Conference Description
The Metals in Biology 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scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages.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.
Metal centers play critical roles in a wide range of essential biological processes. To accomplish this, they nucleate and form biomolecular structures; carry molecules, ions, and electrons; serve as centers for catalysis; and participate in regulation and signaling. Metabolism links biology to the environment via the global cycles of the elements including nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon. Investigating how organisms acquire and utilize metals thus is critical to our understanding of biological mechanisms and their intersection with the global environment. Our growing understanding of the diverse reactivity of biological metals has inspired chemists to develop molecules and materials that mimic biological structures and activities. The resulting design and synthesis of bioinspired molecules, especially catalysts, has yielded detailed insights into biological function, while also moving the field of inorganic chemistry in new directions.
The Metals in Biology 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 will schedule dedicated discussion time after each lecture. There also will be time during poster sessions and during afternoon free times for informal discussions. The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in Bioinorganic Chemistry is associated with this GRC. The two meetings overlap for one session, allowing interactions and discussions among participants of both meetings.
The topics, speakers, and discussion leaders for the conference sessions are displayed below. The conference chair is currently developing their detailed program, which will include the complete meeting schedule, as well as the talk titles for all speakers. The detailed program will be available by September 24, 2022. Please check back for updates.
Metal Ions in Biological Sensing and Signaling
Discussion Leaders
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Caryn Outten (University of South Carolina, United States)
Speakers
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Christopher Chang (University of California, Berkeley, United States)
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Emily Weinert (Pennsylvania State University, United States)
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Marie Heffern (University of California, Davis, United States)
Structural Biology of Metallobiomolecules
Discussion Leaders
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Sarah Bowman (Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, United States)
Speakers
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Nozomi Ando (Cornell University, United States)
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Edward Snell (Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, United States)
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Stefano Ciurli (University of Bologna, Italy)
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Jennifer Bridwell-Rabb (University of Michigan, United States)
Biological Catalyst Design and Evolution
Discussion Leaders
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Ambika Bhagi-Damodaran (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States)
Speakers
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Rudi Fasan (University of Rochester, United States)
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Anabella Ivancich (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France)
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Giovanna Ghirlanda (Arizona State University, United States)
Metallocofactor Dynamics, Modification and Regulation
Discussion Leaders
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R. David Britt (University of California, Davis, United States)
Speakers
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Alejandro Vila (IBR - University of Rosario, Argentina)
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Joseph Cotruvo, Jr. (Pennsylvania State University, United States)
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Lucia Banci (University of Florence, Italy)
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Nick Le Brun (University of East Anglia, United Kingdom)
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Daniel Suess (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States)
Controlling and Measuring Biological Electron Flow
Discussion Leaders
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Ekaterina Pletneva (Dartmouth College, United States)
Speakers
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David Beratan (Duke University, United States)
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Carolyn (Cara) Lubner (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, United States)
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Sean Elliott (Boston University, United States)
Metals, Microbes, the Environment and Sustainability
Discussion Leaders
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John Magyar (California Institute of Technology, United States)
Speakers
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Reza Ghiladi (North Carolina State University, United States)
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Kelly Chacon (Reed College, United States)
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Ricardo Louro (ITQB, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal)
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Nikhil Malvankar (Yale University, United States)
Metallobiochemistry of the Global Elemental Cycles
Discussion Leaders
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Kyle Lancaster (Cornell University, United States)
Speakers
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Eric Hegg (Michigan State University, United States)
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Yvain Nicolet (CEA/Institut de Biologie Structurale, France)
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Sharon Burgmayer (Bryn Mawr College, United States)
Understanding and Mimicking Biomolecular Strong Bond Activation
Discussion Leaders
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Jenny Yang (University of California, Irvine, United States)
Speakers
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David Goldberg (Johns Hopkins University, United States)
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Louise Berben (University of California, Davis, United States)
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Yunho Lee (Seoul National University, South Korea)
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Smaranda Marinescu (University of Southern California, United States)
Intersections of Materials and Bioinorganic Chemistry
Discussion Leaders
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Alison Butler (University of California, Santa Barbara, United States)
Speakers
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Gordana Dukovic (University of Colorado, Boulder, United States)
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Woon Ju Song (Seoul National University, South Korea)
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Akif Tezcan (University of California, San Diego, United States)
The GRC Power Hour™