Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2019

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January 2019

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y

Biophysical SocietyWelcomes New Executive Officer

Jennifer Pesanelli became the new Executive Officer of the Biophysical Society on January 2, 2019. Pesanelli comes to the Society from Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) where she was Deputy Executive Director for Operations and Director of Publications. She had been with FASEB since 1997 where she held many leadership roles. The selection of Pesanelli follows a nationwide search led by Sterling Martin Associates, Inc., and an internal committee consisting of Society officers, members of Council, and one outside (non-BPS) scientific Society executive. “After a six month search full of incredibly talented candidates, the Biophysical Society has named Jennifer Pesanelli as the new Executive Officer, succeeding Ro Kampman who retired after 21 years with the BPS. Jennifer’s experience and skills will continue to move the Society forward with congeniality and vision. We are delighted to welcome her to the BPS,” said Angela M. Gronenborn , President of the Society.

Jennifer Pesanelli

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Inside Biophysicist in Profile

Nominations NowOpen for 2020 Society Awards The Biophysical Society is accepting nominations for its 2020 awards now through May 1, 2019. Awards to be bestowed in 2020 include: The Anatrace Membrane Protein Award , which recognizes an outstanding investiga- tor who has made a significant contribution to the field of membrane protein research; The Avanti Award in Lipids , given to an investigator for outstanding contributions to our understanding of lipid biophysics; The Michael and Kate Bárány Award for Young Investigators , which recognizes an outstanding contribution to biophysics by a person who has not achieved the rank of full professor at the time of nomination; The BPS Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease , honoring a significant con- tribution to understanding the fundamental cause or pathogenesis of disease, or to enabling the treatment or prevention of a disease; The BPS Innovation Award , recognizing a BPS member who advances our fundamen- tal understanding of biological systems through the development of novel theory, models, concepts, techniques, or applications. The Distinguished Service Award , which honors service in the field of biophysics and contributions beyond achievements in research; The Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award , given to a woman who holds very high promise or has achieved prominence while developing the early stages of a career in biophysical research within the purview and interest of the Biophysical Society;

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Public Affairs Publications Annual Meeting

Career Development 12 Member Corner & Important Dates 14 Student Spotlight 15 Communities 16 Upcoming Events 20

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Biophysicist in Profile

Officers President Angela Gronenborn President-Elect David Piston Past-President Lukas Tamm Secretary Frances Separovic Treasurer Kalina Hristova Council

Jung-Chi Liao Areas of Research Superresolution microscopy of primary cilium studies

He stayed in Oster’s lab for four years before joining Simbios, an NIH Center for Biomedical Computation headed by Russ Altman and Scott Delp at Stanford University, as a Research As- sociate. He worked with Altman, Delp, and Jim Spudich to model myosin, another ATP-driven molecular motor. “We used different ap- proaches to understand the mechanochem- istry of myosin. We revealed the allosteric communication pathway within the structure of myosin to couple the ATP binding and the movement of the lever arm, and we estab- lished a kinetic model to explain the dwell- time distribution of the myosin power stroke cycle,” he says. He realized that it would be even better if he could conduct both modeling and experimental work, so he began work- ing in Spudich’s lab, learning experimental techniques for myosin studies. “Several people helped me a lot on learning experimental assays when I was at Spudich’s lab, including Zev Bryant , Alex Dunn , Mary Elting , Shiv Sivara- makrishnan , Ben Spink , and Shirley Sutton ,” Liao shares. “I focused on a myosin VI project under the guidance of Jim and Zev with help from Mary and identified minimal structural deter- minants of myosin VI’s reverse directionality. We were able to replace myosin VI’s lever arm to change its moving direction.” After three years at Stanford, he accepted a faculty position at Columbia University in 2008. Around that time there had been breakthroughs in fluorescence microscopy, specifically STED and PALM/STORM superres- olution microscopy that broke the diffraction limit. He was inspired by these breakthroughs, led by Stefan Hell , Eric Betzig , and Xiaowei Zhuang , and decided to start his own lab with a focus on superresolution microscopy. “With help from Stefan Hell and his lab members, my PhD students Bhavik Nathwani and T ony Yang built a two-color continuous-wave STED microscopy system in my lab. We first used it to image dendritic spines in neurons by collaborating with Rafael Yuste , but found that a lot of labs were working on spine imaging using superresolution microscopy,” he says. “It was by chance that I got to know Dieter Egli and Rudolph Leibel , who are interested in ciliary functions and were trying to image primary cilia using superresolution microscopy. That was the starting point when my lab moved our focus toward understanding primary cilia using superresolution microscopy.” In 2014, he moved back to Taiwan to accept a position as an Associate Research Fellow

(equivalent to Associate Professor) at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences (IAMS) of the Academia Sinica. “I have been continuing my research focus on primary cili- um research using superresolution microscopy incorporating more techniques including 2D and 3D dSTORM and sptPALM in addition to STED,” he says. “We revealed the molecular ar- chitecture of the transition zone and the distal appendages at the ciliary base. Our transition zone study provides a structural framework for functional studies related to transition zone proteins that are important for various ciliopathies. Our distal appendage study re- defines the architecture of distal appendages as two different regions, that is, the distal appendage blades and matrix. Thus, instead of a nine-blade architecture, the appendage region is a cone-shaped structure essential for the regulation of transmembrane protein passage. In addition to using superresolution microscopy for studies of biological problems, we are now also developing a new microsco- py-based method to be broadly useful for the cell biology community.” “Since Dr. Liao joined IAMS, he has been active in promoting bioimaging research in Taiwan,” shares his institutional colleague Chia-Lung Hsieh . “He has always tried to make Taiwan a better place for bioimaging/biophysical research. He is willing to serve the community, to bridge the local community to the global.” Jie Xiao , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, with whom Liao organized a Biophysical Society thematic meeting in Taiwan, says, “Jung-Chi is a great colleague that everyone would want be with. He is kind, gentle, considerate, and generous with his time; he does not talk much but he gets things done thoroughly and efficiently. I look forward to seeing Jung-Chi becoming a rising star in his research field, and at the same time taking on leadership roles reaching out to a larger scientific community.” Liao advises young biophysicists to “attend the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting and listen to a lot of talks to figure out what may interest you the most. Once the direction of your interest is decided, attend some confer- ences in that focused area (Biophysical Society thematic meetings or small meetings held by other societies) and get to know people and their works in depth.”

Institution Academia Sinica

At-a-Glance

Zev Bryant Jane Clarke Linda Columbus Bertrand Garcia-Moreno Teresa Giraldez Ruben Gonzalez, Jr. Arthur Palmer Marina Ramirez-Alvarado Jennifer Ross David Stokes Joanna Swain Pernilla Wittung-Stafeshede Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief

Jung-Chi Liao began his scientific studies as a mechanical engineer, and quickly sought out oppor- tunities to apply his knowledge to a different challenge. He was exposed to the world of molecu- lar motors, which set him down the path to becoming a biophysicist.

Jung-Chi Liao

Jung-Chi Liao studied mechanical engineering as an under- graduate at National Taiwan University in Taipei. He was interested in mechanical vibration, so following his graduation he went to MIT to pursue a PhD working on understand- ing fluid-structure interaction of oil drilling pipes with Kim Vandiver . “Toward the end of my PhD studies around 2000 and 2001, I thought, is there any new research direction that would be challenging and exciting for a mechanical engi- neer?” he says. “The vibration research in solving real-world problems in the oil industry was pretty cool, but I wanted to explore some new stuff.” He started attending a popular nanotechnology class taught by Christine Ortiz and became fascinated by molecular motors. “In one lecture, to my surprise, I found that the most amaz- ing nano-machines are actually those ATP-driven molecular motors in biology, such as myosin, kinesin, dynein, F1 ATPase, helicase, and many others. They can walk, rotate, and translo- cate, much like mechanical machines, but in a super tiny 5–10 nm size,” he explains. “I was deeply intrigued by these ma- chines —who wasn’t at that time? — and started to read a lot of books and papers related to molecular motors, including works by James Spudich , Steve Block , Ron Vale , Carlos Bustamante , Kazuhiko Kinosita , Joe Howard , George Oster , Michael Fisher , and Martin Karplus , to name a few. During that time, I also had a few chances to talk to Rob Phillips . He en- couraged me a lot in moving toward biophysics.” In 2001, he met George Oster at Berkeley. “At that time, I was just an ‘oil piper,’ while George’s lab had just published a few groundbreaking papers introducing the concepts of Brown- ian ratchets and power strokes at the framework of Fok- ker-Planck models. George gave me guidance on the molecu- lar motor field when we first met,” he shares. “And the second time, he decided to give this mechanical engineer a try as a postdoc to model molecular motors.” Oster suggested that he apply for postdoctoral fellowships, writing about a project modeling GroEL. “During those two to three months, I read more than 100 papers related to ATP-driven molecular motors and GroEL, bought a vegetable

steamer to get hints on cooperative motion of different GroEL subunits, and discussed back and forth with George about the mechanochemical coupling of GroEL,” he says. “Finally, one day after finishing my PhD study in ‘Vortex-induced Vibra- tion of Slender Structures in Unsteady Flow,’ I moved from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Berkeley to pretend to be a biophysicist in October 2001.” He caught up quickly due to a unique feature of Oster’s lab culture. “The famous thing about George’s lab was that all lab members went to a café outside of the Berkeley campus ev- ery morning to have a cup of coffee or tea and discuss mod- eling ideas on a couple of pieces of paper on the table. Every morning, we did the same thing. It was a unique training style of George’s and certainly benefitted me quite a bit to dive into the excitement of the field quickly,” Liao shares. His first project in Oster’s lab was to model the conforma- tional states of Mg-ATP in water using molecular dynamics simulation, with much help from his postdoc colleague Sean Sun . “We revealed that magnesium coordinates with either two (beta- and gamma-) phosphates or three (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-) phosphates with a similar free energy level. We also identified the conformational energy landscape of Mg- ATP and illustrated the corresponding conformational states of different Mg-ATP molecules in different protein-bound crystal structures,” he explains. “After that, we collaborated with Smita Patel’s lab to examine the mechanochemical cou- pling of hexameric T7 DNA helicase, my first mechanochem- ical study of an ATP-driven molecular motor. We found that the subunits move single-stranded DNA through the center of the ring in a sequential manner, and proposed a power-stroke model with the coupled ATP hydrolysis cycle that is consistent with all experimental results of kinetic studies. I then worked on modeling several other ATP-associated molecular motors, including F1 ATP synthase, Rho transcription termination factor, and hepatitis C virus NS3 helicase. These projects were completed with several outstanding colleagues, including Jianhua Xing , Joshua Adelman , and Wenjun Zheng .”

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor Beth Staehle Contributing Writers and Proofreaders Dorothy Chaconas Laura Phelan

Caitlin Simpson Elizabeth Vuong Sean Winkler

Production Catie Curry Ray Wolfe

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. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2019 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

January 2019

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Public Affairs

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Around theWorld Chinese Scientists Are Overworked, Underpaid According to Survey The non-profit China Association for Science and Technol- ogy analyzed data from 48,099 scientists across China and found dissatisfaction had grown since its last survey in 2013. Home-grown Chinese scientists report lower salaries than their counterparts who left and then returned to China, and report, on average, working over 50 hours a week. Young scientists report initial salaries ranging from $40,000-60,000 and are concerned about being able to support their families. https:/www.scmp.com/news/china/science/arti- cle/2174819/chinas-scientists-overworked-and-under- paid-compared-other Initial Brexit Deal Emerges In early November, a draft Brexit deal detailing the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) was unveiled by British Prime Minister Theresa May and is now awaiting Parliament’s approval. The impact of the draft agreement on science is not fully known, but prominent Brit- ish researchers have expressed concerns over the freedom of movement and continued access to EU-funded research initiatives. More than 1,600 BPS members hail from EU coun- tries and the United Kingdom and whatever form a Brexit deal takes will have major impacts on their research. Ireland Secures $400Million Genomics Investment According to a report in the Irish Times , the Dublin-based Genomics Medicine Ireland will receive a $400 million invest- ment and expects to recruit over 600 new employees for an ambitious genome research project. Up to one in ten people in Ireland will have their genetic makeup mapped, and research- ers hope the project will accelerate the adoption of precision medicine in Ireland. Join the BPS Public Affairs Commit- tee for a panel on Brexit and Science onMarch 3 at 2:30 PM. Confirmed speakers include the British Embassy and the European Biophysical Societies’ Association.

Biophysical SocietyWelcomes New Executive Officer

Nominations NowOpen for 2020 Society Awards The Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Biophysics , recognizing outstanding researchers for their exceptional con- tributions in advancing the field of single-molecule biophys- ics; The Ignacio Tinoco Award , which honors the scientific contri- butions, work, and life of an outstanding biophysical chemist, educator, and mentor; The Founders Award , given to scientists for outstanding achievement in any area of biophysics; and the 2020 Fellows of the Biophysical Society , honoring distinguished members who have demonstrated sustained scientific excellence. Awards will be presented at the 2020 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. For information and to submit a nomination, visit www.biophysics.org/awards. In addition to overseeing business operations at FASEB, Pasanelli led the Federation’s association management com- pany, and brings to BPS strong strategic planning and man- agement experience as well as a background in publications. She is a Certified Association Executive and was President of the Society for Scholarly Publishing in 2017–2018. “I am excited and honored to serve as the next Executive Officer for the Biophysical Society, “ said Pesanelli. “The legacy of Ro Kampman is a strong and successful organiza- tion. I look forward to working with the members and staff to build on the great work that has already been done, ensuring continued success and a thriving Biophysical Society.” Ro Kampman, who had been the BPS Executive Officer since January 1998, retired at the end of 2018 (see September BPS Bulletin ). She will be splitting her time between Maryland and California and is looking forward to traveling and time with her family. Pesanelli looks forward to meeting Society members and leaders at the upcoming Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Continued from Page 1

NIH’s Francis Collins Expresses Concern over Epic Scientific CRISPRMisadventure

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson Prepares to Chair House Science Panel, Rep. Frank Lucas Named RankingMember After eight years in the minority, House Democrats are set to assume the majority in January and are preparing to chair the various House committees. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX- 30) will become the Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which maintains broad jurisdiction over the nation’s research and development enterprise. She has laid out three major goals for her term: • Ensuring the United States remains the global leader in science and innovation; • Addressing the challenges of climate change and; • Restoring the credibility of the Science Committee as a place where science is respected and recognized as a crucial component of the public policy process. On November 30, House Republican leadership revealed that Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK-3) will serve as the Ranking Member on the Science Panel. He is taking over the top Republican spot from retiring Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21), who served as Chair since 2013. On November 28, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Francis Collins expressed deep concern about He Jiankui’s announcement, presented at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong, describing his efforts using CRISPR-Cas9 technology on human embryos. Collins, and many other research community leaders, be- lieve Jiankui’s work flouted international ethics norms, lacked proper informed consent procedures, and was conducted in a non-transparent fashion. “It is profoundly unfortunate that the first apparent application of this powerful technique to the human germline has been carried out so irresponsibly,” said Collins.

NSF Lifts Submission Cap for BIO Directorate On September 27, Joanne Tornow , Acting Assistant Director for the Biological Sciences (BIO), National Science Foundation (NSF), unveiled reforms to the BIO division’s grant/solicitation process. BIO proposed placing caps on the number of annual grant submissions from a single principal investigator (PI) (or co-PI) to its various programs. A single PI would only be able to be listed as a PI or co-PI on one BIO grant annually. However, on November 15, Tornow reversed this policy after hearing numerous concerns from the research community and witnessing a decline in grant proposals. “BIO places a high value on collaboration and on fostering ca- reers of new investigators; thus, we held internal discussions to consider ways to address these concerns,” said Tornow. Read the full statement: https:/oadblog.nsfbio. com/2018/11/15/submission-limits/ While many biomedical researchers are excited about the potential of CRISPR/Cas technologies to treat and prevent disease, the ethical concerns regarding editing germline cells are real and unresolved. Many fear this surprise announcement may lead to public backlash against the technology. “Lest there be any doubt, and as we have stated previously, NIH does not support the use of gene-editing technologies in human embryos,”concluded Collins. Read the full statement: https:/www.nih.gov/about- nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/state- ment-claim-first-gene-edited-babies-chinese-researcher

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January 2019

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Publications

Know the Editor Bridget Carragher

Biophysical Journal Welcomes New BoardMembers The 2019 Editorial Board has been finalized and the Journal is pleased to welcome the following new members to the board: Christopher Ahern , University of Iowa Doug Barrick , Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University Philip Biggin , Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford Scott Blanchard , Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College Olga Boudker , Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College Sudha Chakrapani , Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University Guy Genin , School of Engineering and Applied Science, Washington University in St. Louis Ido Golding , Baylor College of Medicine Pablo Iglesias , Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University Meyer Jackson , Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison Alexander Kornev , Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego Ilya Levental , Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center Jan Liphardt , Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Lisa Manning , Department of Physics, Syracuse University Susan Schroeder , Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Oklahoma Toshia Tsukiyama , Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Dimitrios Vavylonis , Lehigh University Sarah Veatch , Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan Ahmet Yildiz , Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley In addition, Vasanthi Jayaraman and Jason Kahn , while not new to the Journal’s Editorial Board, have been promoted to Associate Editors. Submit Your Next Paper to Biophysical Journal https:/biophysj.msubmit.net

National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy Editor, Proteins

Bridget Carragher

Biophysical Journal Selects Paper of the Year for 2018 The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Bin Xu and Alexandra Jilkine , University of Notre Dame, have been selected as the winners of the Biophysical Journal Paper of the Year Award for 2018. Their winning paper is titled “Modeling the Dynam- ics of Cdc42 Oscillation in Fission Yeast.” The paper was published in the February 6, 2018, issue of Biophysical Journal . This award was established to recognize young investigators who publish an outstanding paper in the journal within the pre- vious 12 months. Papers are nominated for the award by the Associate Editors of the Biophysical Journal . Jilkine is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Notre Dame where Xu is a Lumpkins Postdoctoral Research Associate. “It is critical that the research community continue to promote young scientists as they grow into their careers,” said Jilkine. “We are honored to accept the Paper of the Year Award from the Biophysical Journal and look forward to sharing our research at the upcoming BPS Annual Meeting.” Although the award is usually given to the corresponding author, in this case Xu and Jilkine were co-corresponding authors and will share the monetary prize. In addition, each will receive a plaque and Xu will present a short talk at the Award Symposium, during the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland. Open Access – Surveying the Landscape By now the science community is well aware of Plan S, the initiative by a group of European government funding agencies to ensure that by 2020 all authors whose research is funded by the now 17 signatory countries only publish in open access jour- nals that abide by the ten rules of Plan S. A brief article on this subject appeared in the November issue of the BPS Bulletin (Page 5). Since that article, the Welcomme Trust and the Gates Foundation have signed on to Plan S; however, there has also been backlash from the science community in the form of an open letter from researchers to European funding agen- cies, academies, universities, research institutions, and decision makers. A copy of the open letter, a list of signatories, and other information is available at https:/sites.google.com/view/plansopenletter/home. Meanwhile, in the United States, some scientific societies have been meeting with the Office of Science Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding possible open access mandates for government funded research. Several society publishers believe that as soon as a head of OSTP is approved, there will be an announcement on this issue. A recent meeting of 22 scientific societies that publish journals outlined questions and concerns surrounding possible zero embargo periods and discussed ways to move forward, including doing a better job of communicating the value of rigorous peer review, managing that process, and market- ing and distributing research.

What are you currently working on that excites you? As everyone who knows me is aware, I have always been interested in automation and streamlining the methods of cryo electron-microscopy (cryo-EM). Cryo-EM is a method for determining the structure of macromolecular machines in the cell; the method underwent a revolution about five years ago and is now becoming well established as a struc- tural technique. Most recently my group has been trying to improve the methods for preparing specimens for cryo-EM. This entails reducing a bulk sample to a thin film (<100nm thick), supported on a holey carbon or gold film and supported by a copper or gold mesh grid, and then rapidly plunging the grid into a good cryogen to snap the thin film from the liquid to the solid state. In this so called solid “vitrified” state the sample can be examined in the electron microscope and the images can be used to obtain near atomic resolution maps of the molecules. The process of vitrifying the samples is still somewhat of an art form and there are a number of physical difficulties that can alter or destroy the sample when prepar- ing them in this way. We are developing robotic devices and new ways of making thin films of samples that we hope will ameliorate these negative effects. I am definitely working beyond the far edge of my understanding of the physics and engineering on these issues; that is certainly exciting, but also encourages me to discuss this problem with scientists and engineers from all sorts of other disciplines. How much more fun could that be? Who would you like to sit next to at a dinner party? (Scientist or not) So many people, but for sure any of the many women who have forged a path forward and made it possible for me and others like me to be writing these words, so that I could tell them thanks for the inspiration and all the hard work. How about: Marie Curie , Rosalind Franklin , Ada Lovelace , Emmy Noether … the list of women that have paved the way is very long and these are only the ones that immediately spring to mind. And then also Janet Iwasa , Jennifer Doudna , and how about those Nobel Prizes this year? Finally!

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January 2019

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Publications

In Search of Tweeters and Bloggers!

Virtual and Augmented Reality Meets Biophysics Don’t miss this session at the BPS Annual Meeting in Baltimore! Monday, March 4, 2018, 2:15-3:45 PM As virtual reality has become cheaper and more accessible, the research and educational applications of this technology have grown. Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR, AR, & MR) technologies offer immersive experiences by exposing human senses to computer-generated sounds, images, and haptic stimulations. This session will showcase to researchers, educators, and students how these technologies are being applied in biophysics research and education and offer participants a chance to test out these new tools and experience the power and prospects of VR and AR in the classroom and the research lab.

Do you like to write, blog, and tweet about science? Do you believe in the power of social media? The Biophysical Journal is looking for 3–5 junior faculty members or early career researchers (post PhD) to tweet about articles in the journal and write related blog posts for the Society’s 3,500 blog read- ers. You will join the team of Society members who discuss exciting new science published continuously in Biophysical Journal while adding Social Media Contributor to your list of accomplishments. Interested candidates can view the Society blog at https:/www.biophysics.org/blog and follow both the Society and BJ on Twitter @BiophysicalSoc and @BiophysJ Tweets will be from the Biophysical Journal account and will not be attributed; blog posts will have attribution. Contribu- tors will be expected to prepare 60–70 tweets and approxi- mately 4 blog posts per year. Selected social media contribu- tors will have their name on the journal masthead, be profiled in the BPS Bulletin , and receive a small stipend. Sorry, grad students are not eligible. To submit your application, visit https:/www.surveymonkey.com/r/MQC2WBX

A Journal for All Biophysics As the journal of the Biophysical Society, the Biophysical Journal serves a diverse and multi-discipline research commu- nity of authors and readers. It needs to reflect the mission to publish “…work that elucidates important biological, chemical, or physical mechanisms and provides quantitative insight into fundamental problems at the molecular, cellular, and systems and whole-organism levels. Articles published in the journal should be of general interest to quantitative biologists, re- gardless of their research specialty.” It is a tall order and one the journal takes seriously. Through self-examination, talking with members, listening to author feedback, and reaching out with publication surveys as the Society did recently, the journal strives to reflect the community it serves. It is clear that there is a faithful core of Society members who regularly submit papers to the journal (as well as acting as reviewers, in many cases). A recurring theme among BPS members who do not regularly submit to the BJ is that they feel that the journal has no place for their particular specialty, because they never see papers in the journal that are relevant to their own work. In a large sense, this perception is cultural — papers that are published in the journal encourage similar papers to be submitted. There are also Society members who do not appear to consider the journal as the natural place to submit their papers. But I would argue that the Biophysical Journal is there for all biophysicists. I see it as a forum for any work that describes itself as biophysics. I would like the journal to be regarded as a place where articles of general interest to wide biophysical fields are read by people from many specialties. Through the organizational structure of subject area Sections, the journal has, over the years, adapted to changes in the field of biophysics by embracing emerging areas; expanding Sec-

tions in growth areas; combining, renaming, and splitting Sec- tions to reflect the ebb and flow of submissions and to attract papers in new areas. Sections are intended to guide authors in their submission decisions and guide readers through the Table of Contents. Sometimes, however, even good things need to change. As we examine the scope of the current seven Sections in Bio- physical Journal , we know that many of the papers submitted and published can span multiple Sections. This creates con- fusion at submission and means some articles may not get read because they are categorized “incorrectly” in the Table of Contents. Some authors perceive the Sections as exclusive rather than inclusive; if they don’t envision their research falling within a subject area heading, they believe the journal won’t welcome their work. How can we broaden the reach of the journal to include more of the specialties that are included, for example, in the Annual Meeting? Beginning January 1, 2019, authors will be asked to submit manuscripts to an Associate Editor rather than to a Section and the Journal’s Table of Contents will be free of subject headings. Rest assured, we will ensure that our editors have expertise that reflects the breadth of biophysics and our ever expand- ing reviewer pool draws from all the interdisciplinary areas of science that are represented in the work of biophysicists. Although a small change, it is our hope that this will position the journal to be more inclusive of all of the flavors of bio- physics, and, as always, encourage all biophysicists to regard BJ as their go-to place for biophysics publication. — Jane Dyson Editor In Chief, Biophysical Journal

BiophysicalSocietyseries Physics of Cancer Interplaybetweentumorbiology, inflammationandcellmechanics

BiophysicalSocietyseries Physics of Cancer Cellularandmicroenvironmentale ects

ClaudiaTanjaMierke

VOLUME ONE

SECOND EDITION

VOLUME TWO

SECOND EDITION

BiophysicalSociety

Numbers By the

In 2018, BPS was able to support 172 members with Travel, Poster, and Bridging Awards, allowing them to travel to the Annual and Thematic Meetings, present their work, and network with peers.

January 2019

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Annual Meeting

Theory and Experiment to the Cell and Back Exhibitor Presentations Exhibitor presentations will be held throughout the Annual Meeting by companies that have exciting products, tools, and technologies to showcase. All meeting attendees are wel- come at these presentations. Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Mizar Imaging 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM HORIBA Scientific 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Leica Microsystems 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Wyatt Technology Corporation 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM ELEMENTS SRL Monday, March 4, 2019 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM TA Instruments 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Bruker Corporation 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Bruker Corporation 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Asylum Research 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Nanion Technologies 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM Bruker Corporation 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Alvéole 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM NanoSurface Biomedical 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Molecular Devices 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM LUMICKS Tuesday, March 5, 2019 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Sophion Bioscience A/S *Presentation list as of December 20, 2018. Interested in exhibiting and hosting an exhibitor presentation? Visit www.biophysics.org/2019meeting/exhibits/ for more information.

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 biophysics? If you answered yes, then you need to stop by the Career De- velopment Center during the Annual Meeting to post or view

the latest job openings! Annual Meeting Special:

First-Time Attendee Drop By Saturday, March 2, 2019, 5:00 PM–6:00 PM Is this your first time attending a Biophysical Soci- ety Annual Meeting? Wondering what to do first? Wondering how to get the most out of your time? Drop by the First-Time Attendee event on Sat- urday evening during the Opening Mixer to learn how to navigate the meeting. Society staff and committee members will be on hand to answer your questions about the meeting and help you gain the most from your time at the BPS 2019 Annual Meeting. NewMember Welcome Coffee Monday, March 4, 2019, 10:15 AM–11:15 AM All new Biophysical Society members are invited to participate in an informal gathering to meet members of the Society’s Council and find out about the Society’s activities and programs, get acquainted with other new members, and enjoy refreshments. Current members are encouraged to come meet the new members. Interested in meeting new people and experi- encing the local flavors of Baltimore? Meet at the Society Booth each evening, Sunday through Tuesday, at 6:00 PM where local students will coordinate dinner at a nearby restaurant. Want toPresent Your Research? There’s still time! LateAbstract SubmissionDeadline: January28, 2019 Dinner Meet-Ups Sunday – Tuesday, 6:00 PM

Poster Printing Looking for an easy way to have your poster printed and delivered directly to the Baltimore Convention Center for onsite pickup? Tray Printing will simplify poster printing and allow you to pick up your poster onsite. Visit https:/www.biophys- ics.org/2019meeting/abstracts/poster-guidelines for more information. A discount is available to those who submit their printing request on or be- fore February 27, 2019. Tray will begin accepting orders on January 16, 2019. Annual Meeting of the Student Chapters Monday, March 4, 2019, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM BPS Student Chapter members are invited to attend the Student Chapter Meeting! At the event, Student Chapters from around the world will exchange best practices (and share challenges!) in marketing their chapters and recruiting members, performing community outreach in science, and hosting chapter events. This event is open only to students currently in a BPS Student Chapter. Biophysics 101: Gene Editing Monday, March 4, 2019, 1:30 PM–3:00 PM Gene editing refers to the modification of ge- netic material in living organisms by introducing insertions, deletions or base-pair changes. These modifications have been greatly facilitated by the discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in bacteria and subsequent adaptations for higher organ- isms. The speakers in this session will focus on new methods being developed for gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 and related CRISPR systems, including RNA editing, tissue-specific gene editing, therapeutic strategies, and applications to plant breeding and crop development.

Thank you to our sponsors: ACS Omega Asylum Research Alvéole Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Bruker Corporation Burroughs Wellcome Fund Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC Chroma Technology ELEMENTS SRL FISBA US Hamamatsu Corporation HORIBA Scientific Journal of Cell Science Journal of General Physiology Leica Microsystems LUMICKS Mad City Labs Mizar Imaging Molecular Devices Nanion Technologies NanoSurface Biomedical Photonics Media Physics Today Smart Ephys Sophion Bioscience A/S Sutter Instrument The Journal of Physical Chemistry Wyatt Technology Corporation

Employers - Post early to save and increase visibility! Job Seekers - Upload your resume now and let employers find you or search for jobs and connect with employers at the Annual Meeting. Here are the advantages to posting your job or resume on the Society Job Board between now and February 16: For Employers • Active job posting on the Society Job Board for 60 days • Copies of your job posting for participants to view onsite if your job is live during the time of the Annual Meeting • Space available to conduct interviews onsite at the meeting For Job Seekers • Connect with employers searching to fill vacant positions now and meet up at the Annual Meeting. • Grab vacant job descriptions and identify those employers that are onsite at the Annual Meeting. • Ability to be interviewed on-site at the meeting • Time saved at the Annual Meeting Resume posting is FREE for all attendees. Job posting is available at a deeply discounted special rate. Can’t post your job by February 16? Don’t worry! You may still post your job at the Annual Meeting, but your job posting will not include the advantages that take place at the Annual Meeting. For more information, please visit www.biophysics.org/2019meeting/ program/career-development-center.

biophysics.org/ 2019meeting

January 2019

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y

Career Development

On the Benefits of Moving Internationally The time has long gone since profes- sionals used to get their first position and retire at the same place. This is particularly true in academia. Like many others, I have been fortunate to move from place to place since I was 15 years old. I was born in a small village in India and could only obtain education there until grade 10. Therefore, I moved to a city nearby to complete grades 11 and

From the Blog biophysics.org/blog

to effectively communicate with others and notably enhanced my networking skills. I have also had significant exposure to colleagues who are active in research in different disciplines of science, as well as members of the community who do not have a science background. Such engagement has taught me how to effectively explain research work to an audience with a diverse background. Moving internationally requires a few considerations. You should carefully evaluate the purpose of the move and your long-term— as well as short-term— objectives and how they align with the change of environment. Next, weigh the pros and cons of moving to that specific place rather than any other. Often, it is beneficial to examine the long-term gain over the short-term pain. Make sure you visit a place before you consider moving there, and if it’s not possible to visit, research what it is like to live and work in that area, including cost of living. Your willingness to accept a change in lifestyle, adaptability to the new socioeconomic environment, the availability of food and entertainment options, an outgoing personality, and good networking and communication skills are some of the critical ingredients that will make moving joyful. Some of the benefits of moving include recognition in the field; the addition of skills to your CV, which you may not be able to acquire where you currently live and work; and of course, getting familiar with a variety of cultures, food, and people. — Trushar R. Patel , University of Lethbridge, Canada L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship This program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants of $60,000 each for their contribu- tions in STEM fields and commitment to serving as role models for younger generations. Who can apply: To be eligible one must have a con- ferred PhD and have started in a postdoctoral research position by February 1, 2019; must be American born, a naturalized citizen, or permanent resident of the Unit- ed States; and must plan to conduct their postdoctoral studies and research in the United States. For other criteria, go to http:/www.lorealusa.com/csr-commit- ments/l%E2%80%99or%C3%A9al-usa-for-women-in-sci- ence-program. Deadline: February 1, 2019

Cell Stretching Systems

Molecular Mechanisms of Inflammatory Signaling in COPD

20+ Years of Experience Cited in Over 180 Publications

November was COPD Awareness Month in the United States. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, affects an estimated 65 million people, according to the World Health Organization. In recognition of this aware- ness month, we spoke with Biophysical Society member Thomas J. Brett about his lab’s research into the molecular mechanisms that contribute to airway health and disease. https:/www.biophysics.org/blog/molecular-mecha- nisms-of-inflammatory-signaling-in-copd

Grants & Opportunities 12 and later to another city for undergraduate and master’s studies. As this stage, I thought my last move would be to get a job and settle down. But I quickly realized that a master’s degree may not offer adequate career options, so I left India for the United Kingdom to pursue doctoral studies, and later to Canada for postdoctoral studies, where I spent the longest time in one place since my childhood in the village where I was born. I was fortunate to receive a fellowship from the European Union which allowed me to move to the United Kingdom again to continue expanding my research skills and expertise. During this time, I was offered a job back in Canada, albeit in a different city. I have been here nearly two and a half years now. Over the years I realized that moving from country to country and laboratory to laboratory, provided me with an immense number of transferable skills, in addition to science-related skills. While studying in Birmingham, Nottingham, and Winni- peg, I have met colleagues from many countries with diverse backgrounds, both in science and ethnicity. I have learned how Welch Award in Chemistry The purpose of this award is to foster and encourage basic chemical research and to recognize, in a substan- tial manner, the value of chemical research contributions for the benefit of humankind. The award is intended to recognize contributions that have not previously been rewarded in a similar manner. Who can apply: Any person can submit a nomination for consideration, though self-nominations are not permit- ted. Any person can be considered for the award who has made important chemical research contributions which have a significant, positive influence on human- kind. For more information, visit http:/www.welch1. org/awards/welch-award-in-chemistry/welch-award- guidelines. Deadline: January 31, 2019

BPS 2019: Booth #402

Why is Strex the best option for your research? strexcell.com/seewhy

info@strexcell.com (866) 844-4374

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its 2018 Industry Partners.

BPS Job Board Special! Post your job and save! In celebration of the Society’s An- nual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland on March 2-6, 2019, BPS is offering you a 60 day job posting for just $100 for members or $200 for nonmembers. This includes unlimit- ed access to the resume bank. Job posting must be pur- chased by February 16, 2019. You will also receive these additional benefits if your job is still active during the time of the Annual Meeting: • Job Posting is viewable online before and after the Meeting • Your job will be posted in print at the Annual meeting in the Career Center • Access to interview rooms in the Career Center at the Meeting* *Limited rooms available. First come, first serve.

GOLD SILVER

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

January 2019

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y

Member Corner

Important Dates 63 rd BPS Annual Meeting March 2–6, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland Late Abstract Submission and Registration Deadline: January 28, 2019 BPS Thematic Meetings Quantitative Aspects of Membrane Fusion and Fission May 6–10, 2019, Padova, Italy

Members in the News

Do you know of a colleague who has recieved an award? Let BPS Know at society@biophysics.org.

Ad Bax , National Institutes of Health, and Society member since 1998, received the Welch Award in Chemistry.

Ad Bax

Revisiting the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology at the Single-Molecule Level July 15–18, 2019, Lima, Peru Abstract Submission Deadline: March 8, 2019 Early Registration Deadline: April 5, 2019

AAAS Fellows Elected

Abstract Submission Deadline: January 14, 2019 Early Registration Deadline: February 1, 2019

Jonathan B. Cohen , Harvard Medical School, and Society member since 1979, was named a AAAS Fellow in the Section on Neuroscience.

Samuel Achilefu (not pictured), Washington University, St. Louis, and Society member since 2010, was named a AAAS Fellow in the Section on Medical Sciences.

Student Spotlight Estefania Barreto-Ojeda

Jonathan B. Cohen

Shi-Jie Chen , University of Missouri, and Society member since 2001, was named a AAAS Fellow in the Section on Physics.

George Karniadakis , Brown University, and Society member since 2009, was named a AAAS Fellow in the Section on Mathematics.

Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary

As you move forward in science, what type of research do you see yourself doing? Why?

Estefania Barreto-Ojeda

Shi-Jie Chen

George Karniadakis

I foresee myself working as a group leader, directing research oriented towards practical healthcare solu- tions. My research experience in multidrug transporters strongly motivates me to develop new technolo- gies to improve the accuracy of medical diagnosis and the effectiveness of medical treatments. Since I am convinced that scientific findings should have a social impact, my research will be oriented to benefit people by life-enhancing applications.

John Chaput Lukas Tamm Stephen H. White Nine BPS members were named AAAS Fellows in the Section on Biological Sciences. They are John Chaput , University of California, Irvine, and Society member since 2018; Kathleen Hall , Washington University Medical School, and Society mem- ber since 1988; H. Criss Hartzell , Emory University School of Medicine, and Society member since 1995; Wladek Minor , Uni- versity of Virginia, and Society member since 2017; Thomas Perkins , NIST and University of Colorado, and Society member since 1998; Madeline Shea , University of Iowa, and Society member since 1983; Holger Sondermann (not pictured), Cornell University, and Society member since 2006; Lukas Tamm , University of Virginia, and Society member since 1990; Stephen H. White , University of California, Irvine, and Society member since 1980. Kathleen Hall H. Criss Hartzell Wladek Minor Thomas Perkins Madeline Shea

GET INVOLVED! The fourth annual Biophysics Week will take place March 25–29, 2019. We invite you to participate in this highly successful event which has grown each year as the field of biophysics expands and awareness of biophysics increases. Join this global celebration by planning an affiliate event. The Biophysical Society is committed to helping you celebrate by providing resources such as lesson plans, flyers, brochures, and profiles of biophysicists. Register your activity by January 15, 2019, and you will receive a customized e-poster to help you advertise your event. Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/5WBN26Z.

Four BPS Members were named AAAS Fellows in the Section on Chemistry. They are Wonhwa Cho , University of Illinois, Chicago, and Society member since 1998; Marina Guenza , University of Oregon, and Society member since 2006; Stefan Hell , Max Planck Institute, and Society member since 1998. (copyright for photo: © Peter Badge /Typos1 in cop. with Foun- dation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings - all rights reserved 2017.); Ursula Roethlisberger , Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Society member since 2007. Wonhwa Cho Marina Guenza Stefan Hell Ursula Roethlisberger

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