Abstract

This FASEB Science Research Conference is devoted to bridging the gap between understanding how proteins fold and the consequences for the cell should they misfold. The conference serves as a highly successful model for an interdisciplinary gathering that is rapidly pushing forward a frontier of scientific research, that is developing a scientific workforce trained at interfaces between classical disciplines, and that is leading to the development of new insights and therapeutic strategies to abrogate human diseases related to protein misfolding. The overall goals of the conference are to: Facilitate new collaborations amongst scientists in diverse disciplines who study protein folding; Stimulate new scientific directions by exposing investigators to emerging concepts and technologies; develop new approaches to identify and treat diseases arising from defects in protein conformation; and Enhance opportunities for women, members of underrepresented minorities, and younger scientists to succeed and contribute to the field.