Understanding and Exploiting Protein-Bound Metal Centers in Energy, the Environment, Cellular Biology, and Medicine

Forty percent of proteins containing metals. This meeting focuses on the diverse and critical roles that metal centers play in a wide range of essential biological processes. These metal ions form and stabilize biomolecular structures; carry molecules, ions, and electrons; serve as catalytic centers; and participate in regulation and signaling. We also will cover the mechanisms by which metals influence the global carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen cycles and how organisms exchange (acquire, utilize, and export) metals with their environment. This MIB will also focus on recent advances in metalloprotein structural and computational biochemistry and the design and synthesis of bioinspired molecules (especially catalysts) to yield detailed insights into biological function, while also moving the field of inorganic chemistry in new directions. Sessions will also describe advances in the roles of metals in cell biology and medicine.

The MIB GRC brings together scientists from diverse backgrounds to present and discuss recent progress in this area. Experts in chemistry, physics, biology, environmental science, and biomedicine at a range of career stages will participate. The conference includes dedicated discussion time after each lecture and during poster sessions as well as free times for informal discussions during the afternoons.

The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in Bioinorganic Chemistry is closely associated with the MIB GRC. This meeting typically draws graduate and postdoctoral students from a variety of laboratories studying metals in biology. The GRS overlaps with the MIB GRC meeting for one evening session, including a poster session that allows students to meet and interact with established scientists in their research areas. We specifically encourage graduate students and postdocs to take advantage of these unique educational opportunities and to participate in either the MIB GRC conference or the Bioinorganic Chemistry GRS or both.