Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2022

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Poster Session Highlights Research of Underrepresented Scholars The inaugural Justice for Underrepresented Scholars Training in Biophysics (JUST-B) Poster Session took place at the 66th Biophysical Society (BPS) Annual Meeting. The poster session gave underrepresented and underserved students and researchers an additional opportunity

to present their research in a setting that celebrated their achievements. “The inaugural JUST-B Poster Session was a huge success,” shares the session’s organizer, Theanne Griffith , of the University of California, Davis and the BPS Committee for Inclusion and Diversity. “Nearly 50 underrepresented trainees, from career stages spanning undergraduate researchers to senior scientists, presented their cutting-edge work. The session was attended by faculty, industry professionals, journal editors, and program officials from the National Institutes of Health,” she goes on. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better turnout, which in my opinion shows just how needed this session was. I am thrilled to watch as this program evolves in the years to come.”

Do you know a biophysicist who deserves recognition? Nominate a colleague for a Society Award DeadlineMay 1 For information and to submit a nomination, visit www.biophysics.org/awards-funding/society-awards.

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Council Update

Annual Meeting

Stay Connected with BPS

Biophysicist in Profile

Career Development

Public Affairs Communities Publications

Member Corner Important Dates

Council Update

BPS Council—Together Again! After two long years, Biophysical Society (BPS) Council con- vened in person at the Annual Meeting in February. Although not everyone was able to attend, those who did exchanged a mix of hugs, handshakes, and fist bumps. Several remarked that BPS 2020 in San Diego was the last meeting they had at- tended pre-pandemic, and this was the first they had attend- ed since then. Joint Council, a combination of the current, the outgoing, and the incoming Council members, met the evening of Friday, February 18, and the morning of Saturday, February 19. New Council, the now current body, met Wednesday morning, Feb- ruary 23, the final day of the Annual Meeting. The following is a summary of those meetings. Outgoing Council members Michelle Digman , Marta Filizola , Joseph Mindell , and Anna Moroni as well as Past President Catherine A. Royer were recognized for their service in BPS leadership with thanks and praise from President Frances Separovic as she chaired her final Council meetings. Patricia Bassereau , Martin Gruebele , Syma Khalid , and Valeria Vásquez attended their first Council meetings and officially began their three-year terms when Separovic passed the gavel to Presi- dent-Elect Gail Robertson at the BPS Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, February 22. Treasurer Samantha Harris provided Joint Council an overview of the Society’s finances, including the state of the reserves. She noted that, as anticipated in the budgeting process, the 2022 Annual Meeting would be financially challenging for the Society as attendance was impacted by the pandemic and ad- ditional expenses to support COVID protocols were required. While 2022 will be the second year in a row for BPS operating at a deficit, Council’s strategic use of strong financial reserves ensures that no member services will be reduced, and no programs will be cut as we work to recover and rebuild. Secretary Erin Sheets updated Council on the challenges for Subgroup Saturday. A number of invited Subgroup speakers were unable to attend, primarily due to pandemic-related concerns, but the Subgroup chairs were mostly successful in identifying replacements. Feedback from the Subgroup chairs meeting was positive, and the overall sentiment was that attendees were very happy to be together in person again for the symposia. Council also reviewed the updated Subgroup “report card” that was approved and implemented last fall. The report card provides an actionable evaluation of current Subgroup performance, potentially opening the door for new- ly evolving scientific communities to take the Subgroup stage.

The 2022 Nominating Committee, responsible for developing the election slate for 2023, was established by ballot during Joint Council. Moroni, Dennis Discher, Susan Marqusee , and Kandice Tanner will join Past Chair Henry Colecraft and Past- President Separovic on the committee. Tanner will serve as Chair. Council received and reviewed reports from the Committee on Inclusion and Diversity (CID), Professional Opportunities for Women (CPOW), Early Careers Committee, Education Committee, Membership Committee, and the Public Affairs Committee (PAC). CPOW Chair Karen Fleming and PAC Chair Eric Sundberg joined the Saturday Joint Council session, pro- vided updates about their committees’ activities, and partici- pated in discussions on the Awards and Fellows nominations process. Discussion about the nominations process continued throughout the course of the Annual Meeting and at the CPOW meeting, where a subcommittee has been working to increase the nominations of women for Society Awards and Fellows. During New Council, President Robertson called for the creation of a Task Force to further consider the issues raised throughout the meeting and to make recommenda- tions for reducing barriers in the nominations process. Publications Committee Chair Kathleen Hall , along with Editors-in-Chief Vasanthi Jayaraman ( Biophysical Journal ), Jörg Enderlein ( Biophysical Reports ), and Sam Safran ( The Biophysi- cist ), provided reports and attended New Council. They shared feedback from the session “The Future of Publishing and Why You Should Care” which generated a lively discussion about peer review and publishing models, including open access. All agreed that Council must remain attentive and responsive to the evolving publishing landscape while maintaining its fiduciary responsibility to BPS. Of course, the BPS Annual Meeting was a central topic for Council. Program Committee Co-Chairs from 2022, Elizabeth Komives and Arthur G. Palmer, III , and for 2023, Baron Chanda and Janice Robertson , reported at both Joint and New Coun- cil. Like the Subgroup chairs, the 2022 co-chairs managed a number of speaker replacements, but the outcome was suc- cessful, and the feedback from attendees was very positive. Council approved the program for 2023, on which we had previously provided feedback. There was a discussion about member-suggested sessions which, although good topically, often do not meet the diversity requirements established for symposia. Recommendations were made for updating the instructions and form for submitting these sessions to help strengthen their utility and impact in the future.

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Council Update

Officers President

Gail Robertson President-Elect Taekjip Ha Past-President Frances Separovic Secretary Erin Sheets Treasurer Samantha Harris Council Patricia Bassereau Henry Colecraft Erin C. Dueber Martin Gruebele Gilad Haran Kumiko Hayashi Syma Khalid Francesca Marassi Susan Marqusee Carolyn A. Moores

The Council meetings concluded with the kick- off of a strategic planning effort led by Elisa Pratt of Brewer Pratt Consulting. BPS’s current strategic plan was developed in 2017, so it is time to review and update our plan. We’ll be reaching out to you, our members, for input and feedback over the next several months to understand your experiences and chang- ing needs. We want to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are prioritized throughout the plan and that we are creating a pathway

for a strong, member-focused BPS well into the future. We welcome your feedback at any time, and encourage you to reach out to us with ideas or questions at jpesanelli@biophysics.org or garobert@wisc.edu. — Gail Robertson , President — Jennifer Pesanelli , Executive Officer

Be an inspiration to your community and help change the lives of those interested in or studying science. Sign up to be a mentor, K-12 classroom visitor, speaker, science fair judge, or student chapter sponsor. The FaB (Find a Biophysicist) Network is free and accessible by mem- bers and nonmembers, but only BPS members may join the network. To join FaB, login to your myBPS account and get involved. Help build this network by signing up today. For more information, visit biophysics.org/get-involved. Use Your Expertise toMake a Difference!

Kandice Tanner Valeria Vasquez Biophysical Journal Vasanthi Jayaraman Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Sam Safran Editor-in-Chief Biophysical Reports

Jörg Enderlein Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor John Long Production Ray Wolfe Proofreader/Copy Editor The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published eleven times per year, January-December, by the Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Cana- dian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2022 by the Biophysical Society. Darren Early Laura Phelan

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Biophysicist in Profile

Erin Dueber Area of Research Human signaling pathways

Institution Genentech

At-a-Glance

Erin Dueber grew up in Alaska, growing an appreciation for the natural world before delving into scientific research as a high school student. After her first taste of research, she was dedicated to pursuing it as a career. She now works as a Senior Principal Scientist and Group Leader in the De- partment of Early Discovery Biochemistry at Genentech.

Erin Dueber

Erin Dueber grew up in North Pole, Alaska, a small town in the interior of Alaska, outside of Fairbanks. “It was an amazing place to grow up, with lots of freedoms and natural beauty. The Fairbanks area is an interesting mix of people and ideas. In addition to drawing people interested in the outdoors and Alaskan life, it is a college town (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) and home to an army fort (Ft. Richardson) and a nearby air force base (Eielson Air Force Base),” she shares. “Looking back, I realize what a unique environment this was for me to spend my formative years.” “Neither of my parents were involved in science, but they valued education, problem solving, determination, and lifelong learning,” Dueber says. “My mother was a fifth-grade teacher and my father worked for the Bureau of Land Management, coordinating the maintenance of campgrounds and trails around the state. Interestingly, my older brother was also drawn to science and has been an Advanced Placement Phys- ics teacher for over 20 years.” Dueber appreciated the natural beauty around her from a young age but was not very interested in science until high school, when she started learning about DNA and proteins. In her junior year, she had the opportunity to participate in a summer research internship at the University of Alaska, Fair- banks. “That experience is what sold me on science. I abso- lutely loved doing research and continued to pursue research throughout college,” she says. “My interest in macromolecules led me toward biophysics for my PhD, as this field provided a lot of the tools I needed to dissect and understand the mech- anisms of macromolecules.” After high school, she attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, double-majoring in biochemistry and chemistry. She then earned her PhD in the lab of David Agard in the Biophysics Program at the University of California, San Francisco. Following her PhD studies, Dueber worked as an independent postdoctoral fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research

in Science at the University of California, Berkeley, hosted by James Berger . Her work focused on X-ray crystallography of DNA-protein complexes in DNA replication initiation. In 2008, she was hired as a scientist by Genentech, applying her training as a protein biophysicist to investigate molecular mechanisms that underly normal human biology and dis- ease states. “Most of these studies involve protein-protein interactions in signaling pathways that are often impacted by post-translational modifications like phosphorylation, ubiq- uitination, or proteolysis,” she explains. The biggest challenge in her career has been establishing her lab and a new career in industry at the same time that she was starting a family. “Adding to this challenge was the fact that my husband was also beginning his career as a pre-ten- ure academic. Those early years were not easy!” she says. “I found that it helped to keep home and work as separate as possible—to be focused and efficient at work and then unplug and concentrate on my family when I was home. I also learned to ask for help, delegate instead of doing everything myself, and to be adaptable and resilient—not everything was going to go according to plan.” Currently, she is a Senior Principal Scientist and Group Leader in the Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry at Ge- nentech. “In this role, I continue to oversee basic research projects aimed at understanding molecular mechanisms of signaling, as well as drug discovery efforts,” she shares. “Our projects span a variety of therapeutic areas, including infec- tious disease, immunology, and oncology.” “Being a research biophysicist really ticks all of the boxes for what I want for a fulfilling career—solving challenging puzzles that require creativity and perseverance, continuous learning, and being able to share knowledge.” If she weren’t a scientist, she says, “Investigative journalism intrigues me for similar reasons, but I don’t think that I would enjoy the stress of publishing deadlines! Some friends have suggested that I could open a bakery as second career, as I do really enjoy

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Biophysicist in Profile

baking, but I have done enough school bake sales to know that this hobby isn’t as fun when I have to go into ‘production mode.’ I’ll stick with science.” “I have always enjoyed that biophysics helps answer ques- tions in a quantitative way,” she explains. “For example, I like knowing how much more active a protein variant is, not just that it is more active. It helps me put everything into context better having that level of granularity. I also like that biophys- ics can be applied to a wide variety of biological problems. The work is never the same thing twice, which can make it very challenging, but also very interesting. Helping others on that journey of scientific discovery is also very satisfying. I like seeing the wide range of scientific questions that can be ad- dressed by biophysics in the work I see at the Annual Meeting and in the Biophysical Society journals. These serve to inspire me and spark new ideas.”

For early career biophysicists, she recommends, “I think that it is really valuable to find out what you don’t like—maybe even more than finding out what you do like. I found it easier to hone in on what I wanted in a career by weeding out the things that I didn’t enjoy rather than trying to identify what I liked the most.” She suggests, “In order to do this, you have to go out and get experience. Don’t be afraid to try something for fear that you might not like it. That’s valuable information that you can use to help craft the career in biophysics that you will find engaging and fulfilling.” Outside of work, she tries to find time to recharge outside and do something physically active. “I have always loved backpacking and playing sports, but I am mostly a chauffeur and spectator for my daughters’ sports teams these days. I also love making ‘practical art’—things like quilts and knit or crocheted items. It allows me to be very creative, as I usually make up my own pattern, and I then get to share what I make with friends and family.”

Call for Papers Special Issue: Ingenuity in Biophysics Dedicated to Ned Seeman

Editor: Tamar Schlick

Deadline for submission: April 30, 2022

To celebrate the work and creative vision of our colleague and fellow Biophysical Journal editor, Ned Seeman, we invite innovative contributions from all areas of biophysics, especially nucleic acid structure, that feature Seeman’s spirit of innovation and ingenuity.

Seeman, who passed away this year a few weeks short of his 76th birthday (see In Memoriam entry in the January 2022 issue of BPS Bulletin ), founded and developed the field of DNA nanotechnology more than 35 years ago. He pioneered research that reflects a successful marriage of his unique creativity and superb grounding in the physical and mathematical sciences. From M.C. Escher to DNA knots to robots and medical applications, Seeman’s vision was broad while his craft was meticulous. Using DNA building blocks and self-assembly techniques inspired by sticky ends and branching ideas, he was inspired by Escher’s artworks that emphasized periodicity and multiple dimensions to create connected networks. From DNA cubes and truncated octahedrons, his crystallographic mastery and creativity led to DNA-based nanomechanical devices, with potential applications to technology and medicine. We welcome contributions from scientists working to advance nucleic-acid structure and function using experimental and computational approaches, as well as other biophysics contributions that celebrate creativity and innovation. To submit, visit https:/www.editorialmanager.com/biophysical-journal/

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Public Affairs

White House Releases Updated Pandemic Preparedness Plan

On March 3, the White House released its updated National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The plan focuses on the primary objectives of preventing and treating COVID-19 cases, preparing for the emergence of new variants, guarding against economic disruption and school shutdowns, and leading the worldwide vaccination effort. In addition, the plan outlines further improve- ments to the federal government’s pandemic response, noting that many initiatives are contingent upon Congress providing the additional funding needed to procure billions of vaccines and therapeutics and to stand up a testing network capable of rapid response. The plan proposes bolstering surveillance testing and data collection and accelerating the FDA’s review process for previously authorized vaccines that are modified to protect against new variants. Additionally, it calls for coronavirus tests, antiviral pills, and masks to be added to the Strategic National Stockpile for the first time.

NewVisa Rules to Attract Scientists Announced In early February, the White House issued a set of minor immigration policy changes aimed at better welcoming STEM students and scholars from abroad. Among the changes, the Department of Homeland Security added 22 new STEM fields to the Optional Practical Training program, which allows students on F-1 visas to work in the United States for a period of time after graduation. The administration also updated eligibility guidance for certain high-skill visa programs in a bid to increase the number of individuals with STEM backgrounds who successfully apply. Other steps announced recently include an update to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS’s) policy manual to provide additional examples of evidence of STEM exper- tise applicants can submit when seeking O-1A visas, which are conferred on persons of “extraordinary ability” in certain fields. The administration also released new guidance for employment-based permanent residency offered through the EB-2 National Interest Waiver, which enables advanced-de- gree holders or persons with exceptional ability to bypass a requirement that they have a job offer in hand. USCIS is now directed to consider a doctoral degree to be an “espe-

cially positive factor” when considering granting the waiver, especially in fields of critical importance to the United States as defined by the National Science and Technology Council or the National Security Council. USCIS is also instructed to take into account letters of support provided by federal agencies or federally funded research centers. Lastly, the administration announced a new State Depart- ment-led “Early Career STEM Research Initiative” that will facilitate non-immigrant J-1 exchange visitors’ engagement in STEM through research or training with host organizations, including businesses. The department also has announced that STEM undergraduate and graduate students on J-1 visas can receive up to 36 months of academic training, up from the current cap of 18 months. Department of Justice Ends “China Initiative,” Sets NewDirection for Countries of Risk At the end of February, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it was setting a higher bar for criminal prosecutions of academic scientists as part of a move away from the controversial “China Initiative.” However, DOJ will

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Public Affairs

maintain a high priority focus on countering harmful activity by the Chinese government. The DOJ’s National Security Division announced that it is changing its strategy on academic research security cas- es, exerting more oversight of investigations and criminal prosecutions and considering civil or administrative penalties for cases that lack clear national or economic security impli- cations. The changes come following a review of the China Initiative begun late last year and respond to concerns that prosecutions of university scientists have created a “chilling atmosphere” that is damaging the US research system. The review also found the exclusive focus on China had fueled a “harmful perception that the department applies a lower standard to investigate and prosecute criminal conduct relat- ed to that country or that we in some way view people with racial, ethnic, or familial ties to China differently.”

DOJ will now pursue a broader framework that addresses threats presented by a range of countries, though the depart- ment continues to regard the Chinese government as posing unique challenges beyond those presented by other rivals such as Russia or Iran. For individuals suspected of inappropriate conduct, the National Security Division will assess “the evidence of intent and materiality, as well as the nexus to our national or eco- nomic security.” Such considerations will inform decisions on “whether criminal prosecution is warranted or whether civil or administrative remedies are more appropriate.” The state- ment from DOJ also highlighted the recent disclosure policy guidance from the White House that encourages science agencies to consider researchers’ forthrightness in coming into compliance with disclosure policy when weighing potential punitive actions.

Call for BPS Ambassadors Program Are you an advocate for biophysics education and knowledge sharing? Have you considered applying for the BPS Ambassador Program to put those skills into action? The BPS Ambassador Program was developed to help make biophysics a more dynamic, inclusive, and interdisciplinary community to better serve the needs of our international membership. Currently, BPS works with twelve Ambassadors representing Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, and United Kingdom. The Ambassador Program creates a global network of BPS members that serve as local Society resources in their home countries or regions to promote the field and foster conversations around biophysics. As a BPS Ambassador, you will play a key role in connecting the Society and its membership with relevant local content,

Ambassador Program

Empowering Biophysics Globally

serve as BPS point-of-contact, and help foster discussions on issues of importance to science around the globe. Through this program, the Society hopes to grow the biophysics network by educating and inspiring others to pursue careers in biophysics and to further develop its advocacy efforts around the world. For the next class of Ambassadors (2023–2026), we are only accepting applications from outside of Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey. An ideal country Ambassador is a mid-career to senior scientist, actively engaged in biophysics research and committed to remaining in the field for the duration of the Ambassadorship, an active member of the Society in good standing, able to attend the Annual Meeting at the start of their term, works proficiency in English, and has a demonstrated ability to contribute to organizations and scientific societies outside of their normal job duties. To learn more about the program, Ambassador eligibility, and benefits, please visit www.biophysics.org/outreach/ambassador-program. Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2022.

Numbers By the

BPS membership comprises of 30% of members outside of the U.S. spanning across 54 countries.

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Communities

In 2021, a group of us were awarded one of the first National Science Foundation LEAPS (Leading Culture Change through Professional Societies) grants, and I am a co-principal-inves- tigator on that grant. That is an opportunity I never imagined I would have before I began volunteering as a member of CID, and something I am extremely proud of! Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? Do it! It’s a great way to grow your network, and you never know what opportunities will come your way. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I am a faculty member at a small liberal arts college, where we have a Molecular Biophysics Program—we offer a minor in molecular biophysics, and we have a graduate program with 15 affiliated faculty members from five different de- partments. As a member of this program, I enjoy working to expand our course offerings in biophysics, so that more students can find out about the field earlier in their training. I offer research opportunities to undergraduate students and train doctoral students in my lab. We use total internal reflec- tion fluorescence microscopy to study protein-DNA interac- tions at the single-molecule level. Spring 2022 Call for Virtual Networking Events Are you looking to connect with fellow biophysicists? Do you have an idea for a networking event? BPS can help! BPS is calling for Networking Events to be held in 2022. BPS will support both virtual and in-person local Networking Events—the format will be up to you! We ask that members use their best judgment and follow all local public health guid- ance for in-person events. Past events have included career panels, trivia nights, and programs of short talks from different institutions. The goal is to bring biophysicists together in an interesting way. Benefits of Hosting a BPS Virtual Networking Event: • BPS will provide the Zoom virtual platform for the meet- ing and monitoring assistance on the day of the meeting, if it is held between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM USA Eastern Time; • BPS will help you advertise the meeting (social media, emails, newsletter, etc.); • You can attract attendees from all over the world to get together on one topic!

Candice Etson Committee for Inclusion and Diversity (CID)

Candice Etson

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? I served as a member of the Committee on Inclusion and Diversity (CID) for two terms from 2013–2019. After a brief break, I rejoined CID in July 2021. I will be stepping into the role of Chair of the committee in July 2022. Why do you volunteer? The Biophysical Society (BPS) has been an essential commu- nity for me throughout my career. Participation in the Annual Meeting really helped me develop my identity as a scientist. I have always felt welcome as a member of BPS and want others to feel welcome in our community. I think it is import- ant to contribute to work that strengthens the communities of which I am a member, and that was an initial motivation for me to begin volunteering. I do feel that I have been able to make a positive impact, and that makes me feel really good! In addition, I have met so many people who share my values through my volunteer activity, and I love being a part of that network. That feeling of connection makes me want to keep volunteering. What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? Being a member of CID gave me the opportunity to partic- ipate in the ACCESS (Alliance to Catalyze Change for STEM Success) project. This project began with an NSF grant that supported the formation of an alliance among diversity-fo- cused committees from five scientific societies—American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Endocrine Society, and BPS. By participating in ACCESS, I have gained a greater apprecia- tion of how powerful professional societies can be in foster- ing equity and inclusion in the broader community of STEM. I have had a chance to work with a group of people who are passionate about removing barriers to participation in STEM and ensuring that everyone who wants to pursue a career in STEM can do so. We have, as a team, written multiple papers sharing ideas about how to foster inclusivity within our sci- entific societies, and that has been a wonderful experience.

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Communities

Benefits of Hosting an In-Person BPS Networking Event: • BPS will reimburse you up to $500 for the costs associat- ed with hosting the meeting; • BPS will help you advertise the meeting (social media, emails, newsletter, etc.); • You can meet and exchange ideas with others at your institution and from neighboring communities! All current Society members are eligible to apply. Please note that your event must meet the following requirements: • The event should be no longer than one day; • It should be a stand-alone event (not part of a larger conference);

• There should be an emphasis on promotion of biophysics; • A meeting size of approximately 25 to a maximum of 100 attendees is best; • It must be advertised prominently as a BPS-sponsored event; and • If there is a speaker list, it should include graduate stu- dents and postdocs. BPS will be accepting networking event proposals for events occurring in August 2022 and beyond. The networking event submission site will be open March 15 – April 30, 2022. Applicants will be notified of the results in June . For more information about the proposal requirements, and to view past and upcoming networking events, please visit https:/www.biophysics.org/networking-events.

Publications

Editor’s Pick Biophysical Reports KHz-rate volumetric voltage imaging of the whole Zebrafish heart Leonardo Sacconi, Ludovico Silvestri, Esteban C. Rodríguez, Gary A. B. Armstrong, Francesco S. Pavone, Alvin Shrier, Gill Bub “Cell voltage is an important biophysical parameter that is challenging to measure in 3D organs such as the heart. Simultaneous parallel excitation and emission detection microscopy is a new technique that illuminates tissue with several parallel light sheets and captures data using multiple cameras.

We loaded intact zebrafish hearts with a voltage sensitive dye, allowing us to image voltage waves passing through seven planes in the tissue at very high speeds. Our 3D imaging studies revealed that under certain circumstances, electric impulses can backpropagate through specialized anatomical pathways that link the heart’s chambers to re-excite the atria.”

Version of Record Published February 2, 2022 DOI:https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpr.2022.100046

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

For Industry Partner Membership information, contact alevine@biophysics.org. SILVER GOLD

PLATINUM

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Annual Meeting

After two long years years since the last in person event, the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting took place in San Francisco, where over 3,300 attendees gathered to get reacquainted, make new connections, and share their science.

66th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting February 19–23, 2022 • San Francisco, California, USA

Symposia & Workshops The meeting kicked off with 18 Saturday Subgroup Symposia followed by 4 days of 23 symposia, 4 workshops, and over 60 platforms highlighting the latest research topics and biophysical techniques.

BPS Annual Lecture Frances Arnold, California Institute of Technology, delivered her presentation, “Innovation by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life,” at the BPS Lecture on Monday, February 22.

Galaxy Tablet and Fitbit Raffle Winners

Nils Benning, Johns Hopkins University

Iulia Carabadjac, University of Freiburg

Career Programs Attendees had more than 19 career-education-related sessions for all career levels to choose from through- out the meeting.

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Annual Meeting

More than 600 posters were presented each afternoon in the Exhibit Hall and spanned the interdisciplinary field of biophysics. Another 500 oral platform presentations were selected from among submitted abstracts.

Poster Presentations

1 st Place A Beautiful Accident: Fractals Instead of Fibrils Bryan Bogin and Matthew Steinsalt

2 nd Place Mad World Valentin Burkart

3 rd Place Face in the Abyss Kaarjel K. Narayanasamy

Congratulations to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of the Biophysical Society Art of Science Image Contest. The Society received more than 32 submissions and the 10 finalists were displayed at the Annual Meeting, where attendees voted for their top two images. The Image Contest was sponsored by Chroma Technology. Visit the BPS website for descriptions of the winning images: www.biophysics.org.

Image Contest

Exhibits

Attendees visited exhibitors, viewed product demonstrations, saw the latest lab equipment and scientific publications, explored new technologies, and attended exhibitor presentations.

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Annual Meeting

2022 Student Research Achievement Award Poster Competition Winners The 31 winners of the annual Student Research Achievement Awards were recognized at the 66th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony in San Francisco, Califor- nia on February 21, 2022. These students were selected by judges from the Society’s Subgroups for their outstanding presentations during the poster competition. Eighty-six students participated in the competition. The winners are: Bioenergetics, Metabolism & Mitochondria Subgroup Michaela Medina , Scripps Research Institute, USA Cellular Cryo-Electron Tomography Reveals Drastic Mitochondrial Membrane Remodeling in Response to Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Trung Duc Nguyen , University of Texas, Austin, USA Full-Spectrum Multiphoton Autofluorescence Imaging with Temporal Focusing Bioengineering Subgroup Yuan I-Chen , University of Texas, Austin, USA Rapid Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging for Live Cells and Retinal Endogenous Fluorophores Biological Fluorescence Subgroup Anindita Dasgupta , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Germany Direct Supercritical Angle Localization Microscopy for Nanometer 3D Superresolution William F. Dean , University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Domain-Specific Cadherin Order in Desmosomes Is Conserved across Isoforms Biopolymers in vivo Subgroup Karina C. Guadalupe , University of California, Merced, USA Changes in Cell Volume Are Drivers of Plasticity in Disordered Proteins

Rachel Hutchinson , University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA Critical Beginnings: Tuning of Solubility and Structural Accuracy of Newly-Synthesized Proteins by the Hsp70 Chaperone System Channels, Receptors & Transporters Subgroup Noelia Jacobo-Piqueras , University of Innsbruck, Austria Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for The Sexual Dimorphism in Pancreatic Β -Cell Insulin Release Marie Lycksell , Stockholm University, Sweden Cryo-EM and Small-Angle Scattering of a Pentameric Ligand- Gated Ion Channel Reveals a Dynamic Regulatory Domain Tamara Theiner , University of Innsbruck, Austria CAV1.3 L-Type CA 2+ Channel Modulates Pancreatic Β -Cell Electrical Activity and Survival Cryo-EM Subgroup Aaron P. Owji , Columbia University, USA Cryo-EM Analysis of Gating Dynamics in Mammalian Bestrophins Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Subgroup Feng Yu , University of California, Merced, USA Linking Disordered Protein Sequence and Ensemble Using Interaction Maps Meaghan S. Jankowski , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA LOCATE Reveals Electrostatic “Islands” and “Hotspots” Are Im- portant for a Disordered Clock Protein’s Interactions to Regulate Clock Robustness Macromolecular Machines & Assemblies Subgroup Alexandra Teslenko , École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland Development of a Single-Molecule Approach to Observe Ubiquitination Dynamics in Defined Chromatin States Constanza Torres-Paris , University of California, San Diego, USA A Disordered Linker with “Something” on Its N-Terminus Drives the Allostery in the Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator (UPA) Mechanobiology Subgroup Manish Ayushman , Stanford University, USA Sliding Hydrogels Enhance MSC Chondrogenesis by Facilitating Early Stage Cytoskeletal/Nuclear Dynamics and Mechanical Loading Rachel L. Bender , Emory University, USA Pseudo-Knot-Like DNA Tension Probe Shows That Cell Adhesion Receptors Detect the Molecular Force-Extension Curve of Their Ligands

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Annual Meeting

Membrane Fusion, Fission, & Traffic Subgroup Cisloynny C. Beauchamp-Perez , University of Colorado at Denver, USA C2 Domain Lysine Clusters Are Highly Susceptible to Non- Enzymatic Post-Translational Modifications Tomasz J. Nawara , University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Imaging the Dynamics of Vesicle Formation Supports the Flexible Model of Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis Membrane Structure & Function Subgroup Iulia Carabadjac , University of Freiburg, Germany Exploring Protein-Dependent Changes of the Properties of Bio-Membranes Using Time-Resolved Fluorescence Luis M. Real Hernandez , University of Virginia, USA Comparing Lipid Packing between Nanodiscs and Native Membranes Membrane Transport Subgroup Hammad Ali Faizi , Northwestern University, USA A Vesicle Microrheometer for Viscosity Measurements of Lipids and Polymer Bilayers Motility & Cytoskeleton Subgroup Parijat Banerjee , Johns Hopkins University, USA Modeling Actin Polymerization Wave Patterns on Mechanical Ridges via Dynamical Networks Rachit Shrivastava , University of Minnesota, USA Cargo-Motor Interaction Kinetics Regulate Myosin VI Based Transport Nanoscale Approaches to Biology Subgroup Ting-Wei Liao , Johns Hopkins University, USA Linking Folding Dynamics and Function of Single Sam/Sah Riboswitch Zhidian Zhang , École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland The Role of PTM Crosstalks in Httex1 Structure, Aggregation and Membrane Interaction Physical Cell Biology Subgroup Qingchu Jin , Johns Hopkins University, USA Does Prolonged Action Potential Always Indicate Greater Early- Afterdepolarization Risk?

Tamas Nagy , University of California, San Francisco, USA Puff Up to Decide: The Role of Regulatory Volume Changes in Neutrophil Polarity and Chemotaxis Theory & Computation Subgroup Sneha M. Dixit , Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany Conformational Changes and Force Transmission In Piezo2 Andrew P. Latham , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA Unified Protein Force Field for Simulations of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Atsushi Matsuda , University of California, Berkeley, USA Structural Flexibility of FG-Nucleoporins Regulates the Molecular Transport through the Nuclear Pore Complex UndergraduatePoster AwardCompetitionWinners The six winners of the annual Undergraduate Poster Award Competition were recognized at the 66th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony in San Francisco, California on February 21, 2022. These students were selected among 55 participants for their outstanding undergraduate research and presentations during the poster competition. The winners are: Rose Albert , University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Acquisition of Cadherin Order during Desmosome Assembly Lynn Fu , Amherst College, USA Direct Replacement of Histones by Protamine Amy Lam , Williams College, USA Characterization of Sendai Virus Binding to Supported Lipid Bilay- ers at the Single-Virus Level Sean Park , University of Lethbridge, Canada Investigating Japanese Encephalitis Virus Long-Range Terminal Region Interactions Isabel Romov , James Madison University, USA Stabilizing Mutations in Human Desmoplakin with Small Mole- cules Elanor Sievers , University of California, San Diego, USA Structure Determination and Optimization of a Cysteine-Less Intein with NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

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Career Development

How toWrite a Lay Summary A lay summary can be an important tool for communicating scientific content to a wider audience. It is a short piece written in easy-to-understand, simple language and style. An effective lay ics, which could inspire them to learn more. A similar writing approach can be useful for such purposes as grant proposals, press releases, media outreach, and more. The first step is identifying an interesting topic. Next, start the summary with an introductory sentence that establishes the foundation and in turn makes the reader curious. One method would be starting with a “Did you know?” question. Other ideas are working in pop culture references or shared experiences to which anyone can relate. One trick I like to use is writing words on small pieces of paper and moving them around until they form an appealing sentence. Now that you have the reader’s attention, you can start giving more details one step at a time. Scientific vocabulary is filled with jargon. It is important to un- tangle that jargon by providing explanations in understandable everyday language. From here, the writeup can become a bit more detailed, using some of the jargon that has been introduced. These summaries are different from writing the summary would be written such that a middle school, high school, or under- graduate student could be introduced to a concept or technique from biophys-

results and discussion sections of a manuscript. It is best to use shorter sentences to make your point, as opposed to more complicated sentence structures you might use in other aca- demic writing. Also, keep the overall tone of the piece positive! You can include the limitations of the research area or tech- nique you are describing, but still promote what is interesting and inspiring about the topic you have chosen. Finally, it is time to zoom out and connect the reader back to the main idea of the summary from the first sentence. This helps the reader to re-contextualize what’s been stated earlier. Once you’ve finished your draft, I recommend finding a friend (preferably a non-academic) to give it a read and let you know whether he or she understood what the lay summary was all about. There are also online tools available that can help you to check your work. There is a popular one called Hemingway Editor (https:/hemingwayapp.com/), which highlights unnec- essarily complex sentences and common errors. Another is called the Readability Test (https:/ thefirstword.co.uk/readabili- tytest/), which analyzes your writing and rates it as to its read- ability, on a scale that includes “Super Simple” (like Dr. Seuss ’ The Cat in the Hat ) and “Challenging” (like John Milton ’s Paradise Lost ). I hope that these simple suggestions are helpful in writing lay summaries that will allow you to share scientific content with a broad audience. — Molly Cule

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Member Corner

Members in the News

Julian Schoeder , University of California, San Diego and Society member since 1990, received a Carl Friedrich von Siemens Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Julian Schoeder

Grants & Opportunities

Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology The international Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobi- ology is awarded annually to one young scientist who is not older than 35 years for the most outstanding neurobi- ological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology conducted by them during the past three years. Who can apply: This is an international research prize. Entrants must have an advanced degree received in the last 10 years and must not be older than 35 years of age. Deadline: June 15, 2022 Website: https:/corporate.eppendorf.com/en/company/ scientific-awards/global-award/

Benjamin Franklin Medals The Franklin Institute invites nominations for Benjamin Franklin Medals, presented in the following disciplines of science and engineering: Chemistry, Civil and Mechani- cal Engineering, Computer and Cognitive Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Electrical Engineering, Life Science, and Physics. Interdisciplinary awards will also be considered. Who can apply: This is an international competition for individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the aforementioned fields of science and engineering and is not restricted by specific theme or topic. Deadline: Nominations are accepted at any time through- out the year. The process from nomination to award typically takes a minimum of two years. Website: https:/www.fi.edu/awards/benjamin-frank- lin-medals-nominations

Student Spotlight

Callum Ives Division of Computational Biology

School of Life Sciences University of Dundee What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life? During my PhD studies, I’ve significantly improved my ability to multitask and to manage several projects simulta- neously. This has greatly helped me as a biophysicist to be able to productively handle the multi-faceted nature of interdisciplinary research, as well as allowing me to schedule time to enjoy hobbies and to socialize alongside my studies.

Callum Ives

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Biophysical Society

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April 2022

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BPS Important Dates

BPS Awards and Fellows Nominations Deadline May 1, 2022

Stockholm Early Abstract Deadline May 2, 2022

Stockholm Early Registration Deadline May 20, 2022

Voting Opens for BPS Elections June 1, 2022

BPS2023 Registration and Abstract Submission Open July 1, 2022

Please visit www.biophysics.org for a complete list of upcoming BPS Important Dates.