Conferences

Call for Papers and Posters

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Analysis, Prediction, Simulation and Biology

Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing
January 3-7, 2012
Fairmont Orchid Resort
The Big Island of Hawaii, USA

Motivation

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an important newly recognized class of proteins that rely on a lack of stable structures, both in vitro and in vivo, for function. While the existence of such proteins was noticed as early as 1950s, their prevalence in biology was not recognized until the late 1990s. Computation has played an important and perhaps pivotal role in the development of the IDP field. It is now well recognized that IDPs play fundamental roles in crucial biological functions and are extensively involved in human diseases. The study of IDPs is rapidly evolving into a field of growing prominence. Nonetheless, the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of IDPs has remained a significant challenge, especially using experiments alone. This represents exciting opportunities for computational approaches to make crucial contributions, from aspects ranging from prediction and analysis to simulation. Clearly, important progress has been made over the last ten years or so in computational investigations of IDPs. Nonetheless, many open questions remain. There is a great demand for further development of computational approaches that are more efficient and accurate, and at the same time, can improve our understanding of biology from the molecular to the system level. One of the main goals of this Session is thus to introduce and discuss: 1) important advances in all frontiers of computational "IDPology", 2) available computational capabilities in prediction, analysis and simulation of IDPs, and more importantly, 3) outstanding challenges, further directions and key biological questions to be addressed. Another goal is to promote communication and collaboration between scientists working in different areas of IDP computation and between experiment and computation.

Session Theme

We invite submissions on all aspects of computation in IDP research, and particularly encourage those that enhance the ability to inform IDP function and regulation in biological contexts. Some examples of important open questions relating to IDP computations are:

• How to further improve the accuracy of computational IDP predictions?
• How to integrate IDP predictions with the study and prediction of other protein structural features. For example, how may IDP affect the post-modification of a protein?
• How to better predict IDP sequence-to-function relationships? IDPs often rely on local regions for phosphorylation, binding and other functions, making it extremely challenging for reliable prediction.
• How to better compute and simulation different states of IDPs?
• What is the most effective means for integrating structural data from simulation and experiment?
• Computational approaches to probe mechanistic aspects of coupled binding and folding and to understand how IDP recognition is regulated.
• How to develop rational strategy for modulating IDP function in human diseases?

Note that all submitted papers should make clear their relevance for the computational study of IDPs. If unsure whether your paper fits the session theme, please contact one of the co-Chairs.

Submission Information

Please note that the submitted papers are reviewed and accepted on a competitive basis. At least three reviewers will be assigned to each submitted manuscript.

Important Dates

• Paper submissions due: July 11, 2011
• Notification of paper acceptance: September 09, 2011
• Camera-ready final paper deadline: September 23, 2011
• Abstract deadline for non-reviewed posters: November 28, 2011

All deadlines are at midnight Pacific Standard Time.