Conference: 2025 Mitochondria in Health and Disease: Towards a Comprehensive View of Mitochondrial Biology

The award will provide support for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to attend the 2025 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) Towards a Comprehensive View of Mitochondrial Biology (March 22-23, 2024, in Ventura, CA). The GRS will precede the associated Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Mitochondria Metabolism and Signaling. These meetings bring together both young and established scientists from various disciplines to explore a broad range of questions related to mitochondrial function, from mechanisms and functions to the development of innovative research tools. The GRS is a unique platform that enables early career scientists to discuss the most up-to-date research through seminars and poster sessions, exchange ideas, technologies, and resources informally, and expand their professional networks. This conference is crucial for the training and professional development of the next generation of researchers and to broaden participation in the field of mitochondrial biology. The GRS program will feature a panel discussion on career choices with accomplished scientists from diverse professional backgrounds. The event also offers career development experience for the co-chairs and organizers, who are PhD students and postdocs. Recent advances in mitochondrial biology, particularly the molecular targets of mitochondrial uncouplers and protonophores, will be the keynote talk of the GRS. Through a synergy of fundamental mitochondrial biology techniques such as patch-clamp methodologies, in silico molecular docking, and high-throughput CRISPR screens coupled with live cell imaging, participants will explore groundbreaking discoveries. The transformative impact of multi-omics strategies and novel mitochondrial genome-editing tools, such as mitoARCUS and mitoDdCBE, will be highlighted, revolutionizing our understanding of mitochondrial genetics and metabolism. Additionally, the expanding spectrum of biological processes governed by mitochondria, ranging from cellular metabolism and epigenetics to immune regulation and signaling, will be discussed, emphasizing the diverse effects of mitochondrial dysfunction on cell fate. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.