Molecular Mechanisms and Functions of Endosomal and Lysosomal Pathways

The Gordon Research Conference on Lysosomes and Endocytosis covers recent advances in understanding the function and molecular regulation of the endocytic pathways, lysosomes, and related subcellular organelles. Lysosomal and endocytic pathways have central roles in the physiology of all eukaryotic cells. These pathways provide major conduits for communication with the extracellular environment, as platforms for cellular signaling events, nutrient uptake, and cytokinesis, and as the first cellular line of defense to prevent damage from infectious or toxic agents. Specialized cell types utilize components of the endocytic and lysosomal systems for diverse physiological processes such as glucose and lipid metabolism, immune recognition and effector function, inflammation and cytotoxicity, blood coagulation and hemostasis, and pigmentation. Generalized defects in endosomal or lysosomal function are linked to cancer, developmental, metabolic and immune disorders, and neurodegeneration.

Topics of focus for the 2016 meeting include molecular mechanisms and cell biology of endocytic and degradative pathways, as well as their role in human health and disease. Sessions will cover molecular features of endocytic membrane traffic such membrane remodeling at the plasma membrane, membrane-cytoskeleton interactions and cell physiology including endosomal and lysosomal membrane traffic, autophagy and formation and function of specialized lysosome-related organelles. Other sessions will focus on the roles of endocytic pathways in cancer progression, diabetes and metabolism, neurological disorders, and host-pathogen interactions. The conference will feature a session on 'New Directions' in which novel technical and conceptual developments in the field will be discussed. The meeting will be divided into nine half-day sessions, comprising a mixture of invited speakers and those selected from abstracts. Attendance by under-represented minorities, students, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty, and faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions is encouraged.

Prior to and in association with the Gordon Research Conference, there will be a Gordon Research Seminar on Lysosomes and Endocytosis, in which students and post-doctoral researchers can present their work to each other and attend instructional seminars prior to the arrival of senior investigators. Interested trainees are encouraged to view the web site and consider attending.