Astonished and Charmed

The late 1970s and early 1980s marked a major turning point in my scientific career. Up to that time my research had been devoted to the protein chemistry of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, when I made a major decision to switch my focus to biological models of mammary glands and the hormones that affect growth and metabolism. The late Yale Topper from the National Institutes of Health, one of the pioneers of the field, helped me make that transition, partly by introducing me to the rich atmosphere of scientific openness inherent in Gordon Research Conferences.

The first GRC I attended was the 1979 Mammary Gland Biology Conference, and I was first astonished and then charmed by the informal atmosphere, with its open and free exchange of broad-ranging scientific ideas. I be-came a frequent attendee, as either a participant or a speaker, of the Mammary Gland Biology and Prolactin Gordon Conferences.

Many of my projects and collaborations with researchers from North America (such as Topper, Bob Collier, John Byatt, Craig Baumrucker, Bob Bremel, Nira Ben-Jonathan, and Li Yu-Lee) and Europe (Paul Kelly, Jean Djiane, and Richard Vernon), as well as many friendships, emerged from informal talks and discussions at those conferences over a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or during breaks between tennis sessions. The resultant interaction with Collier had a particular impact on my research. It culminated in a six-month sabbatical at the Monsanto Company, which opened a window for me onto the world of large-scale recombinant protein production and subsequently led me into site-directed mutagenesis studies of several protein hormones.

The Mammary Gland Biology Conferences are unique because they bring together researchers from three different disciplines. Each group studies this complex and unique gland from a different vantage point: the molecular and cellular biologists work on the basic processes in the tissue; the researchers study basic and clinical aspects of breast cancer; and the agricultural scientists are interested in the milk-production processes. So the conference is very productive and mutually rewarding. Similarly, the focus of the Prolactin Gordon Conference slowly evolved into a broader topic encompassing all hormones in the mammary family, including growth hormones and placental lactogens.

Because no official records are kept of what transpires at the Gordon Conferences, no one can quantify their contribution in terms of numbers of papers or citations. However, I am sure that I express the feelings of many when I say that GRC should be considered a major scientific tool, not only because it contributes to many international collaborations and friendships but also because its structure facilitates the emergence of new ideas and concepts.