The 2009 Gordon Conference on Ca²⁺ Signaling will present cutting-edge research on the cellular regulation and downstream functions of this remarkable ion-messenger. The Conference will be opened by a "State of the Field" lecture by Tullio Pozzan from the University of Padua, which will provide a brief overview of the achievements, problems and perspectives of Ca²⁺ signaling research. The first sessions of the conference will be dedicated to the roles played by Ca²⁺ in bioenergetics, apoptosis, important diseases and aging. During the following sessions we will discuss a wide range of topics such as calcium stores and calcium release channels, mechanisms of Ca²⁺ entry, comparative physiology of Ca²⁺ signals, interacting second messenger cascades and properties of Ca²⁺-binding proteins. For the first time in the history of this conference we are planning to include an open debate between two prominent scientists; the debate will be focused on the mechanisms of Ca²⁺ entry. The conference will be finished by a Keynote Lecture which will be presented by Tobias Meyer from Stanford University.

The conference will bring together researchers specializing in fundamental aspects of calcium signaling and scientists with interests in the roles played by Ca²⁺ in physiological reactions and in many important diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and others). 32 scientists working at the forefront of Ca²⁺ signaling research have agreed to present lectures or serve as discussion leaders. The conference will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. 6 poster presenters will be selected for short talks.

The conference will be held in Il Ciocco Hotel in Tuscany. The site is located on two thousand acres of a spectacular natural park, which will provide an excellent setting for informal out-of-session discussions.

The 2009 Gordon Conference on Muscle: Excitation/Contraction Coupling will present results of the latest research on the cellular organelles and molecular complexes that link excitation to contraction of muscle. The conference will emphasize the multi-disciplinary approaches used, including molecular structure, electron microscopy, biochemistry, molecular genetics, cell physiology, and animal studies. Speakers will address molecular interactions controlling the gating of ryanodine receptors, global and microsocopic calcium movements across the plasma membrane and from the endo-sarcoplasmic reticulum into the myoplasm, mitochondrial calcium signaling, and the regulation of calcium signaling during muscle activity and fatigue. Speakers will also discuss roles of calcium in membrane damage and repair, and in muscle development, adaptation, aging and disease. This conference will bring together investigators who are recognized world leaders in their fields, as well as students and junior scientists who will have the opportunity to present their work in poster sessions and to interact with these world leaders. The organizing committee will select several poster presenters to give short talks during the formal sessions. Overall, this Conference will provide a collegial atmosphere for the exchange of ideas during scheduled discussion periods and during informal get-togethers in the afternoons and evenings and foster new research directions and scientific collaborations.

The 2009 Molecular and Cellular Bioenergetics Gordon Research Conference will be held at Proctor Academy, Andover, New Hampshire from June 7-12, 2009. A traditional strength of the Conference lies in the structure-function and assembly of energy transduction components, and this will be continued, with the opening Session 1 on the F1-ATP synthase, including the nature of the Fo proton ‘turbine’. Session 2 will cover respiratory chain Complex I structure and function, where the as yet unrealized goal is to obtain a structure of the complete complex and to gain insight into the presently obscure mechanism of proton pumping. Session 3 will cover the V- and P-ATPases that act to pump protons, sodium, calcium and other ions at non-mitochondrial membranes. These pumps differ from the F-ATP synthase in the mitochondrion, and this comparative analysis gives insight into the evolution of each class of pump. Session 4 is an innovation that encapsulates the central theme of the Conference – namely to bring together biophysicists with their knowledge of structure and mechanism and ‘mitochondrial physiologists’ trying to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction impacts on the major neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases. This concept in continued in Session 5 – new aspects of mitochondrial metabolism, where we shall be covering mitochondrial energetics in both type 1 (insulin secretion) and Type 2 (insulin resistance) diabetes, hearing recent advances on the Warburg effect in cancer and understanding the role of novel transporters in mitochondrial metabolism. Session 6 will be organized as a series of round-table discussions focusing on the most controversial aspects of the current field. Session 7 will focus on the unanswered questions on the mechanisms of proton pumping by Complexes III and IV, while Session 8 has the title ‘Mitochondria, Oxidative Stress and Aging’ and will discuss the status of the mitochondrial theory of aging and the roles of mitochondrial mutations. The final Session 9 bridges bioenergetics and cell biology by focusing on the roles of mitochondrial fission, fusion and function.