This conference will focus at intracellular signaling mechanisms that control a variety and cell biological and physiological mechanisms at the interphase of two organelles. When two membrane-bound organelles come into close apposition, functional contact sites between the two membranes form, that are referred to as Membrane Contact Sites (MCSs). These contact sites have been spotted since cells first began to be visualized with electron microscopy, but their signaling function and importance are just beginning to be understood. MCSs form between different organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria, the ER and the plasma membrane, or the ER and other organelles. 

Thanks to advanced microscopy techniques and the discovery of numerous proteins implicated in the biogenesis and stabilization of MCSs, the last few years have witnessed a dramatic increase in our understanding of MCSs.  They have critical roles in mediating and regulating intracellular Ca2+ signaling, transporting lipids, modulating cellular metabolism, the trafficking of metabolites, and organelle inheritance, division, and transport. The conference will features leading speakers internationally in the field of signaling at MCSs and will feature the latest advances in that area.