Abstract

The 2018 Gordon Conference on Bacterial Cell Surfaces will present cutting-edge research on the molecular and cellular aspects of the structure and function of the bacterial cell envelope and surface. The conference will bring together an international group of researchers who are key contributors to the recent advances on a wide range of topics, including in the structure and dynamics of cell surface components, the molecular assembly mechanisms and functioning of cell envelope macromolecular machines, the inhibition of cell wall synthesis by antimicrobials, and the role of the cell wall in bacterial physiology and polymicrobial communities Invited speakers will include both established and early-stage investigators, who are at the forefront of their fields, as well as short talks drawn from the abstracts. We will continue the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) for postdocs and graduate students preceding the meeting, as the inaugural Seminar in 2016 was a great success. The Seminar provides networking opportunities for junior scientists among themselves and with leaders in the field. GRS participants will nominate several of their speakers for short talks. The collegial atmosphere at this conference, with ample discussion time in the program, as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, stimulates open scientific discussions and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, contributing to future advances on the fundamental understanding of the Bacterial Cell Surface.