Peptide--Fourth Australian Conference. From discovery to therapeutics--the new millennium

The Fourth Australian Peptide Conference continued the successful trend of the three previous conferences and encapsulated a range of peptide studies. As well as describing studies on the discovery, characterization and potential pharmaceutical applications of peptides, the meeting also featured a significant emphasis on new technologies, with proteomics and mass spectrometry having particular prominence. Several talks described peptides that have entered or are about to enter clinical trials. In his welcoming comments, the chair of the organizing committee, Milton Hearn (Monash University, Australia) noted that "peptide science and its attendant disciplines will play an ever increasing role in all fields of the life sciences and biotechnology". The breadth of disciplines represented at the conference reflected this increasing role.