Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2019

Communities

Bioengineering The Bioengineering Subgroup held its third subgroupmeeting at the Annual Biophysical Society Meeting last March. Established by Chris Yip and Jonathan Rocheleau of the University of Toronto, Canada in 2015, the subgroup continues to expand inmember- ship andmeeting participation. The Bioengineering Subgroup is concerned with the application of engineering systems principles to advance the analysis, manipulation, synthesis, and control of biological systems. This is rapidly becoming an important research frontier within the field of biophysics. A few specific examples where engineering system science is having an impact in biophysics include investigations related, principles of biode- sign; synthetic biology, deciphering rules governing emergent behaviors in self-organizing systems; modeling andmodulating biochemical and biophysical processes, homeostasis, regenera- tive engineering, biomimetic devices, and adaptation. The 2019 Bioengineering symposium, chaired by Amir Farnoud (Ohio State University, USA) featured Ka Yee Lee ( University of Chicago, USA), “Nanoparticle-supported lipid bilayers: A platform for interrogating lipid-protein interactions at highly curved sur- faces”; Susan Daniel (Cornell University, USA, ) “Golgi-on-a-Chip for the Cell-free Bio-Nanomanufacturing of Protein Therapeu- tics”; Mark Uline (University of South Carolina, USA) “Utilizing the Synergistic Power of Molecular Theory andMolecular Simulation to Solve Bioengineering Problems”; Daniel Hammer , (University of Pennsylvania, USA), “UpstreamMigration of Amoeboid Cells: Dy- namics andMemory”; Jennifer Elisseeff , Johns Hopkins University, USA, Immunoengineering in Regenerative Medicine; and Hirohito Yamazaki , (Northeastern University, USA) , “Photothermally-As- sisted Lipid Bilayer Coating on a Sin Nanopore for High-Through- put Protein Channel Formation.” The meeting was well attended. The 2020 Bioengineering Subgroup Symposiumwith Raphael Lee (University of Chicago, USA) will maintain the focus on systems and synthetic biology. Biophysical Society members interested in these topics and encourage to submit abstracts to the bioengi- neering section. — Raphael Lee , Chair Channels, Receptors and Transporters Formerly known as Membrane Biophysics, the Subgroupmem- bership recently selected Channels, Receptors and Transporters as the new Subgroup name. Our focus remains the same, as explained in this short description of the Subgroup: “Biophysics of membrane processes, including structure, function and regulation of ion channels and transporters, signal transduction, and secre- tory mechanisms.” The Subgroup’s Kenneth S. Cole Award was awarded to Gail A. Robertson from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. The

Cole Award, awarded every year since 1973, is presented to a person who is deemed to have made seminal contributions to the field. The selection committee wrote that “Gail embodies the spirit and intent of the Cole Award, and is recognized for her groundbreaking contribu- tions to the biology of hERG ion channels.” She

Gail A. Robertson

accepted the award during the Subgroup dinner at the 2019 Bio- physical Society Meeting and presented a seminar entitled “How to Build an Action Potential.” — Matthew Trudeau , Secretary-Treasurer Membrane Fusion, Fission & Traffic I am pleased to announce a change of the Exocytosis & Endocytosis Subgroup name to Membrane Fusion, Fission & Traffic. The reason for this change is to reflect the diverse research interests of the group, which extend beyond exo- cytosis and endocytosis. These interests include synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, intracellular trafficking, cargo release, exosome secretion, endocytosis, viral entry, or- ganelle and cell fusion and fission, and many other processes. I hope that the original Exocytosis & Endocytosis Subgroup members will remain in this Subgroup. We organize an ex- citing symposium and dinner at the BPS Annual Meeting and sponsor the Sir Bernard Katz Award to recognize outstanding scientific contributions to the field of membrane fusion, fis- sion, and traffic. I welcome any Biophysical Society members with research interests described above to join. — Ling-Gang Wu , Chair Physical Cell Biology The Cell Biophysics Subgroup has a new name: Physical Cell Biology. Our goals remain the same: to bring together sci- entists who use biophysical tools to probe structures, func- tions, dynamics, and interactions inside living cells. Physical cell biologists measure cellular processes with quantitative methods that provide high resolution, sensitivity, and spec- ificity, and interpret experimental results in the context of theoretical and computational models. This Subgroup pro- vides a community to bridge biophysics and quantitative cell biology, and we have been working together for the past two years to create a platform for researchers to share scientific ideas, discuss research results, forge new collaborations, and to understand the inner workings of cells based on physical principles. The Physical Cell Biology officers are already planning a ter- rific symposium for the 2020 BPS Annual Meeting with topics that span mechanical force generated in living materials, temporal and spatial organization in bacteria cells, theoretical

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