US-Mexican Workshop in Biological Chemistry: Protein Folding, Misfolding and Design; Mexico City, October 2010

该奖项支持由玛丽娜·拉米雷斯-阿尔瓦拉多(美国明尼苏达州罗切斯特的梅奥诊所医学院)和亚历杭德罗·费尔南德斯·贝拉斯科(墨西哥墨西哥城国立自治大学(UNAM)美第奇那分校)联合举办的研究研讨会。这次研讨会的主要目的是：提供一个关于蛋白质折叠、错误折叠和设计的多学科讨论的论坛；利用这个论坛向研究生和年轻研究人员介绍这些研究主题；促进两国在这些领域的资深和年轻研究人员之间的互动；并确定与会者之间的潜在合作。研讨会将于2011年3月18日至21日在墨西哥城的UNAM举行。墨西哥科学机构CONACYT将为墨西哥与会者提供支持。研讨会将包括以下主题的研究报告和研讨会讨论：蛋白质折叠的理论模型、蛋白质折叠的实验进展、蛋白质错误折叠的分子机制以及蛋白质设计的最新进展和局限性。更好地理解蛋白质折叠和错误折叠对于研究蛋白质的生理活性至关重要。这次研讨会将提供一个机会，让来自美国的资深研究人员，包括在美国建立学术生涯的拉丁美洲研究人员，以及来自拉丁美洲和墨西哥的研究人员，进行更密切的互动。这次会议产生的合作将有助于巩固整个非洲大陆的研究网络。此外，该奖项还为美国学生提供奖学金，让他们参与这一教育机会。学生与更资深的研究人员之间的互动肯定会取得丰硕成果，经验将鼓励学生继续在该领域进行研究生和博士后研究。在挑选受邀发言者时，适当注意吸收妇女和少数族裔教职员工。在挑选学生参与者方面也作出了类似的努力。

This award supports a research workshop organized jointly by Marina Ramirez-Alvarado (Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN USA) and Alejandro Fernandez Velasco (Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico). The main objectives of this symposium are: to provide a forum for a multidisciplinary discussion on protein folding, misfolding and design; to use this forum to introduce graduate students and young researchers to these research topics; to promote interactions between senior and young researchers in these fields from the two countries; and to identify potential collaborations among the participants. The workshop will be held at UNAM, Mexico City, March 18-21, 2011. The Mexican science agency CONACYT will support the Mexican participants.The workshop will include research presentations and workshop discussions on the following topics: theoretical models of protein folding, experimental advances in protein folding, molecular mechanisms of protein misfolding, and recent advances and limitations of protein design. Better understanding of protein folding and misfolding is crucial to the study of the physiological activity of proteins. This workshop will provide an opportunity for closer interactions among senior researchers from the US, including Latin American researchers that have established their academic careers in the US, and investigators from Latin America and Mexico. Collaborations arising from this meeting will help to consolidate research networks throughout the continent. Moreover, this award provides fellowships for US students to participate in this educational opportunity. The interactions between students and the more senior researchers will certainly be fruitful, and the experience will encourage students to continue graduate and postdoctoral studies in the field. In the selection of invited speakers, proper attention has been paid to the inclusion of women and minority faculty members. Similar efforts are being made in the selection of student participants.