Biochemical battle of the bulge: New developments

Dozens of researchers in the coming days will lay out what's around the corner in the biochemical battle of the bulge as part of the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington, D.C.

The three-day program on obesity, sponsored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's minority affairs committee, will showcase the work of scientists from all over the world who have their sights set on reversing the epidemic by laying bare and manipulating, to mankind's advantage, its molecular underpinnings.

Nine 25-minute talks and numerous other shorter presentations will be given in Room 202B of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The program will be divided into the following three themes.

Frontiers in obesity research: During the first round of talks, from 9:55 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Sunday, a researcher from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will discuss "the calculus of calories"; another from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston will discuss new findings related to brown adipose tissue, which plays a central role in weight control; and a third will explore the role of neuronal circuits in addiction and obesity. To view the speakers' abstracts, visit http://www.box.net/shared/rhk1ehyl0c.

Treatment, prevention and complications: In the second round of talks, from 3:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, a Pennsylvania State University researcher will discuss how dietary supplements made with garlic prevented the development of or alleviated obesity and diabetes in four mouse models; a researcher from the University of Utah School of Medicine will talk about obesity's effects on insulin signaling pathways in the heart; and a third researcher from the University of Alabama at Birmingham will cover different strategies for obesity prevention in light of genetic influences that contribute to racial differences. To view the speakers' abstracts, visit http://www.box.net/shared/ydsjpn6p5l.

Enzymes, hormones and obesity: In the final round of talks, to be held from 9:55 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, a scientist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will cover how skin is part of a metabolic network that controls energy intake, storage and expenditure; one from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture will talk about potential therapeutic targets for some types of metabolic alterations; and a third from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will address the regulation of signaling proteins in the brain and other organs to provide insights into the development and treatment of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. To view the speakers' abstracts, visit http://www.box.net/shared/5jpmxavd70.