Grant Abstract: FASEB SRC on Trace Elements in Biology and Medicine

Grant Number: 1R13DK109603-01
PI Name: Kosman
Project Title: FASEB SRC on Trace Elements in Biology and Medicine

Abstract: The 2016 FASEB Conference on Trace Elements in Biology and Medicine will take place at the Big Sky Conference Center, outside of Bozeman, MT, June 5-10, 2016. This is one of the original SRCs, meeting biennially since 1983, the first of the now larger group of conferences that focus on the broad subject of metals in biology. What distinguishes this SRC from these others (e.g. GRC "Metals in Biology" and "Cell Biology of Metals") is its focus on how essential micronutrients such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) contribute to the physiologic interaction between humans and the biosphere, e.g. humans as hosts for bacterial and fungal pathogens; metals and metabolic disorders such as diabetics and respiratory dysfunction; metals and protein aggregation-associated neurodegeneration. This breadth of impact is reflected in the breadth of the scientific program described and the PIs and their trainees who will be brought together. The program will span a range of scientific interests from developmental biology, genetics, and biochemistry, to chemistry, nutrition, and clinical medicine. Session topics will cover trace element uptake, trafficking, and regulation in microorganisms, plants, and higher eukaryotes including humans; the role of trace elements in immunity and metabolic disorders; metals in neurodegeneration. Cutting-edge techniques useful in monitoring trace elements in cells will be discussed. A notable strength of this conference series has been its ability to unite research scientists focused on the molecular details of trace element metabolism with scientist-clinicians studying the direct impact of trace elements on human health, nutrition, and disease; this Conference has been "translational" before the word became topical. Last, a primary aim of this SRC has always been to provide a forum in which trainees and new investigators can hone their skills and credentials, positioning them to take over leadership of the "Trace Elements" field in the coming decades. We will be bringing together established investigators and trainees to promote communication, mentoring, and collaborations. The ultimate goal of this conference series is to foster the ongoing development of new therapeutic interventions with respect to human diseases and disorders that, at least in part, reflect a pathophysiology related to trace element metabolism.

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