Find a Conference

California Wildfire Update (as of 1/13/2025 at 5PM EST) - We are currently operating safely at all California venues and all conferences are scheduled to proceed as planned. click here for more details

Antimicrobial Peptides

Gordon Research Conference

How Animals and Plants Use Antimicrobial Peptides, How They Work, and How to Design Interesting New Molecules

February 26 - March 3, 2017

Chairs

and

Vice Chairs

and

Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express

1050 Schooner Drive

Ventura, California, United States

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The 2017 Antimicrobial Peptides GRC takes place 35 years after the pioneering report in Nature by Hans Boman and his colleagues of the discovery of cecropins (Steiner H, Hultmark D, Engström A, Bennich H, Boman HG. Sequence and specificity of two antibacterial proteins involved in insect immunity. Nature 1981; 292:246-8). This simple study taught us that when an insect is challenged by a pathogen it protects its inner milieu by elaborating high concentrations of antimicrobial peptides. Since that landmark publication, AMPs are now known to be widely expressed in both plants and animals, have been studied in states of human health and disease, and have been developed as human therapeutics. Because of the diverse scientific and medical fields in which AMPs are studied, it is difficult to grasp the "larger picture" in which they now are positioned. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a broad overview of our current state of knowledge regarding AMPs.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Antimicrobial Peptides" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRC Chair
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm	Keynote Session: AMPs at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology Discussion Leaders: and
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm	Opening Remarks
7:45 pm - 8:20 pm	"Design, Characterization and Mechanisms of Bacterial Response to Small Molecule Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:05 pm	"Measuring and Altering the Shape of Infections"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm	Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm	"Design and Development of Self-Assembling Stereo-Specific Antibacterial Peptides and Nano-Structures"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Evolution of AMPs Within Invertebrates Discussion Leaders: and
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Resistance Evolution: Antimicrobial Peptides vs. Antibiotics"
9:20 am - 9:35 am	Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am	"Antimicrobial Peptide Function and Regulation in Insect Endosymbiosis"
9:55 am - 10:10 am	Discussion
10:10 am - 10:25 am	"A Database View of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Antimicrobial Peptides"
10:25 am - 10:35 am	Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am	Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am	"Probing Immune and Non-Immune Roles of AMPs in Drosophila melanogaster"
11:25 am - 11:40 am	Discussion
11:40 am - 12:00 pm	"Balancing Selection and Convergence in Insect AMPs and/or the Role of Gene Duplication in AMP Evolution"
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Poster Previews
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	AMPs as Components of Plant Immune Defense Discussion Leaders: and
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm	"Gene Co-Evolution and Regulation Locks Cyclic Plant Peptides to Their Targets"
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:20 pm	"Non-Antimicrobial Roles of AMPs in Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis: Tools to Dominate a Theoretically Mutualistic Interaction"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pm	"Evolution, Function and Applications of Plant Defensins"
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm	Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:20 pm	"Plant Defensins: Multifunctionality in Relation to Their In Planta Role(s)"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	AMPs in Human Health and Disease Discussion Leaders: and
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"The Aβ Peptide of Alzheimer's Disease: A Model for the Role of Soluble Oligomers in Antimicrobial Peptide Activities"
9:20 am - 9:35 am	Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am	"Macrocyclic Peptides: Retroevolutionary Bioinspiration"
9:55 am - 10:10 am	Discussion
10:10 am - 10:25 am	"Deciphering the Regulation of Antimicrobial Peptides to Develop Innovative Anti-Infectious Drugs"
10:25 am - 10:35 am	Discussion
10:35 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	"Discovering AMPs from the Super-Organism that Is Human Skin"
11:20 am - 11:35 am	Discussion
11:35 am - 11:45 am	"Pathogenic Role of Human Enteric Alpha-Defensin 5 in Shigella Infection"
11:45 am - 11:50 am	Discussion
11:50 am - 12:00 pm	"The Contributions of Ribonuclease 7 to Urothelial Defense"
12:00 pm - 12:05 pm	Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm	"IL-1beta-Induced Protection of Keratinocytes Against Staphylococcus aureus-Secreted Proteases Is Mediated by Human Beta Defensin 2"
12:15 pm - 12:20 pm	Discussion
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm	Poster Previews
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	AMPs from the Pathogen's Perspective Discussion Leaders: and
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm	"In Vivo Associations of Genital Antimicrobial Peptides with HIV Susceptibility"
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:20 pm	"Simultaneous Antibiofilm and Antiviral Activities of an Engineered Antimicrobial Peptide During Virus-Bacterium Co-Infection"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pm	"Understanding Microbial Susceptibility to Host Chemokines: A Pathway to New Strategies to Combat Drug Resistant Pathogens?"
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm	Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:20 pm	"Activation of LL-37 by Commensal Bacteria Inhibits Candida albicans Gastrotinestinal Colonization and Dissemination"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	How Do AMPs Interact with Their Targets? Discussion Leaders: and
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Roles in Immune Activation"
9:20 am - 9:35 am	Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am	"Membranes and Metabolomics: Distinctive Mechanisms and Bacterial Responses in Related AMPs"
9:55 am - 10:10 am	Discussion
10:10 am - 10:25 am	"Catching Bacteria - A Biophysics Story"
10:25 am - 10:35 am	Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am	Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am	"AMP Interaction with Target and Host Cells: A Complex Interplay of Multiple Equilibria"
11:25 am - 11:40 am	Discussion
11:40 am - 12:00 pm	"Urumin, an Amphibian Antimicrobial Peptide Is Virucidal for Influenza Viruses"
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Poster Previews
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Critical Design Features and Novel Synthesis of AMPs Discussion Leaders: and
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm	"Antimicrobial Mechanisms of Tridecaptins and Lantibiotics that Interact with Lipid II"
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:25 pm	"Using Antimicrobial Cys-Rich Polypeptides as Scaffolds to Target Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer"
8:25 pm - 8:40 pm	Discussion
8:40 pm - 9:00 pm	"Redesigned Spider Toxin with Improved Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Cell Penetration Properties"
9:00 pm - 9:15 pm	Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm	"Synergistic Activities of Antimicrobial Peptides and Antimicrobial Lipids"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Business Meeting Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	AMPs at the Interface of Innate and Adaptive Immunity Discussion Leaders: and
9:00 am - 9:20 am	"The Pore-Forming Activity of Gasdermin D in Anti-Bacterial Defenses"
9:20 am - 9:35 am	Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am	"Neutrophil-Platelet Cooperation During Monocyte Recruitment"
9:55 am - 10:10 am	Discussion
10:10 am - 10:25 am	"Defensin-Derived Small Molecule Agonists of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1"
10:25 am - 10:35 am	Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am	Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am	"Role of Human β-Defenisns in Head and Neck Cancer Progression"
11:25 am - 11:40 am	Discussion
11:40 am - 12:00 pm	"Antimicrobial Alarmins and Anti-Tumor Immunity"
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm	Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm	Poster Previews
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Latest Developments with AMPs / Late-Breaking Topics Discussion Leaders: and
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm	"Enteric Alpha-Defensins, Thymus and Microbiota: Essential Players of Intestinal Autoimmunity"
7:50 pm - 8:05 pm	Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:20 pm	"Host-Defense Peptides and Metal Ions"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pm	"Bacterial Competition in the Gut: A Role for Microcins"
8:50 pm - 9:05 pm	Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:20 pm	"Destabilization of Pathogen Effector Proteins by Human Defensins"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure

Contributors






The conference also gratefully acknowledges a contribution from PepLib BioTech.

Conference Links

Conference History Antimicrobial Peptides (GRS)

Similar Conferences

Registration Fees Additional Fee Info

Similar Gordon Research Conferences and Seminars

Chemistry and Biology of Peptides

February 1 - 6, 2026

Food Allergy

January 4 - 9, 2026

New Antibacterial Discovery and Development

March 8 - 13, 2026

Staphylococcal Diseases

August 3 - 8, 2025

Contact Us

MyGRC Account
Check your application status, complete your registration, update your poster, change your rooming preference, make a bus reservation, print an invitation letter, print a receipt (which includes verification that you are presenting a poster) or print an invoice by logging into your account.

GRC Venues
Everything you need to know, to plan your trip.

FAQs
Instant answers to common questions.

Tell us how we can help

Call us and leave a detailed message at: 401-783-4011

*This voicemail is only checked once daily. Due to high volume of requests during the conference season, responses may be delayed.

You have no notifications