Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2021

July-August 2021

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Frances Arnold Named 2022 BPS Lecturer Frances Arnold , Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, has been selected as the 2022 BPS Lecturer at the Biophysical Society 66th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. Arnold pioneered directed enzyme evolution, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018. She was recently appointed to co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Among other awards, Arnold has received the Charles Stark Draper Prize of the US National Academy of Engineering (2011), the US National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2011), and the Millennium Technology Prize (2016). She was the first woman elected to all three US National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering and was appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 2019. Co-inventor on more than 60 patents, Arnold was inducted into the US Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.

Frances Arnold

She co-founded three companies working in sustainable chemistry and renewable energy (Gevo, Provivi, and Aralez Bio) and serves on the boards of directors of several public and private companies. Her lecture, “Innovation by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life,” will be presented on Monday, February 21, 2022.

A Note from the ProgramChairs We are excited to present the program for the 2022 Annual Meeting. This year’s program features symposia and workshops ranging from “Microbial Behavior in Heterogeneous Environments” to “Imaging and Modeling of the Brain,” highlighting biophysics as a cornerstone of biology, physics, and chemistry. The program reflects the myriad of

President’s Message Biophysicist in Profile Inside

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Public Affairs Publications

approaches and applications of in vivo, in vitro, cellular, and computational approaches to cutting-edge biological problems. The speakers reflect the diversity of biophysicists around the world, and will present their latest work in areas from fundamental physical behavior of biomolecules to applications in human health and disease. We particularly look forward to seeing you in person in San Francisco in 2022!

Career Development Cheers for Volunteers Grants and Opportunities

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Member Corner Annual Meeting Communities In Memoriam Upcoming Events

Elizabeth Komives Universityof California, San Diego

Arthur Palmer Columbia Univeristy

Society Elections are Open: biophysics.org/election Deadline to Vote: August 1, 2021 VOTE

President’s Message

Report FromCouncil Historically, the Spring Council meeting has been held at the in- stitution of the current Biophysical Society (BPS) President. Due to the pandemic, our meeting in May of 2020 was the first of many virtual governance meetings for BPS. One year later, from June 1–3, 2021, Spring Council took place virtually once again, although if in person

With respect to Subgroups, all Subgroup officers and BPS members were invited to participate in surveys about Sub- groups in May. Council reviewed the results of the surveys and decided to temporarily suspend applications for any new Subgroups while a task force convenes to explore the best path for supporting Subgroups in the future given the ever-evolving nature of science and, therefore, Subgroup research areas and their alignment with Society resources. The second day of Spring Council was devoted entirely to discussions of BPS meetings. Due to the pandemic, all 2020 and 2021 BPS Thematic Meetings and BPS Conferences were postponed. However, we are in the process of reschedul- ing these meetings and look forward to resuming our small meeting series with the “Biophysics at the Dawn of Exascale Computers” Thematic Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2022. Council then reviewed statistics and survey data from the BPS 2021 Annual Meeting, which was held virtually. With this information as a backdrop, we shifted focus to the BPS 2022 Annual Meeting, which will take place in San Francis- co, California, from February 19–23, 2022. Council explored numerous options for providing content to those who will not be able to travel to San Francisco in February. After much deliberation, we decided to record all the symposia on Sub- group Saturday, more than 70 hours of content, and make it available as part of meeting registration or for a separate fee via the BPS website following the Annual Meeting. We will provide updates about this as we work out the details, but we still look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in San Francisco. The third day of Spring Council had a very strategic focus. The first item we covered was the President’s Task Force on Policies, where Council reviewed and approved an amend- ment to the BPS bylaws that will be coming to members for a vote very soon. The revision allows Council to develop and enforce policies, including those which may address eligibility for awards, volunteer leader positions, and membership. The genesis for this change is BPS’s desire to establish an ethics policy that supports the BPS values of scientific excellence; integrity and transparency; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and community building, while demonstrating respect for one other and holding ourselves responsible for the trust the public places in us. This was followed by a discussion, led by Past-President Catherine Royer , on BPS’s next steps in our journey to build a more inclusive Biophysical Society, which was based on recommendations from our panelists at the BPS 2021 President’s Symposium. Council reviewed options for member focus groups and surveys and discussed efforts

Frances Separovic

it more likely would have been held at the BPS offices in Bethesda rather than at The University of Melbourne! Although BPS Council, and indeed most BPS members, are well-versed in virtual meetings, the truly international composition of Council had some members missing bedtimes to participate in three consecutive days of meetings from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM, while other members were logging on pre-coffee from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM each day. Current Council members are located across nine different time zones spanning 17 hours in time differences. Nonetheless, everyone was highly engaged, and we had three full sessions of opera- tional and strategic discussions about the Society. The first day of the Council meeting focused on BPS Com- mittees and Subgroups. Council approved new and renewing committee member appointments for terms beginningJuly 1, 2021. Secretary Erin Sheets presented committee evaluations from the Publications and Public Affairs Committees. Both committees meet monthly and support multiple strategic goals of the Society. Within the past two years, the Publica- tions Committee has been involved in the launch of BPS’s two new journals, The Biophysicist and Biophysical Reports , as well as being responsible for leading the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) searches for both journals and, most recently, a search for the next EiC of Biophysical Journal . The Public Affairs Committee supported more than four dozen coalition, Dear Colleague, and action letters in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 and is actively working on opportunities to engage more interna- tionally by working with our BPS Ambassadors. Council also entertained and approved a proposal from the Professional Opportunities for Women Committee to change the requirements for BPS Award and Fellow nominations such that only one letter of support, instead of two, must be from a BPS member. The rationale for the change is that biophysics is a diverse discipline which interacts with many other disciplines, and the best person to speak to a nominee’s qualifications might be a researcher who is not a biophysicist. Nominees, nominators, and one supporter still must be BPS members.

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President’s Message

Officers President Frances Separovic President-Elect Gail Robertson Past-President Catherine A. Royer Secretary Erin Sheets Treasurer Samantha Harris Council Henry Colecraft Michelle A. Digman Erin C. Dueber Marta Filizola Gilad Haran Kumiko Hayashi Francesca Marassi

from their own institutions as well as other potential resources available to BPS. Council felt strongly about keeping this work at the forefront of our priorities and requested a task force identify specific action items to carry this forward. The final agenda item for Spring Council was strategic planning review and preparation. BPS’s current strategic plan, created in 2017, covers five years from 2018 to 2022. Staff provided a strategic plan inventory to show the progress made since the inception of the plan and an inventory of committee programming from January 2021 through March 2022. In addition to the review, one goal of the discus- sion was to lay the groundwork for a strategic

planning session in 2022, where the plan is likely to be significantly updated or overhauled to reflect the current priorities and future goals of BPS. In all, Spring Council was a highly productive, engaging meeting that generated a long list of action items with potentially significant impacts for BPS. We look forward to providing you additional updates on these activities and are happy to connect in the meantime if you have any questions. Please reach out to us at fs@unimelb.edu.au or jpesanelli@biophysics. org. — Frances Separovic , President — Jennifer Pesanelli , Executive Officer

Susan Marqusee Joseph A. Mindell Carolyn A. Moores Kandice Tanner Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Sam Safran Editor-in-Chief Biophysical Reports

Jörg Enderlein Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor John Long

Production Catie Curry Ray Wolfe Proofreader/Copy Editor Laura Phelan 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 © 2021 by the Biophysical Society.

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Biophysicist in Profile

Siti Ngalim Areas of Research Biointerface, especially surface patterning at micro- and nanoscale and cell adhesion

Institution Universiti Sains Malaysia

At-a-Glance

Siti Ngalim , Senior Lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and returned home after studying in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Outside of her own research, she has worked over the last few years to connect and expand her local biophysics community by founding a biophysical society in the region and planning events to facilitate network- ing and collaboration.

Siti Ngalim

Siti Ngalim grew up in Ampang, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Her parents were from large families, with more than 10 siblings each. Neither attended secondary schools, as they were needed at home to take care of younger siblings and to help with farming. When Ngalim was growing up, her father worked as a truck driver and her mother cared for the home and children, selling sweet snacks called “kuih” for extra income. “Though they are not well educated, my parents follow the news on the television and the radio and have discussions about things going on around us,” she shares. “My mom is good at maths. Whenever we had to buy ingredients for the kuih at the supermarket, I tried to compete with her at the speed of her basic math skills, but I could never win. My dad is into arts and crafts, alternative medicine, world history, and religion—including controversial and taboo subjects that most locals his age would not want to discuss. Surely, the conversations I had with them when I was young made me a curious person.” Ngalim lived with her parents until she was 12 years old and then in public boarding schools until age 19, when she finished college preparatory courses. She enjoyed science as a child because there were more pictures and infographics than words in her textbook, which appealed to her as a visual thinker. She also had two uncles, one of whom was a medical doctor and the other an engineer, who she viewed as well-off financially which made pursuing a science degree seem like a good choice. She received scholarships to pursue higher education, en- rolling at Pennsylvania State University where she majored in biotechnology and minored in microbiology. “During my senior year in my undergraduate, I remember not wanting to see only bands (as in electrophoresis images) all my life. I wanted to venture into more applied sciences and engineer- ing,” she says. “That was why I went for a master’s degree in nanomedicine, where I researched bone growth on chemically etched micropatterns on a titanium alloy.”

She earned that master’s degree from Newcastle Universi- ty in the United Kingdom, followed by her PhD in pathology from the University of New South Wales in Australia, where she researched cell migration in the presence of soluble and immobilized biomolecules. When she was looking for a tenure-track position in Malaysia, the government was undertaking an initiative to ensure that all professors at public universities held PhDs. Because of this, she was able to be hired without first holding a postdoc- toral position. In 2015, she was trained in Förster Resonance Energy Transfer at Kyoto University. A few years later in 2017 she undertook a one-year research attachment with E. Ada Cavalcanti-Adam at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany. “There, I received training on nanopatterning called diblock micellar nanolithography (BCMN) whereby soluble proteins are immobilized on uni- formly spaced nanogold,” she explains. Cavalcanti-Adam describes her as determined and a positive presence in the lab: “A most memorable quality is her good spirit at work—positive and extremely helpful for all the lab members!” Trying to establish a new lab immediately after receiving her PhD while also applying for grants (and figuring out what grant agencies were looking for) was a major challenge, and the funding challenges continue, as they do for many. “As always in life, like we say in our local Malaysian-English slang: ‘No money, no talk,’” she says. “Even when the money is there, the budget is tight. I realized that optimism helps. Any rejections or failures—publications, grant applications, research challenges, etc.—are demotivating, but then you fix them, reach out for help, and keep on trying.” She is now a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam Campus in Penang, Malaysia. The most rewarding aspect of her career is that she is always learning new things. “The fact that I’m learning every day, it’s very humbling,” she shares. “Plenty of jargon too, as biophysical research involves

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Biophysicist in Profile

interdisciplinary research teams. I learn something new from clinicians, surface chemists, physicists, and engineers.” Nur Azirah Yahaya worked as an intern and then a research assistant in Ngalim’s lab. “I loved working with Dr. Ngalim as she was a caring, supportive, and flexible mentor. One of my favorite things about her was that she has a positive charac- ter and always sees good in people. She knew the potential of me and all of her students, and always wanted us to keep growing and learning new things,” she says. “Also, she was ready to help us when we needed help. I’m thankful that she gave me the opportunity to be part of her team. She is awe- some and I miss working with her all the time.” “In Malaysia, the progress of and industrial products resulting from biophysical research are negligible. Less than three per- cent of jobs in Malaysia are STEM-related, and most of those are in electrical and electronic manufacturing,” Ngalim reports. “Penang state, which is a state hub for STEM jobs in Malaysia, only recorded RM1 billion (approximately US$240 million) in the biology-based industry (as recently communicated by Penang Institute). It’s difficult to convince youngsters to take biology in college—let alone biophysics—when job prospects are limited. One hope is that we have plenty of biodiversity and resources from our tropical forests and waters that are worth studying for medical and pharmaceutical applications. At least from my part, I aim to disseminate knowledge on regenerative medicine from a biophysics perspective. My research focus will be on ‘remote’ controlling cell behavior by tuning the presentation of the extracellular matrix.”

Photo of the sea taken while on a jog.

hopefully within the next two years, I wish to focus my policy study on the biology-based economic sector and research like biophysics in Malaysia.” In 2018, Ngalim and a few colleagues founded a local bio- physical society, Pertubuhan Biofizik Malaysia. She has also been engaging with the Biophysical Society (BPS) over the last few years to bring together researchers in her area through BPS-sponsored local networking events. “I had to Google around for researchers in the country and within the region who are doing interesting biophysics research, espe- cially on the topic of mechanobiology,” she shares. The events have been fruitful, leading to research collaborations, grants, and recruitment of students. Ngalim also volunteers as a BPS Ambassador for Malaysia, which has given her new opportu- nities to share with the broader biophysics community what Malaysia’s scientific culture and challenges are. Ngalim is a co-organizer of an upcoming BPS Thematic Meet- ing, “Cell Adhesion Networks.” While the meeting was initially planned for 2021, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now being planned for 2023. Her advice to young biophysicists? “Never underestimate the influence of joining and being active in scientific societies! BPS is a great place to start.”

Student collegues meet over pizza.

Profiles in Biophysics No two biophysicists have the same story. Read about the many paths that led each of them to become a biophysicist. www.biophysics.org/profiles-in-biophysics

Ngalim is actively working to support the growth of the STEM sector in her country. “I am an affiliate of the Young Scientist Network–Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) Policy and Governance Working Group. Currently, I am helping with a study on unemployment and underemployment of STEM graduates in Malaysia,” she says. “Once this problem and possible solutions have been presented to the government,

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Public Affairs

President Biden Releases Budget Proposals for FY22 In early June, the full proposed Presidential Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) was released and shows significant increases for many departments and agencies. The Public Affairs Committee specifically monitors the funding levels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and advocates for increases to fund basic and biomedical research. The proposed budget for NIH for FY22 is $51 billion, a $9 billion increase over FY21. Included in the overall increase is $6.5 billion to establish ARPA-H, which will focus on cutting-edge research with an initial focus on cancer and other diseases such as diabe- tes and Alzheimer’s disease. This major investment in federal research and development would drive transformational innova- tion in health research and speed application and implementation of health breakthroughs. NSF is looking at a proposed budget of $10.2 billion, a $1.7 billion increase over FY21. The proposed funding includes a focus on enhanced fundamental research and development. The discretionary request provides $9.4 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion above the 2021 enacted level, to support research across the spectrum of science, engineering, and technology.

Understanding Appropriations Terminology: Budget Resolutions vs. Deeming Resolutions In the United States legislative branch of government, the term “budget resolution” indicates an agreement between the two houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, on a budgetary plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Once agreed upon by both chambers in the exact same form, the budget resolution creates parameters that may be enforced by points of order and using the budget reconcilia- tion process. When the House and Senate do not reach final agreement on this plan, it may be more difficult for Congress to reach agreement on subsequent budgetary legislation, both within each chamber and between the chambers. In the absence of agreement on a budget resolution, Congress may employ alternative legislative tools to serve as a substitute for a budget resolution. These substitutes are typically referred to as “deeming resolutions,” because they are deemed to serve

in place of an annual budget resolution for the purposes of establishing enforceable budget levels for the upcoming fiscal year. Since the creation of the budget resolution, there have been 11 years in which Congress did not come to agreement on a budget resolution. In each of those years, one or both cham- bers employed at least one deeming resolution to serve as a substitute for a budget resolution. While referred to as “deeming resolutions,” such mechanisms are not formally defined and have no specifically prescribed content. Instead, they represent the House and Senate, often separately, en- gaging legislative procedures to deal with enforcement issues on an ad hoc basis. The mechanisms can vary significantly in content and timing. Eric Lander Confirmed toWhite House Top Science Spot At the close of May, the US Senate confirmed mathematician and geneticist Eric Lander as Director of the White House Of- fice of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Lander will also

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Public Affairs

serve as President Joe Biden ’s science adviser and will hold a seat in Biden’s Cabinet. Lander, 64, has long held prominent roles in US research and science policy. He was president and founding director of the Broad Institute, which is jointly run by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Tech- nology for eight years under former President Barack Obama , where he worked closely with Obama science adviser John Holdren and interacted with Biden, who was vice president at the time. Lander also co-led the public Human Genome Project to the completion of a first draft in 2001. Biden’s nomination of Lander, announced in January, drew mixed reactions from the research community due to the criticism he has faced for downplaying the role of two female scientists in developing the CRISPR gene-editing tool, and for publicly toasting geneticist James Watson , the co-discoverer of DNA, despite Watson’s history of racist and misogynistic re- marks. During his confirmation hearing, Lander apologized for downplaying the work of CRISPR pioneers Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier in “Unsung Heroes of CRISPR,” a 2016 essay that appeared in the journal Cell . “I made a mistake,” Lander said. “I felt terrible.” As head of OSTP—and the first OSTP Director to be elevat- ed to the Cabinet—Lander is expected to play a key role in advancing the Biden administration’s research agenda, which includes boosting the federal role in climate change research and helping the United States counter technological and sci- entific competition from China. Around theWorld Early-Career Researchers Forced Out by Mexico’s Science Agency Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt)—the country’s federal science funding agen- cy—launched the Cátedras Conacyt (Conacyt Professor- ships) program seven years ago to alleviate the “brain drain” resulting from young Mexican researchers choosing to work in other countries. However, hundreds of researchers have been dismissed since its creation. Conacyt has stopped paying researchers, terminated them without reasonable explana- tion, or coerced them into signing resignations, according to multiple sources who spoke with the magazine Science . Sources say being pregnant or having a newborn appears to be a trigger for the dismissals in some cases and accuse Conacyt of a total lack of gender perspective. A combina- tion of budget cuts, politics, and a widening rift between the government and scientists is at work, Mexican researchers

say, and they suspect the agency intends to end the program. As of June 2020, the agency faced 145 active lawsuits for wrongful termination amounting to US$8.2 million in dam- ages. In February, some 200 Cátedras researchers formed a union, hoping to negotiate a contract that would protect their jobs and improve working conditions. United KingdomSet to Loosen Rules for Gene-Edited Crops and Animals When Brexit was finalized in January, that meant that Prime Minister Boris Johnson could begin to fulfill his pledge to “liberate the U.K.’s extraordinary bioscience sector from an- ti-genetic modification rules.” In June, new regulations were applied to plants and animals whose genes have been edited with precision techniques such as CRISPR, putting the UK policies in line with those of several countries, including the United States. Under the policy change, gene-edited plants and animals will not need detailed applications and reviews before field trials and commercial approval. In the European Union, by contrast, any commercialized genetically modified organism (GMO), regardless of how it was created, faces a lengthy risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and must be approved by a majority of member nations before it can be planted. In 2018, the European Court of Justice reaffirmed that gene-edited organisms require the same regulatory scrutiny as other GMOs. The United Kingdom’s decision on gene editing, which comes from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), does not apply outside England. Other parts of the United Kingdom—Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland— regulate GMOs themselves and are skeptical of their value. Opponents to GMO liberalization say Defra is moving too fast. They worry, for example, that animals and crops modified to resist disease could promote environmentally damaging in- tensive farming practices.However, even the European Union is rethinking its approach to gene editing. An April report by the European Commission finds it could make agriculture more sustainable and found “strong indications” that EU law isn’t suitable for regulating it.

Connect with BPS

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Publications

Know the Editor Shi-Wei Chu

National Taiwan University Editor Biophysical Reports

Open for Submissions

Shi-Wei Chu

What are you currently working on that excites you? We are currently working on developing high-speed volumet- ric imaging for probing small-animal brain functions. To un- derstand how a brain functions is one of the grand challenges in modern scientific communities. From our perspective, a functional brain is similar to a computer in that it is composed of hardware and software. The former includes matters of neurons, synapses, molecules, etc., and the latter is the rules and operating information used by the brain that might emerge from pan-neuron/synapse functional connections. We feel that the major bottleneck lies in the difficulty directly unraveling the brain “software.” Our strategy is to achieve functional mapping of individual neurons/sectors in a living Drosophila brain, and more efforts are waiting ahead to bridge functional imaging and brain “software.” What have you read lately that you found really interesting or stimulating? Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife and The Map of Heaven: How Science, Religion, and Ordinary Peo- ple Are Proving the Afterlife by Eben Alexander , a professional neurosurgeon in the United States. He had a near-death experience a decade ago and experienced a journey beyond this world, which he reported in detail in these books. These books stimulated me to consider the boundary of science. In particular, I am working on optical imaging and believe in the motto “seeing is believing.” However, knowing that there may be a vast amount of information that cannot be probed with contemporary imaging instruments poses not only superb research challenges, but also many emerging opportunities.

Biophysical Reports , the fully Gold Open Access journal from the Biophysical Society, provides a new publishing option for Society members and other biophysics researchers. Editor-in-Chief Jörg Enderlein invites submissions from all disciplines encompassed by biophysics, with a particular emphasis on methods and techniques. The new- est addition to the Society’s family of journals is committed to rapid publication of articles that are written for specialists as well as those writ- ten for the broader biophysics community. The journal will feature short contributions (Letters and Reports) with rapid turnarounds as well as Research Articles and Reviews. Publication fees will be waived for the first 10 new submissions accepted by the journal!

biophysreports.org

Numbers By the

The median annual wage for biochemists and biophysicists in the United States was $94,270 in May 2020. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Biochemists and Biophysicists, at https:/www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physi- cal-and-social-science/biochemists-and-biophysicists.htm (visited June 10, 2021).

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Career Development

What to Do if You Experience Racial Discrimination in theWorkplace

There is no question that episodes of racial discrimination take place at an alarming rate in the United States. More importantly the physiological implications of racial discrimination, including the impact on the recipient’s psychological and emotional state of mind, can be unbearable.

specific words that are insulting or derogatory. Also, remem- ber to note and document the names of other colleagues who witnessed the abuse; however, understand that they might not always support or affirm your concerns. Finally, see if your institution has a system in place that allows an open exchange to address these concerns. Many years ago, during my graduate studies, I was exposed to mocking monkey chants and walks by white colleagues in the laboratory. As the situation got worse, I chose to discuss this with our joint mentor. The response I got was that the mentor did not witness this behavior and that I should not ruin my colleagues’ promising careers. It was clear I had no support if I chose to pursue the issue, so the situation was unresolved, and I was subjected to further abuse. I made the decision to find ways to adapt by dealing on my own with fear, depression, and anxiety and to work with these colleagues despite the abuse because it was important for me to achieve my goal of successfully obtaining my PhD. While I might not suffer the same outward abuse I did then, what I do experience now is just as negative and hurtful. I am still isolated and bullied, while my achievements have been ignored, and my authority is undermined on a daily basis. More importantly, I also have been held back from promo- tions. Nevertheless, I have figured out ways to stick up for myself when necessary and worthwhile, despite the underly- ing fear of retaliation. One positive is that I have been able to cultivate reliable allies who give reasonable perspectives, so I don’t always feel so alone. It is a long, difficult, exhausting process, but we must continue to strive to raise awareness and, in doing so, also focus on achieving our academic and professional goals. Although there has been a racial awakening this past year with increasing awareness of all forms of racial discrimina- tion, including the subtle ones, and some progress has been made in tackling these issues, we are not there yet. However, we should be hopeful that with continued discourse and un- derstanding, as well as more educational programs, messag- es about recognizing and refraining from racial discrimination will reach a larger population, which will allow us to find more allies who will stand up and support those who are marginal- ized, leading to further progress and improvement. — Molly Cule

Racial discrimination takes many forms, but for the most part it is generally defined as discriminatory behaviors against an individual or a group of individuals largely due to that person’s or group’s race, ethnic origin, nationality, or skin color. In the United States, racial minorities who are frequently targets of discrimination include, but are not limited to: Black or African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian Pacific and Asian Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Racial discrimination in the workplace happens all the time, but frequently it is not addressed or discussed. Discrimina- tory behaviors have evolved in significant ways such that it is often difficult to prove that discrimination has occurred. Individuals who discriminate might not always use overt derogatory language, but rather they might engage in less direct behavior. These can include the victim or victims being isolated, ignored, easily stereotyped, not acknowledged for achievements, and being denied opportunities for career ad- vancement. When discrimination is addressed, in many cases the accused might try to justify it, explain it away, or describe it as a misunderstanding. Therefore, for individuals who expe- rience racial discrimination in the workplace, it can be confus- ing and stressful in ways that affect their well-being, work productivity, and ability to cultivate professional relationships. What should people who are discriminated against do to help themselves? First, you will need an ally. Maybe the ally is a fellow scientific colleague in your institute or one from another institute. It could also be an administrator or other staff member at the institute. It could even be a trusted friend or family member. You need someone who you can talk with openly or someone who can support and affirm your feel- ings and experiences. In this case, it is sometimes important to find someone who has had similar experiences and can therefore sympathize with you and be an effective listener. Second, make notes of the experiences that are concerning (include dates, names, and locations) and remember to note

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Cheers for Volunteers

Otonye Braide-Moncoeur Professional Opportunities for Women Committee (CPOW)

Otonye Braide-Moncoeur

Grants & Opportunities Elsa U. Pardee Foundation Grant for Cancer Research This foundation funds research to investigators in United States non-profit institutions proposing research directed toward identifying new treatments or cures for cancer. Deadline: August 31 Website: https:/pardeefoundation.org/how-to-apply/ I want to be a part of the outreach efforts in recruiting scien- tists at every stage (high school, undergrad, grad, etc.) to the Society. I want other biophysicists (and scientists who are in- terested in biophysically related topics) to experience BPS the way I did so many years ago. As a graduate student, winning a travel award gave me the chance to attend the BPS Annual Meeting, and I was beyond grateful for the opportunity. Out of all the scientific conferences I had attended, this was where I felt a sense of community. It was a place where I was con- stantly torn about which talks to attend because my scientific interests were highlighted at the forefront (unlike other con- ferences where I will go to specific sessions and that’s about it). I also knew that this Society genuinely saw the importance of diversifying and making the community more inclusive. My contribution as a scientist was valued. Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? My position on the Professional Opportunities for Women Committee (CPOW) is not my first volunteer position with the Biophysical Society (BPS). I was a member of the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), which is now known as the Com- mittee for Inclusion and Diversity (CID), for about six years. Why do you volunteer?

What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? Honestly, participating in workshops organized by these committees. For example, getting to speak with students and postdocs during speed networking events. It was an oppor- tunity to hear what they were experiencing and to offer some advice and insights. Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? I would say, “Take the plunge!” Volunteering gives you a chance to learn so much about what goes on behind the scenes to make BPS such a great community and scientific platform for dissemination of knowledge. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I just had my third child, so I am focused on family right now. But that never stops me from thinking about my role as a mentor and the importance of the development of budding scientists.

Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study The goals of the Gilliam program are to ensure that stu- dents from groups historically excluded from and under- represented in science are prepared to assume leadership roles in science and science education, and to foster the development of a healthier, more inclusive academic scientific ecosystem by partnering with faculty and insti- tutions committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the sciences. Deadline: September 14 Website: https:/www.hhmi.org/science-education/ programs/gilliam-fellowships-advanced-study

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Member Corner

Members in the News

Leslie Loew , University of Connecticut and Society member since 1979, was named a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of his institution.

Yadilette Rivera- Colón , Bay Path University and Society member since 2008, received a 2021 Women of Color STEM Achievement Award and was recognized in the 2021 “40 under Forty” class by Business West .

Leslie Loew

Yadilette Rivera- Colón

Patricia Bassereau , Institut Curie and Soci- ety member since 2001, was awarded the French National Order of Merit, at the rank of “Knight.”

Rumiana Dimova , Max Planck Institute and Society member since 2001, received the Liesegang Prize from the Colloid Society.

Patricia Bassereau

Rumiana Dimova

Four Society members were elected to the National Academy of Sciences: Michael L. Dustin , University of Oxford and Society member since 2017; Elliot Elson , Washington University in St. Louis and Society member since 1990; Robert G. Griffin , Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Society member since 1989; and Julie Theriot , University of Washington and Society member since 2003.

Michael L. Dustin

Elliot Elson

Robert G. Griffin

Student Spotlight

Shashank Pant University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group What has been the most exciting experience of your studies in biophysics?

I was drawn towards the area of biophysics because of its interdisciplinary approach to studying the beautiful (yet complex) world of biology. As a part of my graduate research, I started working on the glutamate transporter. This protein consists of a unique architecture and carries dual functions of moving chemicals across the cell membrane while allowing water and chloride ions to move through at the same time. After years of hard work, I was able to uncover the molecular basis of this dual-function. I also had many opportunities to present my research work at Biophysical Society meetings, which provided me a wider perspective of the field.

Shashank Pant

Important Dates

Election Voting Closes Sunday, August 01, 2021 Annual Meeting Abstract Submission Deadline Friday, October 1, 2021

66th BPS Annual Meeting February 19–23, 2022, San Francisco, California

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Annual Meeting

Thank you to our sponsors:

Symposia

Discover the latest advances in biophysics.

Novel Biomaterials Silvina Matysiak , University of Maryland, Chair Claudia Tanja Mierke , University of Leipzig, Germany Laura Na Liu , Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Germany Michael Hagan , Brandeis University Protein Degradation/Unfolded Protein Response James Olzmann , University of California, Berkeley, Chair Christian Kaiser , Johns Hopkins University Maho Niwa Rosen , University of California, San Diego Peter Walter , University of California, San Francisco G-Proteins Suzanne Scarlata , Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Chair Cathy Jackson , Institut Jacques Monod, France Jonathan Javitch , Columbia University Rachel Klevit , University of Washington, Chair Charalampos Kalodimos , St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Lukasz Joachimiak , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Angela Gronenborn , University of Pittsburgh Structure-Function of Long Non-Coding RNAs Mitchell Guttman , California Institute of Technology, Chair Mihaela-Rita Mihailescu , Duquesne University Jacqueline Cherfils , CNRS, France Oligomeric Chaperones

Cytoskeleton and Membranes Meet Edna Hardeman , University of New South Wales, Australia, Chair Ginny Farias , Utrecht University, The Netherlands Todd Blankenship , University of Denver Spencer Freeman , University of Toronto, Canada Membrane Transporters Da-Neng Wang , New York University, Chair Hassane Mchaourab , Vanderbilt University Olga Boudker , Cornell University Rachelle Gaudet , Harvard University Host-Pathogen Interactions Sergei Sukharev , University of Maryland, Chair Wonpil Im , Lehigh University Thereza Soares , University of São Paulo, Brazil James Gumbart , Georgia Institute of Technology Membrane Morphology/Membrane and Cytoskeletal Phenomena - Relation to Membrane Function Min Wu , Yale University, Chair Sarah Veatch , University of Michigan Clément Campillo , University of Évry Val d’Essonne, France Robert Zorec , University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Peripheral Membrane Proteins Lucie Delemotte , KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, Chair Satyajit Mayor , National Center for Biological Sciences, India Pradipta Ghosh , University of California, San Diego Andrew Stephen , NIH Membrane Tension Padmini Rangamani , University of San Diego, Chair Zheng Shi , Rutgers University Alba Diz-Munoz , EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Aurélien Roux , University of Geneva, Switzerland AAA+ Machine

Abstract Submission and RegistrationNow Open Remember, to submit an abstract or register for the Annual Meeting you must have a myBPS Account. biophysics.org/2022meeting Bruker Corporation Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC Chroma Technology Curi Bio Elements srl IOP Publishing Journal of General Physiology Leica Microsystems LUMICKS Mad City Labs Inc. Nanion Technologies Sophion Bioscience A/S Sutter Instrument

Nathan Baird , University of the Sciences Marco Marcia , EMBL Grenoble, France Nuclear Condensates Geeta Narlikar , University of California, San Francisco, Chair Michael Rosen , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Justin Crocker , EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Gary Karpen , University of California, Berkeley Mechano Sensation Verena Ruprecht , Centre for Genomic Regulation, Spain, Chair Denise Montell , University of California, Santa Barbara Amy Rowat , University of California, Los Angeles Rae Robertson-Anderson , University of San Diego

Christopher Hill , University of Utah, Chair Kumiko Hayashi , Tohoku University, Japan Ruxandra Dima , University of Cincinnati Peter Chien , University of Massachusetts

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Annual Meeting

Mechano-Electrical Signaling in Cardiac Cells W Jonathan Lederer , University of Maryland, Chair Khalid Salaita , Emory University Ye Chen-Izu , University of California, Davis Peter Kohl , University of Freiburg, Germany Mitochondrial Plasticity in Health and Disease Thomas Langer , Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Germany, Chair Brian Zid , University of California, San Diego Karin Busch , University of Münster, Germany Suliana Manley , École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland Workshops DNP/In-Cell NMR Galia Debelouchina , University of California, San Diego, Chair Alexander Shekhtman , University at Albany Lucia Banci , CERM, University of Florence, Italy Phil Selenko , Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Probes for Live Cell Imaging including RNA Peter Unrau , Simon Fraser University, Canada, Chair Jin Zhang , University of California, San Diego David Rueda , Imperial College London, United Kingdom Ning Fang , Georgia State University

Imaging and Modeling of the Brain Orly Reiner , Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, Chair Christopher Kroenke , Oregon Health and Science University Sabina Hrabetova , SUNY Downstate Petra Ritter , Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany Microbial Behavior in Heterogeneous Environments Karyn Rogers , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Chair Karen Lloyd , University of Tennessee, Knoxville Eric Boyd , Montana State University Lorna Dougan , University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Stress Granules - Is There a Unified Theory? Julie Biteen , University of Michigan, Chair Tanja Mittag , St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Eric Ross , Colorado State University Nicholas Fawzi , Brown University The Dynamic Nature of Viruses Ganesh Anand , Pennsylvania State University, Chair Martin Beck , EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Kristin Parent , Michigan State University Gino Cingolani , Thomas Jefferson University

Learn from those leading the development of emerging techniques.

3D High-Resolution Cellular Microscopy Julia Mahamid , IUPAB Lecturer, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, Chair Marco Fritzsche , University of Oxford, United Kingdom Peijun Zhang , University of Oxford, United Kingdom Elizabeth Villa , University of California, San Diego

High Speed AFM Wouter Roos , University of Groningen, The Netherlands, Chair Dorothy Erie , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ignacio Casuso , INSERM, France Petra Schwille , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany

biophysics.org/ 2022meeting

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Annual Meeting

Abstract Categories The Society organizes platform and poster sessions based on scientific areas. The abstract topic categories are reviewed an- nually andmodified as needed to reflect new and evolving areas in biophysics. When submitting an abstract, you will be asked to select the category in which your abstract best fits. The abstract categories for the 2022 Annual Meeting are listed below. Proteins 1A Protein Structure and Conformation 1B Protein Structure, Prediction, and Design 1C Protein Stability, Folding, and Chaperones 1D Protein-Small Molecule Interactions 1E Protein Assemblies 1F Protein Dynamics and Allostery 1G Membrane Protein Structures 1H Membrane Protein Dynamics 1I Membrane Protein Folding 1J Enzyme Function, Cofactors, and Post-translational Modifications 1K Intrinsically Disordered Proteins 1L Protein Aggregates 1M Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Nucleic Acids 2A DNA Replication, Recombination, and Repair 2B Transcription 2C Ribosomes and Translation 2D DNA Structure and Dynamics 2E RNA Structure and Dynamics 2F Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions 2G Chromatin and the Nucleoid Lipid Bilayers and Membranes 3A Membrane Physical Chemistry 3B Membrane Dynamics 3C Membrane Active Peptides 3D Membrane Fusion and Non-Bilayer Structures 3E Membrane Structure 3F Protein-Lipid Interactions: Channels 3G Protein-Lipid Interactions: Structures 3H General Protein-Lipid Interactions Cell Physiology and Biophysics 4A Membrane Receptors and Signal Transduction 4B Mechanosensation 4C Exocytosis and Endocytosis 4D CalciumSignaling 4E Intracellular CalciumChannels and CalciumSparks and Waves

4F 4G 4H

Excitation-Contraction Coupling

Cardiac, Smooth, and Skeletal Muscle Electrophysiology

Muscle Regulation

4I

Intracellular Organelle Dynamics

Channels 5A

Voltage-Gated Na Channels Voltage-Gated Ca Channels Voltage-Gated K Channels

5B 5C 5D 5E 5F 5G 5H

TRP Channels

Ligand-Gated Channels

Ion Channel Regulatory Mechanisms Ion Channels, Pharmacology, and Disease

Anion Channels

5I Other Channels Transporters and Bioenergetics 6A

Membrane Pumps, Transporters, and Exchangers

6B 6C

Bioenergetics and Photosynthesis Mitochondria in Cell Life and Death

Cytoskeleton, Motility, and Motors 7A

Skeletal Muscle Mechanics, Structure, and Regulation Cardiac Muscle Mechanics and Structure SmoothMuscle Mechanics, Structure, and Regulation Actin Structure, Dynamics, and Associated Proteins Microtubules, Structure, Dynamics, and Associated Proteins Kinesins, Dyneins, and Other Microtubule-basedMotors Cytoskeletal Assemblies and Dynamics Cell Mechanics, Mechanosensing, andMotility Cytoskeletal-based Intracellular Transport Bacterial Mechanics, Cytoskeleton, andMotility Cardiac Muscle Regulation Myosins

7B 7C 7D 7E 7F 7G 7H

7I 7J

7K 7L

Systems Biology 8A

Modeling of Biological Systems

8B 8C 8D

Imaging Approaches in Systems and Synthetic Biology Analysis of Genetic, Metabolic, and Cellular Networks Novel Techniques for Systems and Synthetic Biology

Biophysics of Neuroscience 9A

Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Computational Neuroscience

9B 9C

Neuroscience: Experimental Approaches and Tools

New Developments in Biophysical Techniques 10A EPR and NMR: Spectroscopy and Imaging 10B ElectronMicroscopy

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