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Metallocofactors

Gordon Research Conference

Catalysts for Processing the Elements of Life

June 9 - 14, 2024

Chair

Vice Chair

Stonehill College

320 Washington Street

Easton, Massachusetts, United States

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The Metallocofactors 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scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages.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 scientific focus of this meeting concerns the catalytic active sites of metalloproteins––metallocofactors and their precisely tuned secondary coordination spheres––that drive the chemical reactions enabling life on Earth. These catalytic active sites have captivated a diverse community of scientists spanning a range of disciplines. Accordingly, this Gordon Research Conference unites biochemists, synthetic chemists, spectroscopists, and biologists sharing a common desire to understand how Nature uses a limited elemental toolbox to drive challenging but essential chemical transformations. Key foci of the 2024 Metallocofactors GRC will be methodologies (e.g. spectroscopy, electrochemistry), motifs (e.g. clusters), and context (nutrient cycles, repurposing/engineering of cofactors for non-natural roles).

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Metallocofactors" 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	Keynote Session: Advances in Metallocofactor Spectroscopy Discussion Leader:
7:40 pm - 8:20 pm	"Biosynthesis and Semi-Synthesis of the Catalytic H-Cluster of Fe-Fe Hydrogenase"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm	Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pm	"Illuminating the Deepest Secrets of Metallocofactors"
9:15 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	Electrifying Metallocofactors Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:30 am	"Expanding the Enzyme Electrochemistry Toolkit: Tuning in to Slow and Fast Redox Processes"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	"Bioinspired Electrocatalytic Systems for Small Molecule Activation"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	"Modulating Electrocatalytic Activity and Selectivity of Polymer-Catalyst Composites by Controlling the Catalysts' Microenvironments"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"Fitting the Nitrogenase Mechanism to its Catalytic Cyclic Voltammogram"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"Structure and Reactivity of a Multi-Copper Oxidase Unique to Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"Hydrazinoacetic Acid is a Biosynthetic Precursor to N-Nitroglycine"
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	Modeling Multimetallic Cofactors Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm	"Reactivity and Electronic Structure of Synthetic Clusters as Mimics of Enzymatic Metallocofactors"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm	Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm	"Synthetic Cu₄S Clusters that Mimic the Cu_Z Site of Nitrous Oxide Reductase"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm	Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm	"Mimicking Polynuclear Metal Active Sites: Reactivity of Weak-Field Ligated Di and Trinuclear Complexes"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Nitrogenase M-Clusters: Evolution, Modeling, and Chemistry Beyond Nitrogen Fixation Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:30 am	"FTIR Spectroelectrochemistry of MoFe Nitrogenase"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	"Biological Fe-S Intermediates in the Synthesis of Nitrogenase Metalloclusters"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	"Synthetic Iron-Nickel-Sulfur Clusters and Insight into Electronic Structure and Mechanism of Anaerobic CO Dehydrogenase Enzymes"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	"Nitrogenase Superfamily Catalysts for Organic Sulfur Assimilation and Hydrocarbon Production by Bacteria"
12:15 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	Nitrogen Beyond Fixation Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm	"Solving Metabolic Puzzles: Molecular Mechanism of Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm	Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm	"The Confounding Reactivity of Mycobacterial Hemerythrin-Like Proteins Toward Nitric Oxide and Other Nitrogen Oxide Species"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm	Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm	"What is the Nature of the Key “Intermediate I” in Cytochrome P450 NO Reductase?"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Hydrogenases: Simple Substrates, Not-So-Simple Metallocofactors Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:30 am	"Unlocking Enzymatic Mimicry: Maximizing Efficiency Through Optimising Local Reaction Environments"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	"Diverse [NiFe] and [FeFe]-Hydrogenases Enable Metabolic Diversity in Bacteria and Archaea"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	"Scaffold-Based Models of (Mono) [Fe]-Hydrogenase to Demonstrate Molecular Dynamics and Flexibility: The Thematic Third Coordination Sphere"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 11:55 am	"Molecular Basis of Nitrile Formation in Eagle Toxin Biosynthesis"
11:55 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm	"De Novo Design of a Dicopper Protein with High Stability and Phenol Oxidation Activity"
12:10 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm	"A Structural and Functional Mimic of the P680 Dimer Radical Cation"
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	Harnessing Oxygen Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm	"New Biological Roles for Manganese"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm	Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm	"Hydrogen Bonding Mediated Dioxygen Activation"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm	Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm	"The Role of Thiolates in Creating More Reactive Iron Dioxygen Intermediates"
9:20 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	Bespoke Metalloproteins Discussion Leader:
9:00 am - 9:30 am	"Construction of New Metalloenzymes by Replacing Native Heme in Hemoproteins with Artificially Created Metalloporphyrinoids"
9:30 am - 9:45 am	Discussion
9:45 am - 10:15 am	"Adventures in Artificial Metalloprotein Design"
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am	"Unusual Biotransformations: An Industry Perspective"
11:30 am - 11:45 am	Discussion
11:45 am - 12:15 pm	"Design of Artificial Metalloenzymes: Expanding the Chemical Space of Metallocofactors within Protein Environments"
12:15 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: Advances in Heme Biochemistry: Trafficking, Regulation and Future Prospects Discussion Leader:
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:20 pm	"The Ever-Changing Landscape of Heme Biology: From Catalysis to Regulation"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm	Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pm	"A Complete Heme Trafficking Pathway from Mitochondria to Target Proteins in Mammalian Cells and Studies on Its Regulation"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure

Contributors

Cornell University

Elsevier B.V.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0024936. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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