Biophysical Society Bulletin | February 2024

February 2024

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For the third year, Biophysical Journal will host a symposium at the BPS Annual Meeting to highlight the excellent science published in the journal. This year’s event will be titled Biophysical Journal: From Molecules to Systems. The speakers, including the Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award recipient, will be authors from the past year invited to present about their articles, representing a subset of the high-quality research published. The Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award recognizes an early career researcher who has published an outstanding paper in the journal. The speakers will be Tamara Bidone , Univer sity of Utah, USA; Rainer A. Böckmann , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlan gen-Nürnberg and Erlangen National Center for High-Performance Computing, Germany; Rikki M. Garner , Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Washington, and Woods Hole Institute, USA; Seán M. Murray , Max Planck Insti tute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology, Germany; Gregor Posnjak , Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Germany; and Erdinc Sezgin (Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator Award), Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The symposium will take place at the BPS Annual Meeting in Philadel phia on February 13 from 10:45 AM to 12:45 PM. Please join us to hear about the exciting work of these leaders in biophysics. Best of Biophysical Journal Symposium

Rikki M. Garner

Tamara Bidone

Rainer A. Böckmann

Seán M. Murray

Gregor Posnjak

Erdinc Sezgin

Follow Annual Meeting events on Facebook, X, and the BPS Blog throughout the Annual Meeting. Follow along using the hashtag #bps2024

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Biophysicist in Profile

Communities Member Corner In Memoriam Important Dates

Public Affairs Publications Annual Meeting

Biophysicist in Profile

Gabriela K. Popescu Area of Research Mechanisms of activation and modulation of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels

Institution University at Buffalo

At-a-Glance

Gabriela K. Popsecu is a Romanian-born American biophysicist with expertise in the molecular phys iology of glutamate-gated channels. She is professor of biochemistry and clinical professor of an esthesiology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. She is best known for her quantitative work on the biophysical properties of NMDA receptors. She begins her term as Biophysical Society President in February 2024.

Gabriela K. Popescu

The oldest of three children with two economics professors for parents, Gabriela K. Popescu took for granted that she too would become an academic and teach Marxian economics to generations of Romanian undergraduate students. Her parents encouraged their children to pursue diverse interests, however. As a child, she loved literature and was an avid read er; enjoyed languages, especially English and Russian; and excelled in math. She shares, “Physics, chemistry, and biology were not in my field of view, not part of my envisioned future." That changed in her senior year of high school when a lecture in genetic engineering inspired her to consider a profession for herself that felt more meaningful. She envisioned how genetically modified crops could feed the entire world to end hunger on the planet and wanted to be part of that transfor mation. “I absolutely loved the challenge. One may say I found my calling," she recalls. "I bought every textbook and problem set I could find and spent many late nights answering my own questions. I still love to do that, although now I have the internet and PubMed at my fingertips.” She attended the University of Bucharest, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1984, and earning a mas ter’s degree in biochemistry the following year. She then was recruited to do biomedical research at the Oncologic Institute of Bucharest, where she worked testing anticancer drugs with enzymatic assays, while at the same time she started a family. In 1989, she joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Bucharest as a lecturer. Two years later, Popescu enrolled in the Biochemistry Graduate Program at the University at Buffalo. "Flying from Bucharest to Buffalo in 1991, I had a return ticket just in case," she re veals. "My children, who were four and six at the time, joined me the following year, and the rest—as they say—is histo ry.” She still thinks that graduate school in a foreign country, with two elementary-school-aged children, was the hardest thing she has ever done. Years later, she uses that experience to guide, coach, and mentor students, postdocs, and junior faculty, with the knowledge that encouragement and sup port from a more experienced scientist can often make a real

difference in a person’s life and can go a long way to attract and retain passionate and talented individuals in scientific research. During this challenging time, the Counseling Center at the University at Buffalo, which offered free counseling sessions, was an unanticipated lifeline for her. Aside from invaluable psychological growth, the experience connected her with peers within the university, and stimulated her to begin con sidering the human mind from a scientific perspective. Rather than feeding the planet with genetically modified crops, she shifted her professional efforts toward understanding how the brain works. “I developed a passion for understanding how our brains serve and fail us, more specifically for understanding the molecular basis of neuropsychiatric phenomena,” Popescu ex plains. Her first postdoctoral position was in the lab of Michael Stachowiak , studying cellular neurobiology; she investigated signaling through Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors. Her second postdoc was in ion channel biophysics with Tony Auer bach , investigating signaling through neurotransmitter-gated channels. “I will be forever grateful to Tony Auerbach, who en trusted me, a biochemist, with solving the kinetic mechanism of NMDA receptors, the principal calcium-passing synaptic receptors in brain and spinal cord. Gratitude also goes to a NIDA-supported F32 fellowship that supported my research, and an AHA Scientist Development Grant, which represented the ‘foot-in-the-door’ for a tenure-track academic position,” she remembers. “My postdoctoral work represented a solid springboard to asking both fundamental and translational questions about synaptic transmission and brain plasticity.” Following her postdoctoral training, she accepted a ten ure-track assistant professor position in the Department of Biochemistry at the University at Buffalo. Popescu had chosen to stay in Buffalo to avoid uprooting her children, both of whom were in middle school during the time she was completing postdoctoral training and embarking on her career

February 2024

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Biophysicist in Profile

Officers President Taekjip Ha President-Elect Gabriela Popescu Past-President Gail Robertson Secretary Teresa Giraldez Treasurer Samantha Harris Council Patricia Bassereau Margaret Cheung Henry Colecraft Martin Gruebele Kumiko Hayashi Syma Khalid Susan Marqusee Emmanuel Margeat Elizabeth Rhoades

as an independent researcher. “For my entire scientific training and academic career, I was at the same institution. For this reason, my support network, information channels, and sources of inspiration were initially limited. In this regard, in-person meetings, such as the Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Soci ety, have been critical in helping me to make the connections necessary to advance in my career.” Four years later, she was promoted to asso ciate professor with tenure, and four more years later to full professor. She says, "I keep telling my trainees that there is not one career path. We each have distinct constellations of talents, motivations, and opportunities which will shape our own career trajectory. My expe rience speaks very clearly to that.” Now Popescu directs an NINDS-R35-spon sored program investigating the molecular physiology of NMDA receptors. “Specifically, we investigate how changes in the energy landscape of the NMDA receptors, produced by genetic modifications or by interactions with diffusible ligands, change the electro chemical output of NMDA receptors,” she explains. “This information can be instrumen tal in developing new or better therapeutic interventions for a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including GRIN disorders, neuro degenerative conditions, and more recently, depression.”

She shares, “I love biophysics for its rigor and impact! No frills, no flutter: just the facts, ma’am! One can say that physics is similarly rigorous in how it describes its concepts, methods, and results. However, in my opinion, one cannot overcome the impact of under standing life, biological processes, and even the human mind with the rigor and precision of physics, which is exactly what biophysics is all about.” Popescu previously served as chair of the Bio physical Society’s Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women and as a member of Council, and will be stepping into the role of Society President this month. “The Biophysi cal Society, through its programs, committee events, and meetings has been successful in creating and nurturing a community, a loyal following of people and a sense of camarade rie, and ‘we’re in this together!’” she declares. “Over the past more than 20 years I have been a member I have seen the Society evolve to adapt to new realities while maintaining a sense of community. I think this is special!” Popescu credits much of her life and career success to the unwavering support of her hus band of 20+ years, Daniel J. Kosman , who is an American biochemist and SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the University at Buffalo. They enjoy ballroom dancing, cooking, and gardening, as well as their four children and increasing number of grandchildren on the two North American coasts.

Kandice Tanner Valeria Vasquez Jing Xu Biophysical Journal Vasanthi Jayaraman Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Padmini Rangamani 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 Meredith Zimmerman 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 © 2024 by the Biophysical Society. Darren Early Laura Phelan

Get Involved. The Biophysical Society provides many opportunities for members to get involved and give back to the biophysics community. To learn more about the different opportunities, please visit www.biophysics.org/get-involved.

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Early Career Researchers Vote to Establish Union at NIH Prior to wrapping up 2023, the early-career researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cast an overwhelming majority vote in favor of unionization—a first at a federal research agency. The new union, NIH Fellows United, joins the growing move ment around the United States to unionize within the research community. NIH Fellows United represents more than 5,000 non-permanent researchers, including graduate students, postdocs, and research fellows, at NIH research facilities. Under fed eral rules, workers will not be permitted to engage in strike activity, but they intend to push for better pay and improved working conditions.

Could Postdocs See a Change in Pay Under NIH Rules? At the Society’s 2023 Annual Meeting, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) held a session to discuss the future of postdoctoral training following a wave of national discussions on unionization, career opportunities, and the needs of the scientific workforce. This session coincided with a Request for Information by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on much the same topic with a direct opportunity for graduate students, postdocs, and researchers to provide feedback for consideration by a working group tasked with providing bold recommendations to the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director. The initial report from this working group was released in mid-December and made several recommendations, includ ing adjusting the minimum starting salaries of U.S. biomed ical postdocs to $70,000, up from the current minimum of $56,484. It also recommended a five-year cap on the length of postdoc positions, an expansion of health care, retirement, and childcare benefits, increased support for international postdocs, and other measures meant to enhance the quality of the postdoctoral experience. While the recommendations are not conceptually different from the findings of a 2012 advisory group, those involved in the recent report believe there to be a greater sense of

urgency now in the current economy. In the more than 3,000 responses received from a call for public comment, the vast majority of respondents (87%) expressed concerns about postdoc salaries. While these recommended changes shine a light on issues that many in the postdoc community have been voicing over the past several years, it does little to shed light for principal investigators on how they will be able to adjust to increased salaries given that R01 grant amounts have remained flat since their introduction in 1998. Concerns were also ex pressed in the report recommendations about potential un intended consequences for junior professors who may not be able to compete for grants if they cannot hire enough post docs or the potential impact on minority-focused institutions. Newly instituted NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli thanked the working group for their efforts, but declined to comment on if or when any proposed changes might be put in place. U.S. Visa Clarity a Boon to STEM On December 27, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released new data on the impact of a January 2022 adjustment to the guidance criteria relating to two visa cat egories for STEM workers—the O-1A, a temporary visa for “aliens of extraordinary ability” that often paves the way to a green card, and a subset of an EB-2 (employment-based) visa, which bestows a green card on those with advanced STEM degrees.

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The new data show that the number of O-1A visas awarded in the first year of the revised guidance jumped by almost 30%, to 4,570, and held steady in fiscal year 2023, which ended on September 30. Similarly, the number of STEM EB-2 visas approved in 2022 after a “national interest” waiver shot up by 55% compared with 2021, to 70,240, and stayed at that level in 2023. As established in 1990, only 140,000 employment-based green cards are to be issued annually with no more than 7% going to citizens of any one country. This creates exceeding ly long wait periods for countries that graduate significant numbers of STEM professionals, such as China and India. While the revised guidance does not change the caps to em ployment-based green cards, it has clarified a lot of ambiguity surrounding the metrics used to evaluate applications. While O-1A visas are not capped, these visas were not frequently used by STEM professionals due to a lack of clarity on metrics and criteria used for evaluation. The 2022 guidance provided a list of eight criteria—including awards, peer-reviewed publications, and reviewing the work of other scientists—and stipulated that applicants need to satisfy at least three of them. The guidance changes for EB-2 visas are designed for those with advanced STEM degrees seeking the national interest waiver. Prior to the guidance adjustment, the standard for determining whether the labor-force require ments could be waived was vague and time consuming. The new guidance now provides specific criteria, closely tracked to the O-1A visas, and also allows a scientist to sponsor them selves. Around the World South Korean Scientists Advocate for Solution to Proposed Research Cuts In August, the South Korean government proposed a cut of more than 10% to research and development funding, includ ing for basic science, to refocus funding efforts to promising

fields and offset budget deficits. Following backlash from re searchers and focused advocacy efforts over several months, a compromise was reached to reduce cuts to research funding and to provide a small boost to basic research. Research and development will still face an overall spending drop of 8%, to the equivalent of approximately $21 billion, while increasing basic research by just under 2%, to $2 billion. This change marks the first reduction in research budgets in the country in 33 years. Concerns remain for early-career researchers at regional universities, who saw an approximately $52 million program scrapped. Researchers are also awaiting details of planned cuts to funding for large top-down programs that support research at national institutes—such as efforts to study Alzheimer’s disease and specific infectious diseases. Sub sidies for private sector research will also drop. In addition, South Korea will launch its own version of the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), with an initial investment equivalent to approximately $36 million. Macron Releases Plan for Comprehensive Research Overhaul In mid-December, French President Emmanuel Macron un veiled a dramatic plan to overhaul France’s research commu nity. The Macron plan is intended to be implemented in the next 18 months; however, while changes are being welcomed within the scientific community, the vagueness surrounding the roadmap leaves many questions unanswered. Public sector researchers have expressed concerns over whether their employment could be transferred to universi ties, which will gain greater powers to manage joint research labs. Questions have been raised about the remit of one of the larger initiatives—the creation of the Presidential Science Council, a 12-member group of prominent French research ers, which remains undefined. While Macron dedicated €1 billion from existing pots of money toward the reforms, the question remains whether there is sufficient funding to im plement them.

The median annual wage for biochemists and biophysicists in the United States was $103,810 in May 2022. Source: Board of Labor Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Biochemists and Biophysicists, at https:/ www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biochemists-and-biophysicists. htm (visited December 31, 2023).

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Know the Editor Jeffrey Saucerman University of Virginia Editorial Board Member Biophysical Journal

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Biophysical Journal Phase separation of multicomponent peptide mixtures into dehydrated clusters with hydrophilic cores William H. Brown and Davit A. Potoyan “Brown and Potoyan provide fascinating new insights into the molecular-level processes behind the liquid-liquid phase separation that may underlie the organization and function of membraneless organelles in cells. Using atomistic simulations of a (relatively) simple tripeptide solution, they illuminate direct and water-mediated interactions driving peptide clus tering. The paper reports an "inverse hydrophobic order” in which aromatic and charged residues accumulate in the core, while non-aromatic hydrophobic groups remain mostly at the surface. This inverse hydrophobic order runs counter to the organiza tion found in folded proteins, and has significant implications for modeling and interpretation of biomolecular condensates. It arises from the changing balance of specific and non-spe cific interactions as clusters grow and expel loosely bound water molecules. A second factor is that water-mediated hydrogen bonding stabilizes clusters: even through the net dehydration accompanying maturation, water molecules me diate contacts between polar and charged residues. A beautiful feature of the article is the use of a simplified tripeptide system, just complex enough to capture the maturation of condensates from nucleation through dense clustering. The model is sufficiently simple to make clear key

What are you currently working on that excites you? My lab combines computational modeling and quantitative experiments to understand the molecular networks that drive remodeling of the heart. Most biophysical modeling by our lab and others has focused on predicting how known mechanisms work together to produce function. But recently, we have found ways to discover new pathways underlying drugs or genet ic drivers by combining mechanistic modeling with machine learning. In a new paper by my PhD student Anders Nelson , we used this strategy to discover and validate signaling pathways that explain how drugs regulate myofibroblast activation. What has been your biggest “aha” moment in science? While we have focused primarily on intracelluar signaling, we collaborated with Merry Lindsey at Meharry Medical College to see if we could model the complex intercellular signaling dynamics after heart attack. Inflammation and fibrosis are typically described as sequential phases, with causal relation ships unclear. During the early pandemic on a late-night walk with my dog, it occurred to me that there were striking paral lels between inflammation-fibrosis and excitation-contraction coupling, which I had studied 15 years earlier in my postdoc with Don Bers . Modeling by my student Mukti Chowkwale demonstrated that this analogy ran deep, with both systems configured with dual positive feedback amplifiers separated by a transducer (TGFbeta acting like calcium). This also happens to be the design of a karaoke machine. These predictions have guided our subsequent modeling and experimental work on multiple aspects of what we now call inflammation-fibrosis coupling.

mechanisms behind biomolecular condensation.” Version of Record Published December 31, 2023 DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2023.12.027

Follow BPS Journals on X @BiophysJ • @BiophysReports • @BiophysicistJ

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Call for Papers

Special Issue: Developmental Biophysics

Editors:

Thorsten Wohland (National University of Singapore) Timothy E. Saunders (University of Warwick) Chii Jou Chan (National University of Singapore)

The application of biophysics to investigate developmental processes has a long tradition. To showcase the achievements and level of advance in this field, we invite contributions from all areas of developmental biophysics, including experimental, theo retical, and computational approaches. The development of an organism from a single cell to its fully grown form is a carefully orchestrated but robust process. In it, we find molecular actions, cellular events, and tissue mechanics all embodying crucial and, to date, only incompletely under stood interacting processes that are required for the successful growth of an animal. Although biophysics arguably developed later than developmental biology, biophysics played a role in early research as evidenced by the fact that Alan Turing’s 1952 article is a mainstay of developmental research. Today, we possess a range of developmental model systems, in which we study single-molecule, cellular, tissue, or organism-wide events with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. Ad vances in experimental and theoretical methodology, technology, and computation provide new and exciting possibilities for understanding one of the most important processes in life. In this special issue, we will showcase recent results and highlight the importance of biophysics in our quest to understand the development of living organisms. We welcome contributions from scientists applying biophysical methods to investigate developmental processes in different organisms from the molecular scale to whole systems by using experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches.

Deadline for submission: March 31, 2024

• Instructions for authors can be found at: https:/www.cell.com/biophysj/authors. • Please include a cover letter stating that you would like to contribute to the Developmental Biophysics special issue and please describe why the work fits into the special issue. • Normal publishing charges will apply. • Questions can be addressed to the BJ Editorial Office [BJ@biophysics.org; (240) 290-5600] or to Thorsten Wohland (twohland@nus.edu.sg), Timothy E. Saunders (timothy.saunders@war wick.ac.uk), or Chii Jou Chan (dbschii@nus.edu.sg).

Biophysical Society

To submit, visit https:/www.editorialmanager.com/biophysical-journal/

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Annual Meeting

Thank you to our sponsors: ACS Publications Bruker Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC Chroma Technology HORIBA Scientific HÜBNER Photonics Leica Microsystems LUMICKS Mad City Labs Inc Nanion Technologies PicoQuant Photonics North America Inc. Physical Review Journals Published by APS RCSB Protein Data Bank Sophion Bioscience A/S Sutter Instrument Thermo Fisher Scientific Worthington Biochemical Corp

What You Should Know Before Heading to the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia Badge Pick-Up Look for your registration confirmation with QR code by email on February 1. Print this confir mation and bring it with you to expedite the process of picking up your badge. Don’t worry if you don’t have your QR code; you can still pick up your badge at the Express Check-In Counters by using your name. Badge Pick-Up Hours Friday, February 9 3:00 pm –5:00 pm Saturday, February 10 7:30 am –6:30 pm Sunday, February 11 – Tuesday, February 13 7:30 am –5:00 pm Housing Confirmation Everyone who booked their hotel reservations through the official BPS housing bureau, Conven tion Housing Partners (CHP), should have received their confirmation via email. If you have not received your confirmation, please contact the housing bureau toll-free at 1-800-274-9481. Outside the United States, please call 1-415-813-6088 and select option 4. Plan, Sync, Connect with the Mobile App and Desktop Planner

Visit biophysics.org/2024meeting for more information on the Biophysical Society Events Desktop Planner and Events App. Search keyword “BPS Events” in the app stores below.

Follow along using the hashtag #BPS24

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Annual Meeting

Undergraduate Student Lounge Need a quiet place to unwind and relax or catch up on course work while at the Annual Meeting? Visit the Undergraduate Student Lounge in Room 303AB of the Pennsylvania Conven tion Center. Career Development Center/Job Board Do you have a position to fill in your lab or company? Are you looking for that next job opportunity in the field of biophys ics? If you answered yes, then you need to stop by the Career Development Center in Room 108A during the Annual Meeting to post or view the latest job openings! Attending the Annual Meeting? Our volunteers make it possible! Their impact is immeasurable and has a If you are not attending the Annual Meeting but would like to get involved with BPS, please visit www.biophysics.org/ get-involved to learn about all of the opportunities to make a difference. Share Your Research! Grab a button and wear it throughout the Annual Meeting and during Biophysics Week to encourage others to ask you about your research. These conversation starters can help you share your research and make connections. Plan Your Exhibit Hall Experience Before Arriving in Philadelphia View the 2024 exhibiting companies at http:/tinyurl.com/ BPS2024xbtrs and make sure to participate in the Passport Competition to win a Samsung Galaxy tablet! profound effect on science communities around the world. Ask one of our volun teers wearing this button about how you can get involved with BPS.

Art of Science Image Contest Images from 10 finalists will be on display in the Exhibit Hall. Remember to stop by and vote for your two favorite images. Voting will be open until 2:30 pm on Tuesday, February 13. Ballots will be distributed with your badge at badge pick-up. Biophysical Society TV BPS is once again partnering with Websedge to bring Biophys ical Society TV to the Annual Meeting! Biophysical Society TV features new episodes daily, including Thought Leadership and Annual Meeting News . View program highlights, “behind the scenes” interviews, and coverage of meeting events while at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Follow Annual Meeting events on Facebook, X, and the Biophysical Society Blog throughout the Annual Meeting for scientific session news, press releases, and attendee blog posts.

Don’t forget to purchase an Annual Meeting t-shirt as well as other Society merchandise at the Society Booth located in Registration Bridge East of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

biophysics.org/ 2024meeting

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Communities

Handling Difficult Work Situations in Academia In academia, as in all other places of employment, situations that can be de

Subgroups Reflections on 20 Years of the Membrane Fusion, Fission, and Traffic Subgroup

The Endocytosis and Exocytosis Subgroup, now called Mem brane Fusion, Fission, and Traffic (MFFT), was founded in 2003. Current Subgroup Chair-Elect Jeff Knight (University of Colorado Denver) chatted with original Chairs Manfred Lindau (University of Miami) and Kevin Gillis (University of Missouri) at the recent 2023 BPS Conference on Membrane Fusion and Budding. A synopsis of their conversation follows JK: How did the Subgroup start? KG: It grew out of a “capacitance dinner” that had been held at the annual Biophysical Society meeting since the 1990s or maybe earlier. At the time, patch-clamp membrane capaci tance measurements, pioneered in Erwin Neher ’s group, were emerging as a high-resolution, single-cell assay of exocy tosis and endocytosis. Several of us had worked with Neher directly. There was a lot of excitement in the endocytosis and exocytosis field, but many of the discussions were happening at other meetings that weren’t as fun for us as biophysicists. Bob Chow (now retired) and I thought more people in the field would come to Biophysical Society meetings if we had our own Subgroup, so we gathered enough signatures to launch it. Bob was the informal Chair the first year, I was the first elected Chair, and Manfred was Chair the following year, with Bob elected as Chair a couple years later. ML: One of the special things I remember is that Bernard Katz ’s son was able to attend one of the early Subgroup meetings and presented the Katz award—I think it was the very first one, which went to Erwin Neher. JK: What were some of the key questions in the field then? ML: A lot of them are the same questions we’re asking now. People were characterizing readily releasable versus re serve pools of secretory vesicles, and the timing and calcium sensitivity ranges of each pool. People are still talking about different vesicle pools, and there are still questions about how to define them. Another key question then and now was whether the calcium signal for exocytosis reaches a locally high concentration due to calcium channel activity next to the exocytotic vesicle, or if it’s a diffuse, low concentration that triggers sensitive calcium sensors not tightly co-localized with calcium channels. We’re still seeing that question asked, because biology seems to use both mechanisms.

scribed as difficult or challenging are bound to arise. This broadly can be said to include issues with your project, issues with a co-worker, or issues with a superior. Issues with your project. Academic research is hard. If you ever hear a co-worker saying how easy they have it, please do not believe the hype. The best professors struggled for years to get to where they are, and those Nature papers typically take five to six years in a highly successful project to get to that stage. Therefore, please do not despair if you encounter serious hur dles. Besides academic challenges, issues such as data manage ment (or loss) can be mitigated by having a data management plan (DMP) at the outset of your project. In general, foreseeing potential problems is the best way to avoid them blowing up in your face! Issues with a co-worker. This type of difficult situation can be of a very personal nature. Maybe your co-worker irritates you or maybe your projects overlap in an unhealthy manner. A good manager should be able to mitigate the latter issue, while the former issue can be contained by having respectful boundaries. If the situation cannot be resolved, the best approach is a lev el-headed chat with the person at issue. Avoid personal attacks, as this can only make the situation worse. Another solution is to keep a distance from the person if you can. In instances of gross misconduct, consult your dean or Title IX office (in the United States), if applicable. Issues with a supervisor. This can be the hardest type of chal lenge since your supervisor generally has a lot of influence over your future and the direction of your projects. If the issue per tains to compatibility or fit, try to meet your supervisor halfway and take good notes during meetings to ensure you are both on the same page regarding the project. If there is a more serious problem, such as misconduct, you might consider discussing with your supervisor’s line manager. You should weigh the pros and cons based on factors such as the severity of the situation and how long you have left in your project. This type of issue can be the hardest to overcome successfully. Every workplace has its challenges. Dealing with them effec tively will allow you to take joy in your work while you strive to succeed in your career. I wish you the best of luck! — Molly Cule

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Communities

KG: We also sought to understand the precise nature of the exocytosis/endocytosis cycle in various cell types, which continues to be probed and debated to this day with ever more precise measurements and better molecular understanding. One of the big technical advances around that time was the ability to image fluorescence and measure capacitance simul taneously in living cells. Mast cells were particularly useful for this, as the imaging capability made it possible to visualize the individual vesicles and the release of their contents. Bastien Gomperts at University College London found that permeabi lized mast cells released their histamine contents in response to stimulation with GTP- γ S. He had visited Erwin Neher’s lab in Göttingen, and together with Julio Fernandez they showed that mast cells degranulate when GTP- γ S was introduced via the whole-cell patch pipette, leading to a huge stepwise capacitance increase reflecting sequential fusion of individual vesicles. Shortly afterwards, experiments were performed using beige mouse mast cells, which have giant granules and enabled the first measurements of fusion pore conductance to be performed. People were also working with chromaffin cells and other excit able endocrine cells that undergo exocytosis in response to de polarization-evoked calcium influx, similar to neurons. In these cells you can trigger exocytosis with voltage-clamp pulses and measure capacitance changes to observe the precise timing of fusion relative to depolarization and calcium influx. Other tech niques that were becoming important around this time were triggering exocytosis through photorelease of caged calcium, which clarified the timing and concentration dependance of calcium-triggered exocytosis and endocytosis; electrochemical microelectrodes to measure the time course of release of cat echolamines from single vesicles via an expanding fusion pore; and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to image the movements and release from individual granules. ML: And you know, Bob was right. Within the first couple of years, the Subgroup expanded from just electrophysiologists

to also include fluorescence imaging groups like those of Wolf Almers (Oregon Health Science University) and Ron Holz (University of Michigan), structural biology groups, and others. The founding of this Subgroup gave experts in these different techniques a chance to discuss our scientific questions togeth er and come up with innovative new experiments. JK: How else has the Subgroup changed since 2003? ML: Oh, there’s been an explosion of different approaches. At first, it was just patch clamp electrophysiologists. Now there is much more live-cell imaging. It’s gotten so routine that it’s easy to forget how much biophysical advances underlie all of the different imaging techniques. KG: And the molecular biology and structural biology tools that have come onto the scene in the last 20 years have enabled so much more diversity in terms of approaches. JK: I agree. Of course, electron microscopy has been integral to the endocytosis and exocytosis field since the work of John Heuser and Tom Reese . But the more recent cryo-electron microscopy structures of fusion, fission, and protein complexes have provided unprecedented structural resolution into what these proteins are doing to help membranes fuse, bud, and pull apart. JK: What do you most look forward to about this Subgroup? ML: The most important things are to get together at the BPS Annual Meeting every year and have a great dinner, great talks at the Subgroup symposium, and a great keynote speaker. KG: Yes, there simply is no better place to interact with those who approach membrane fusion and fission using rigorous, quantitative biophysical approaches. It is also great to see the field become more diverse geographically and in terms of gen der, although we have much more work to do in this area.

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Clemens Anklin Membership Committee

Clemens Anklin

events. Academia is not always able to prepare the students well for this major step in their career. If I can make a contri bution as a volunteer with the Society, it is all worth it. Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? Just do it. Collect information up front on issues such as time commitment. As a volunteer you almost always join a team of other volunteers who rely on their peers to get the work done. To accomplish this, the committees are dependent on equal contributions of all members. Therefore, it is important not to overcommit and as a result leave your fellow commit tee members hanging. There are volunteering opportunities of all sizes. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? My main position is heading the applications laboratory for Bruker BioSpin, a manufacturer of NMR spectrometers. This job brings me in contact with a large number of researchers in the biophysical community. When not working or volunteering I like to travel and birdwatch or both combined. Birdwatching is a wonderful way to be out in nature and connect with the natural world while still being aware of the science. One can, for example, wonder if the colors of a bird are due to refrac tion or pigmentation.

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held?

This is my first volunteer position for BPS. I was asked to rep resent the non-academic or industry segment of BPS on the membership committee. I got involved with BPS quite late. I am not a biophysicist by education. My involvement started as an exhibitor at the annual meeting. As the Society aligns quite well with the work I am involved with and I have known many members of the community for years, I joined right away. Why do you volunteer? The honest answer would be because I was asked. But I immediately saw volunteering on the Membership Committee as an opportunity to be a voice for scientists in non-academic positions since the Biophysical Society and many other similar organizations are predominantly oriented towards academia. What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? The industry panels, both online and in person at the Annual Meeting, have clearly been the highlight. This direct inter action with members and attendees has been very reward ing. To be able to help young scientists better navigate the transition from academia to industry by trying to answer their questions has demonstrated that there is a need for such

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

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

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Communities Member Corner

Members in the News

Carlos Bustamante , University of California, Berkeley and Society member since 1984, was named a Vallee Visiting Professor.

Grants & Opportunities

Wellcome Discovery Awards This opportunity provides funding for established re searchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver signifi cant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health, and well-being. Who can apply: Applicants’ host organizations must be based in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China). Deadline: April 16, 2024 Website: https:/ wellcome.org/grant-funding/schemes/ discovery-awards

Elsa U. Pardee Foundation Grants This Foundation funds research directed toward iden tifying new treatments or cures for cancer. Projects are funded for a one-year period, which will allow for the es tablishment of capabilities for new cancer researchers or new cancer approaches by established cancer research ers. Project relevance to cancer detection, treatment, or cure should be clearly identified. Who can apply: Investigators at United States non-profit institutions Deadline: April 30, 2024 Website: https:/pardeefoundation.org/how-to-apply/

Student Spotlight

Dan Birtles University of Maryland College Park What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life? A skill I’ve learned is dealing with adversity. Anyone who has or is currently pursuing a PhD will be able to attest to how many times experiments did not go to plan or something did not quite work out as expected. I think being able to cope with adversity, both emotionally and experimentally, and to come out the other side having learned something is a skill that can be applied to all aspects of life.

Dan Birtles

February 2024

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Career Development

BPS Career Center offers job seekers the tools needed to quickly find and apply for top biophysics jobs available only through the Society.

• POST a CV or an anonymous career profile that leads employers to you • SEARCH and apply to hundreds of biophysics jobs using robust filters • SET UP job alerts that deliver the latest jobs right to your inbox Connecting you to top biophysics jobs!

• ASK the experts your career questions • RECEIVE a free evaluation of your CV

1. Visit https://biophysics-jobs.careerwebsite.com. 2. On the career center homepage, under the Job Seeker section, select “ My Account ”. 3. Log in or create an account by clicking “ Create an Account ” option. 4. Enter all required information to complete your profile. 5. Return to BPS Career Center by clicking the link “ BPS Career Center Home ” on the left navigation. Monitor job application activity, check for alerts and messages, or update your CV for employers and recruiters to view. Your CV is more valuable when it’s current and complete. Creating your job seeker account:

14 Contact BPS Career Center customer service department at (727) 497-6565 or email clientserv@communitybrands.com for more information. February 2024

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In Memoriam

Frederick Sachs Frederick Sachs (1941–2023), SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sci ences, passed away on December 27. Fred was a long-time member of the Biophysical Society and recipient of the prestigious Ken neth S. Cole Award in 2013 for his significant contributions to the

a drug to inhibit these channels. In 2001, he led a research team that identified a peptide in Chilean rose tarantula venom that suppresses mechanical senses in cells. He also conduct ed the first voltage clamp studies of isolated adult heart cells and was responsible for the first single-channel recording from tissue-cultured cells. Fred developed novel biophysical concepts through the innovative use of quantitative elec trophysiology; bright field, fluorescence, internal reflection, atomic force, and electron microscopy; auditory biophysics; mathematical modeling, programming, instrument, and soft ware design; and silicon microfabrication. In addition to receiving the Cole Award, Fred received multiple other honors throughout his career and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011. Aside from his scientific pursuits, he enjoyed kayaking, playing the banjo, and creating art using welded steel.

Frederick Sachs

understanding of cell membrane biophysics. Fred was a renowned biophysicist whose interests centered around mechanical and electrical biophysics. He discovered mechanosensitive ion channels, which form the basis of the senses of hearing, touch, and balance, in 1983 and created

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BPS Important Dates

Biophysical Journal Proton Reactions Special Issue Submission Deadline February 15, 2024

Tahoe Molecular Biophysics of Membranes BPS Conference Early Registration Deadline March 22, 2024 Tahoe Molecular Biophysics of Membranes BPS Conference Abstract Deadline February 29, 2024 Biophysical Journal Developmental Biophysics Special Issue Submission Deadline March 31, 2024 Biophysical Journal Point Spread Functions Special Issue Submission Deadline April 15, 2024

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BPS Awards and Fellows Nomination Deadline May 1, 2024

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