CAZymes for Environmental Sustainability and Human Health

The Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes for Glycan Conversions 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scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages.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.

Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) are key players in the biosphere to facilitate utilization and synthesis of diverse polysaccharides. Compositional and structural complexities of polysaccharides in nature have evolved myriads of highly specialized CAZyme activities that classify into over 350 families. In recent years the 'omics revolution has dramatically expanded the number of new CAZyme families and revealed new activities. Moreover, advances in enzyme engineering motivated by in vitro or in silico techniques has further expanded our basic understanding of CAZyme activity and revealed the potential for further innovation. The 2023 Gordon Research Conference “Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes for Glycan Conversions”, originally entitled "Cellulosomes, cellulases and other carbohydrate modifying enzymes", will showcase leading-edge research on CAZymes, their partnering CBMs and auxillary activity (AA) enzymes, that have industrial, nutritional, health or environmental impact. This conference welcomes returning and new members of the growing community of biochemists, molecular biologists, structural biologists, ecologists, computational biologists, microbiologists and engineers that study aspects of CAZyme biology and applications impacting environmental sustainability and human health. The interplay between fundamental research and its industrial exploitation is a particularly important aspect of the meeting. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference provides an excellent environment for scientists from different disciplines to interact, thereby promoting cross-disciplinary collaborations. Moreover, the meeting and the associated GRS will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work and exchange ideas in a relaxed setting. To incorporate the most recent advances and to provide speaking opportunities to young researchers, a number of oral presentations at this GRC will be selected from the submitted abstracts. This conference strives to maintain an atmosphere where diversity is highly valued in both scientific thought and the composition of its membership. The Power Hour, introduced during the 2019 meeting, will continue in 2023 as a forum to discuss equality and inclusivity within STEM fields.