The goal of 2012 Ligand Recognition and Molecular Gating GRC will be to foster research into the structure and operational mechanisms of membrane proteins involved in cellular signaling throughout biology. A focus of the meeting will be on ion channels, ion and small molecule transporters, and G protein coupled receptors. The emphasis will be on bringing together work at structural and functional levels to understand the mechanisms of gating or activation by ligands, and associated dynamic conformational changes. The poster sessions are critical elements of the conference, and all participants are asked to submit abstracts and bring posters - providing opportunities for people at different stages in their careers to meet, mix, learn and establish new interdisciplinary collaborations. We especially encourage graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to attend. The organizers will select additional speakers to give short talks, and these will be chosen based on the submitted abstracts.