The 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Muscle and Molecular Motors will focus on the most important unpublished research in this field. This international forum for information exchange will lead to integration of knowledge about muscle and motor protein structure and function, the mechanisms of energy transduction and the roles of molecular motors in human health and disease. Our focus is on understanding molecular mechanisms and applying these findings to integrated ensembles of molecular motors. Many of the talks deal directly with muscle, but most sessions include both muscle and non-muscle motors, in order to encourage cross-talk that enriches both areas. This meeting will highlight two important 40-year anniversaries: the 1971 papers by Lymn and Taylor on the actomyosin ATPase mechanism, and by Huxley and Simmons on the molecular mechanics of muscle. Session leaders and speakers will be encouraged to consider how their current work is leading to more complete understanding of models and questions posed by those papers. The Conference will bring together the leading investigators in the field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. A key goal is to catalyze new collaborations between international scientists.