The tetraspanin family of proteins has emerged as one of the major classes of molecular scaffolds that organize multi-molecular membrane-based receptor complexes and regulate information transfer between cells. As a consequence, tetraspanins are involved in diverse biological processes, including cell-cell adhesion, cell polarity, cell- cell fusion and migration. It is now also becoming clear that these processes are hijacked by diverse pathogens that enter host cells and manipulate the immune response. Thus, tetraspanins and other membrane organizing proteins are capturing the attention of the biomedical research community not just as potential therapeutic targets for the development of agents for the treatment of cancer and chronic inflammation but now also infectious diseases. Given the diversity of tetraspanin functions it is essential that researchers with different biological interests and diverse backgrounds exchange data and ideas. Our aim is to hold a meeting that will foster the interaction of research scientists from a variety of disciplines, from basic cell biology, neurobiology, vascular biology, immunology, cancer research and microbiology, with a central focus to increase our understanding of the role of tetraspanins in health and disease, and with a strong emphasis on how tetraspanins and other molecular scaffolds form gateways for information and pathogen transfer into and out of the cell. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Often times the exchange of ideas and data between scientists working in different disciplines has led to a better understanding of cellular processes. Public health may thus benefit from a gathering of researchers who, though working on different subjects, all aim at understanding how molecular scaffolds regulate membrane-based processes. Overall we think that the proposed conference is likely to yield novel conceptual and mechanistic insights into pathogenic processes.