The Eighth Australian Peptide Conference: Peptides – Tools, Targetsand Therapeutics

This special issue of Biopolymers Peptide Science

includes a selection of papers presented at the 8th

Australian Peptide Conference in October 2009. The

conference was held at Couran Cove, South Strad-

broke Island, which is 40 minutes by ferry from the

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Couran Cove is a unique

Australian island resort that features white beaches, rainfor-

ests and native Australian wildlife.

The general theme of the conference was Peptides – Tools,

Targets and Therapeutics. The genomic sequences of an

increasing number of mammalian species are now available

thereby offering opportunities in the fields of genomics, pro-

teomics and bioinformatics. This is driving forward the

modern era of peptide and protein drug discovery leading to

the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic

approaches for a range of clinical conditions. Novel

approaches to target these peptides and proteins are an im-

portant aspect of the development process if their potential

benefit is to be realized.

The conference highlighted many of the recent develop-

ments in the broad area of peptide science and engineering.

Specific topics covered included: new synthetic strategies for

proteins and peptides; the application of nanotechnology in

peptide design, synthesis and biology; proteomics; protein

bioactivity and emerging technologies; innovations in pro-

tein imaging; new developments in bioactive peptides and

peptide based vaccines; research towards realising the poten-

tial therapeutics applications of proteins and peptides from

venoms and toxins; clinical applications and targeted delivery

of proteins and peptides.

We are delighted to be able to publish a selection of papers

from the conference in this issue to showcase the innovations

in peptide science presented at the Australian Peptide Con-

ference. We particularly thank the conference co-chairs Ed

Nice and Mibel Aguilar and the organizing committees who

brought together an excellent variety of international scien-

tists to discuss their cutting edge research in peptide science

at such a beautiful venue.

Sincerely,

HEATHER BENSON and ISTVAN TOTH

Guest Editors

Editorial

Published online in Wiley Online Library

(wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/bip.21610

VVC 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PeptideScience Volume 96 / Number 2 iii