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Marine Natural Products

Gordon Research Conference

Enabling Technologies, Discovery, Production, Function and Applications

March 10 - 15, 2024
Chair
Vice Chair
Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express
1050 Schooner Drive
Ventura, California, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The Marine Natural Products GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

The 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Marine Natural Products will welcome diverse researchers at all career stages from academia, government and industry to discuss frontier and emerging strategies for identifying and characterizing natural product structure and function, harnessing the biosynthetic potential of marine organisms, ensuring adequate production of marine natural products to rigorously explore the pharmacology, and facilitating their development and application for human health and well-being. Presentations and discussions will address themes from various perspectives, including technologies, disease indications, biological targets and applications as well as ecological context. A Gordon Research Seminar preceding the Gordon Research Conference will again pave the way for early-career scientists to network and build expertise in oral and poster presentations, before engaging with collegial research leaders across scientific disciplines. Natural products research is a highly interdisciplinary field that is being accelerated by multidisciplinary collaborations to address the central methodological and technical hurdles impeding translation of complex natural products. Dynamic discussions in a range of formal and informal settings will catalyze new, cross-disciplinary research directions in marine natural products science.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Marine Natural Products" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
2:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introductory Comments by GRC Staff / Welcome and Introduction from the Chairs
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm
Enabling Technologies and Data Platforms for MNP Research
Discussion Leader:
7:40 pm - 8:00 pm
"Computational Metabolomics and Multi-Omics Tools and Approaches for Natural Product Discovery"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm
Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:25 pm
"Accelerating Drug Discovery Using Machine Learning and Cell Painting Images"
8:25 pm - 8:30 pm
Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm
"Elucidating the Mechanism of Sec61 Inhibitors by Cryo-Electron Microscopy"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm
"New Structures for Old(ish) Natural Products: Boldly Identifying 3D Structure (with NMR) Where None Were Identified Before"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm
Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pm
"The Natural Products Magnetic Resonance Database (NP-MRD): Enabling Resource for Natural Products Research"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Genomics-Driven Discovery
Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am
"Enzymatic Synthesis of Bioactive Marine Natural Products"
9:20 am - 9:30 am
Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am
"Paleomycin: Resurrecting Ancient Glycopeptide Antibiotics"
9:50 am - 10:00 am
Discussion
10:00 am - 10:20 am
"Utilizing Biocatalysis and Synthetic Chemistry to Access New Natural Products"
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am
"Biosynthesis of a Giant Ladder-Frame Polyketide by Toxic Microalgae"
11:20 am - 11:30 am
Discussion
11:30 am - 11:50 am
"Evolution of Defensive Toxins Produced by an Algal Endosymbiont"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pm
"Unlocking Silent Secondary Metabolites with Membrane Vesicle Mediated Interbacterial Communication"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The GRC Power Hour™
The GRC Power Hour™ is designed to address diversity and inclusion in the scientific workplace by providing a safe environment for informal and meaningful conversations amongst colleagues of all career stages. The program supports the professional growth of all members of our communities, including ethnicity, race and/or gender identity by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring.
Organizers: and
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Synthetic Biology for Natural Product Production
Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm
"Integrative Genome and Synthetic Biology Approaches for the Discovery and Production of Marine Natural Products"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm
Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pm
"Engineering of Peptide and Peptide/Polyketide Pathways in High-Throughput"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm
Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm
"Harnessing Microbial Cell Factories to Uncover Strigolactones of Essential Biological Functions"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm
"Taming the Green: Explorations in Synthetic Biology, Natural Products and Biochemistry in Cyanobacteria"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm
Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pm
"Growth-Coupled Microbial Production of a Cephalopod Pigment"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Synthesis-Driven Discovery, Development and Advanced Conjugation Technologies
Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am
"Synthesis and Structure Determination of Natural Products"
9:20 am - 9:30 am
Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am
"Rationally Designed Induced Proximity: Imitating Nature to Engineer Emergence in Small Molecules"
9:50 am - 10:00 am
Discussion
10:00 am - 10:20 am
"Phenotypic Assays and Analog Synthesis: Effective Tools for the Discovery and Development of Marine Natural Product Drug Leads"
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am
"Marine-Derived Pharmaceuticals in Clinical Trials in 2023"
11:20 am - 11:30 am
Discussion
11:30 am - 11:50 am
"Discovery & Development of the First Chromium-Free Synthesis of Eribulin"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pm
"Preclinical Development and Phase I Initiation of a Singaporean ADC (EBC-129) with an MMAE Payload Derived from Dolastatin 10"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Marine Natural Products in Environmental Context: Chemical Ecology and Symbiosis
Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm
"Aging, Rejuvenation and Adaptation of Unicellular Algae Within the Plankton Microbiome"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm
Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pm
"Symbiosis-Driven Natural Product Discovery Approaches: From Morphogenic Cues to Protective Agents"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm
Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm
"Marine Natural Products to the Rescue: The Search for Coral Larvae Settlement Cues for Coral Restoration"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm
"Connecting the Dots: The Metabolome, Microbiome and Metallome of Botryllus schlosseri"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm
Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pm
"Opportunities and Challenges in Engineering Marine Peptidic Natural Products"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Integrated Approaches to Structure and Function
Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am
"Antifungal Hit Prioritization Using Computational Mass Spectrometry and Yeast Chemical Genomics"
9:20 am - 9:30 am
Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am
"Micro4all: A Major Change in Drug Discovery"
9:50 am - 10:00 am
Discussion
10:00 am - 10:20 am
"Harvesting Molecular Diversity from Fish Gut Fungi"
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am
"Unchartered Waters: Linking Genes to Molecules in the High Seas"
11:20 am - 11:30 am
Discussion
11:30 am - 11:50 am
"The Surprising Therapeutic Potential of Polyphenols"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm
Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pm
"Machine Learning Strategies for Natural Product Discovery"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Molecular Targets and Mechanisms
Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm
"Elaborate Modes of Action of Natural Product Antibiotics"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm
Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pm
"Integration of Chemical and Biological Data to Advance Natural Product Therapeutics"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm
Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm
"Exploring the Master Regulators of Microbial Behavior"
8:45 pm - 8:50 pm
Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm
"Omics Analyses of the Cell Membrane Using Marine Natural Products"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pm
Discussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pm
"Molecular Targets Program: Drug Discovery Using Native Mass Spectrometry"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Business Meeting
Nominations for the Next Vice Chair(s); Complete the GRC Evaluation Forms; Election of the Next Vice Chair(s)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Structural Diversity from Untapped Biodiversity Libraries
Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:20 am
"Chemical and Biological Adventures with Great Barrier Reef Sourced Natural Products: The NatureBank Approach"
9:20 am - 9:30 am
Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am
"Philippine Biodiversity as a Starting Point for Neuroactive Compound Discovery"
9:50 am - 10:00 am
Discussion
10:00 am - 10:20 am
"Screen for New Antimicrobial Natural Products from the NCI Program for Natural Product Discovery Prefractionated Extract Library"
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am
"Structural and Functional Dynamics of Site-Specific Vanadium-Dependent Haloperoxidases During a Catalytic Cycle"
11:20 am - 11:30 am
Discussion
11:30 am - 11:45 am
"Characterizing the Mechanisms that Great Salt Lake Microorganisms Use to Adapt to Increase Heavy Metal Concentrations"
11:45 am - 11:50 am
Discussion
11:50 am - 12:05 pm
"Natural Products in Deep-Sea Glass Sponges Possibly Made by a Bacterial Associate"
12:05 pm - 12:10 pm
Discussion
12:10 pm - 12:25 pm
"A Multi-Repository Scale Genomic and Chemical Search Engine to Enable the Discovery, Production and Function of Natural Products"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Keynote Session: Inspirational Natural Products Research
Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm
"Microbial Macrocycles that Disrupt Protein Synthesis and Function"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm
Discussion
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
"Exploring Nature's Bounty: A Wealth of Natural Products from the Sea"
9:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Departure

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center For Complementary & Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R13AT012723. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Conference Links

Conference History Marine Natural Products (GRS)
Additional Fee Info

Marine Microbes
June 7 - 12, 2026
Marine Natural Products (GRS)
February 28 - March 1, 2026
Natural Products and Bioactive Compounds
July 27 - August 1, 2025
Venom Evolution, Function and Biomedical Applications
May 17 - 22, 2026


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