The 2007 Glycobiology Gordon Research Conference will be held March 4-9 at the Four Points Sheraton in Ventura, California. This meeting will bring together senior and junior scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and students in an informal and relaxed setting to present and discuss the most recent advances in glycoconjugate structure, biosynthesis, metabolism, and function. There has been astonishing progress in understanding the molecular structures of carbohydrates, carbohydrate binding proteins, and the functions of glycoconjugates in regulating cell interaction and communication. Work done in mammals and a variety of model systems has demonstrated that glycoconjugates play essential roles in development and cell differentiation, cell adhesion and cell signaling, cell-matrix interactions, and immune cell function. In addition, alterations in glycoconjugate structure and expression of carbohydrate-binding proteins are associated with metastasis and tumor progression, human genetic diseases, including muscular dystrophy and a wide range of Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDGs), viral and bacterial infection, and parasite invasion and survival.

The focus of the 2007 Glycobiology GRC will be on the function of glycans within the context of a number of areas including cancer, development, immunology, neurobiology, genetic disease, protein folding, signal transduction and infectious disease. In keeping with the tradition of the GRC, presenters are encouraged to highlight new and unpublished advances. We anticipate that over one-third of the talks will be chosen from submitted abstracts and encourage participation from researchers new to the field of glycobiology, as well as junior investigators, scientists from developing countries, racial/ethnic minorities, and disabled persons. Please join us for what promises to be an exciting and interactive meeting.