The Gordon Research Conference "Elastin, Elastic Fibers & Microfibrils" is the leading international forum for the presentation and discussion of new research on molecules of the elastic fiber/microfibril system and the roles that elastic fibers and microfibrils play in development, tissue homeostasis and disease. Sessions and presentations span topics in the research of the elastin/microfibril system in various contexts including evolutionary and developmental biology, high-resolution structural and functional studies, modeling of fiber assembly, modulation of growth factor signaling, genetic and acquired diseases, transgenic and knockout animals, and new innovations in the development bio- and nano-materials and their use in regenerative medicine. Our 2013 conference will continue to host the Gordon Research Seminar for students, postdoctoral fellows, and individuals at the beginning of their career to foster their development as scientists in this field. The 2013 conference has a prominent disease and translational focus that is of interest for basic scientists and clinicians as well as for biopharma- and biotechnological companies.