elucidation of a new terpene biosynthesis pathway; 5) structural studies on biosynthetic enzymes in the terpene, polyketide, vitamin and b-lactam biosynthetic pathways; and 6) new techniques for studying biosynthesis in unculturable soil microorganisms. Seminar organizers have made a special effort to involve younger researchers as both participants and observers. The exchange of ideas and data with Japanese experts in this field will enable U.S. participants to advance their own work, and will set the stage for future collaborative projects. Dissemination of information on the seminar will be available on the World Wide Web.