The scientific focus of this meeting concerns the catalytic active sites of metalloproteins––metallocofactors and their precisely tuned secondary coordination spheres––that drive the chemical reactions enabling life on Earth. These catalytic active sites have captivated a diverse community of scientists spanning a range of disciplines. Accordingly, this Gordon Research Conference unites biochemists, synthetic chemists, spectroscopists, and biologists sharing a common desire to understand how Nature uses a limited elemental toolbox to drive challenging but essential chemical transformations. Key foci of the 2024 Metallocofactors GRC will be methodologies (e.g. spectroscopy, electrochemistry), motifs (e.g. clusters), and context (nutrient cycles, repurposing/engineering of cofactors for non-natural roles).
Topics: Catalysts for Processing the Elements of Life