Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2023

July/August 2023

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY

Carolyn Bertozzi, Recipient of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Named 2024 BPS Lecturer Carolyn Bertozzi is the Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H and the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Humanities and Sciences in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University. She is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her research focuses on profiling changes in cell surface glycosylation associated with cancer, inflammation, and infection and exploiting this information for development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, most recently in the area of immuno-oncology. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Prize, a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and the Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize, among many others. Bertozzi’s lecture, “Therapeutic Opportunities in Glycoscience,” will take place on Monday, February 12, 2024. Photo by Christopher Michel (https:/ www.christophermichel.com). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Most recently she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics, and the Welch Prize in Chemistry. She also was awarded the Lemelson-MIT Carolyn Bertozzi

2023 BPS Elections Now Open Voting is open June 1 through August 1

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Council Update

Communities

Biophysicist in Profile

Career Development

Public Affairs Publications Annual Meeting

Member Corner Important Dates

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Council Update

Tackling Strategy with Action BPS Council met for Spring Council at BPS headquarters in Rockville, Maryland on Friday, June 2. This was our first meet ing at the BPS offices since Fall Council in 2019. Although we met virtually and in person several times in the intervening three years and eight months, it was great to reconvene at headquarters to focus on the progress of the Strategic Plan and other efforts to move the Society forward. The meeting opened with an overview and discussion of BPS Committees including their charges, duties, and programs. You may recall that a priority for 2022 was updating the BPS Strategic Plan. Once the new Strategic Plan was approved by Council in November 2022, the committees began the pro cess of updating their charges and aligning their duties with the new plan. In addition, committee activities were compiled into a workbook where timing, audience, costs, effort, etc. could be examined and compared. Most importantly, align ment with Strategic Plan goals and objectives was detailed for each activity and enabled Council to see the progress being made in support of our goals as well as highlight gaps where more efforts are needed to further certain objectives. While our strategic goals of fostering a diverse and inclusive global community and investing in the future of biophysics will always be ongoing, much work has been done to advance these goals. Notably, efforts to increase participation and engagement, advance racial and ethnic diversity, and support biophysicists at every career stage were prioritized by most committees and Council. Recent evidence for this includes the open call for names for BPS Elections, the addition of a self-nomination option for BPS Awards, the President’s Symposium Black in Biophysics, the Multilingual Networking Event hosted by the Committee for Inclusion and Diversity,

and the launch of the Postdoctoral Reviewer Mentorship Pro gram initiated by the Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Journal . In addition to committee programming, we assessed the BPS Ambassador Program. Launched in 2019 and currently on its fourth cohort, the Ambassador Program aims to support all our strategic goals, but it excels at enhancing the sharing of knowledge and advocating for biophysics as our ambassadors contribute content to the BPS Bulletin and blog, participate in education and career panels, and host Biophysics Week and networking events in their countries. We discussed how to better address large countries, such as China, where regional representation might be more appropriate and whether the program should be expanded. The discussion is ongoing, but the Ambassador Program itself is moving several of our stra tegic objectives forward quite effectively. As always, finances are an important component of every Council agenda. Strategy requires action, and action requires resources which usually means people and/or money. We ex amined and accepted the audited financial statements, which ensure that BPS is following appropriate financial practices and is financially sound. We also evaluated a request from the Education Committee to provide more support to our Stu dent Chapters by way of a new Student Chapter Events Grant Program. Council unanimously approved this idea, which not only aligns with our strategic goal of investing in the future of biophysics but is also a great way to help Chapter leaders strengthen their local programming. We revisited the new programming changes for the 2024 Annual Meeting and are excited to increase speaking oppor tunities with the new Symp Select and Flash Talk speakers.

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Council Update

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

Allowing platform speakers to also share their work with a poster will enhance scientific exchange and provide presenters with anoth er opportunity for engagement. Speaking of engagement, we voted unanimously to bring back the dance social after the BPS Lecture at the Annual Meeting, so brush up on your moves and plan to join us on the dance floor in Philly! Subgroup performance was another topic of discussion for us at Spring Council. Many of our Subgroups are thriving, but some are chal lenged with declining membership numbers and sponsorship. As Subgroups are the life blood of BPS and reflect areas of interest for our members, we want to ensure that we are responsive to emerging needs while support ing Subgroups in a sustainable way. To that end, we will uphold the bylaws of Subgroups and BPS by enforcing minimum membership requirements and will continue to consider other thresholds for performance as indicated by the Subgroup report card. BPS Society Awards remain a regular agenda item for Council. The 2024 awards nomi nations statistics provided the backdrop for our continuing conversation of increasing diversity and increasing numbers in awards nominations. The new self-nomination option for this most recent cycle did result in a few

more nominations than last year but had no measurable impact on diversity. While we’ll continue this experiment and look for other ways to address diversity and nominations moving forward, we also initiated a President’s New Awards Task Force to explore wheth er additional awards might better serve our membership. That group will convene over the summer and will report out in the fall. We closed our spring meeting with a Council self-evaluation exercise. Having spent the majority of the day examining progress on the Strategic Plan and adjusting or affirming actions accordingly, it was good to take a mo ment to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we are practicing principles of good gover nance, consider how we are doing in terms of oversight and direction setting, and examine our decision effectiveness. The exercise gave us the opportunity to reflect and identify challenges and opportunities for improvement as we work to realize the mission and vision of BPS. As always, we welcome your feedback on this update and all things biophysics. Please reach out to us at tjha@jhu.edu and jpesanelli@ biophysics.org. — Taekjip Ha , President — Jennifer Pesanelli , Executive Officer

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

Jörg Enderlein Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor John Long Production Ray Wolfe Meredith Zimmerman Proofreader/Copy Editor The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published eleven times per year, January-December, by the Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Cana dian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2023 by the Biophysical Society. Darren Early Laura Phelan

Advance Your Career Visit the BPS Career Center to search for open positions, upload your resume to allow employers to find you, and find resources and materials to

help you with career development! biophysics-jobs.careerwebsite.com

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Biophysicist in Profile

Arne Gennerich Areas of Research Biomolecular motors and the molecular basis of human diseases associated with motor dysfunction

Institution Albert Einstein College of Medicine

At-a-Glance

Arne Gennerich, now a professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, took an unconventional path to his research career, dropping out of school at age 16 to pursue vocational training in electronics before discovering a passion for biophysics.

Arne Gennerich

Arne Gennerich grew up in the small village of Bremke in Ger many. “There my afternoons were spent exploring the local forest or engaging in hands-on activities like repairing bicy cles, radios, and TVs,” he shares. “One of the highlights was our village’s quarterly pickup times for bulky waste, where residents placed items outside their houses to be collected the following day. My friends and I eagerly scoured through the discarded treasures, often finding dysfunctional bicycles and TVs that I could repair. These experiences not only honed my practical skills but also fostered a problem-solving mind set. Through dismantling and fixing these objects, I developed the ability to troubleshoot and mend electronic devices. This early exposure to problem solving laid a foundation for my future endeavors.” Driven by his fascination with electronic circuits, he made the decision at age 16 to leave school and pursue vocational training in electronics. “I was fortunate to secure a position at the renowned Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, where Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell con ducts his groundbreaking work. Over the course of four years, I engaged in practical work at the institute’s electronics work shop while simultaneously receiving theoretical training at the local technical vocational school,” Gennerich explains. “While I thoroughly enjoyed the vocational training and the valuable knowledge I gained, I felt a desire to achieve more in my life. This realization prompted me to return to school for one year to obtain a technical college entrance certificate, which would enable me to pursue higher education. Subsequently, I en rolled in the telecommunications engineering program at the University of Applied Sciences in Wolfenbüttel, Germany—a specialized technical university offering Bachelor of Science degrees tailored to industry roles.” During that time, he reconnected with a familiar face from his hometown, Heiner Wedemeyer . Wedemeyer was pursuing an MD-PhD degree and suggested that Gennerich work on his diploma thesis in the lab of Detlev Schild at the Medical School of the University of Göttingen. He connected with Schild quickly, and the two planned a project that would leverage his skills in electrical and software engineering. “While I was working on my thesis, Detlev introduced the idea of studying physics to me. He emphasized that while one can acquire

knowledge of biology from textbooks, studying physics at a university provides the foundation to derive complex equa tions and truly comprehend how the world functions. Inspired by his perspective, I made the decision to enroll at the Uni versity of Göttingen to pursue an MS degree in physics. At the age of 25, I embarked on this new academic journey, starting from the first semester and surrounded by students who were five years younger than me,” he says. Following the completion of his master’s degree, Gennerich continued his academic journey, pursuing a PhD in physics in Schild’s lab. “I transformed the fluorescence correlation spec troscope (FCS) I built for my master’s degree into a confocal laser-scanning microscope combined with FCS capabilities. This advanced microscope allowed me to capture images of cultured neurons and conduct FCS measurements in different regions of a neuron. This phase of my scientific work signifi cantly enhanced my skills in optical engineering and software programming. I utilized C++ programming under real-time Li nux to control galvanometer scanners, access photon-count ing hardware (which I also constructed), and perform calcu lations and visualization of acquired fluorescence images in real time,” he recalls. “During this period, my research took a particular focus on the microtubule-based motor proteins, kinesin and cytoplasmic dynein. Using the microscope I built, I observed the fascinating directional transport of auto-flu orescent mitochondria within neurons’ axons and dendrites, which sparked my interest in cytoskeletal motor proteins. I delved into the pioneering research of scientists like Joe Howard , Steve Block , Ron Vale , Nabutaka Hirokawa , and others. Their groundbreaking papers shed light on the kinesin walking mechanism through compelling single-molecule studies, uti lizing advanced home-built microscopes such as optical twee zers and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopes.” He developed an interest in single-molecule biophysics and, eager to explore the area further, decided to pursue a post doctoral position in the United States. From November 2003 to October 2008, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Vale’s lab at the University of California, San Francisco. “My primary focus in Ron’s lab was on yeast cytoplasmic dynein,” Genner ich shares. “I conducted force measurements on dynein using optical tweezers and also maintained and improved the lab’s

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Biophysicist in Profile

optical tweezers setup. Additionally, during my time in the lab, I gained expertise in performing mutagenesis studies and ac quired knowledge in expressing and purifying motor proteins.” In 2008, when he began seeking group leader and assistant professor positions and applied for positions in Germany, he encountered an unexpected obstacle. “To my surprise, during interactions with search committees, directly or indirectly, I was informed that I was considered too old. At the time, I was 37 years old (as a result of my unconventional education), and I was told that there was an age limit of 35 for group leader positions,” he says. “The age discrimination I experienced in

He continues, “Understanding the molecular basis of KAND is a challenging endeavor, primarily due to the limited knowl edge about the underlying molecular mechanism of KIF1A. To address this gap, my collaborator Hernando Sosa , a cryo-EM specialist at Einstein, and I recently secured funding from the Deerfield Managing Company to establish a startup company. The primary aim of this venture is to leverage structure-guid ed drug design approaches to facilitate the discovery of po tential therapeutic interventions for KAND and other human diseases caused by mutations in microtubule-associated motors.” In addition to his research and supporting the career success of graduate students and postdocs at Einstein, Gennerich has organized various career development events. He initiated, designed, and has presented the annual postdoc seminars “Academic Job Hunt: Tips & Tricks for Successful Interviewing for an Assistant Professor Position” and “How to Prepare for and Choose the Best Postdoc for You, including the Potential Benefits of a Second Postdoc” since 2015. Recognizing that not all graduate students would pursue academic careers, Gennerich also created and taught the graduate seminar “Ap plying for Jobs outside Academia: Essential Steps during Your PhD to Succeed in the Job Market” since 2014. The feedback received for these seminars was extremely positive, with numerous postdocs seeking his guidance in their job search es. He takes great satisfaction in witnessing young scientists successfully establish their own labs, as evidenced by the continued contact with many postdocs whom he assisted in their job applications and interview processes. Outside of his work, Gennerich leads an active life in New York City. “I cherish the time I spend with my girlfriend, who is not a scientist, and her seven-year-old daughter. Together, we engage in activities that bring us joy and strengthen our bond. We enjoy engaging in discussions about politics and current events during our dinners, which often leads us to discover new books, movies, or ways to enhance our lives. I consider myself fortunate to share several hobbies with my girlfriend, including walking and running together, indoor climbing, and learning tennis. We also enjoy traveling together, exploring the world, and creating new experiences,” he reveals. “Addi tionally, I love riding motor bikes (I own a BMW R18 cruiser) and have a deep appreciation for hazy IPAs and the company of friends who share my love for this type of beer.”

Gennerich in the lab.

Germany was disheartening, especially considering that I had spent over seven years in the United States, where job ap plications do not include birth information or profile pictures for obvious reasons. This experience left me astonished and disappointed. Ultimately, I found solace in remaining in the United States, a country that I deeply love.” Gennerich is now a professor of biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. “My research focuses on elucidating the molecular functions of kinesin motors and the cytoplasmic dynein-dynactin motor complex. To study these motors, we utilize diverse expression systems such as Escherichia coli , budding yeast, insect cells, and mammalian cells for structure-function investigations,” he details. “Currently, one of our research goals is to unravel the mechanism underlying the remarkable superprocessiv ity of the kinesin-3 motor, KIF1A, which is predominantly expressed in neurons. Superprocessivity refers to its excep tional ability to traverse micrometer distances along microtu bules without detaching. Mutations in the KIF1A gene lead to severe neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders known as KIF1A-associated neurological disorders (KAND). In our research, we collaborate closely with Wendy Chung from Columbia Medical School and the patient advocacy group KIF1A.org. Wendy, a clinician scientist who treats KAND pa tients, and KIF1A.org share our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by KAND and expediting the development of potential treatments.”

Gennerich (center) and his cousin Uwe (right) and Uwe’s wife Sabine (left) in Death Valley during a 10-day bike tour. Photo credit: Uwe and Sabine’s daughter Lisa.

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Rally for Medical Research Biophysical Society members in the United States are invited to join us in Washington, DC on Thursday, September 14 for the Rally for Medical Research Funding! With the House of Representatives looking to make major cuts in non-defense discretion ary spending, which would significantly impact funding for basic and biomedical research, we need the voice of science to be heard loud and strong. Congress needs to understand the impact these cuts have on scientific research efforts. Registration is now open for the annual Rally for Medical Research fly-in, where you will meet with your elected officials and advocate on behalf of making National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding a national priority. The Biophysical Society, along with more than 300 other national organizations, will stand strong against the cuts to NIH. Please email Leann Fox at lfox@biophys ics.org to learn more and visit https:/www.biophysics.org/policy-advocacy/take-action to register for the event. Reports from the Capital: Our Fellowship in Washington, DC Greetings from the U.S. Capitol! We’re Elmer Zapata-Mercado and Luyi Cheng , currently serving as this year’s Congressional Fellows for the Biophysical Society as part of the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program. This program has brought us from the lab to Congress and shown us both valuable and surprising insights into the lawmaking progress. We’re excited to share some updates on our experiences so far.

It’s an honor to represent the Biophysical Society in the U.S. Senate. Being on “the Hill”—how Congress is colloquially re ferred to around town—has been the experience of a lifetime. I work as the Health and Education Fellow in the Office of Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). Over the past eight months, my responsibility has been to support the Senator’s priorities under the purview of my portfolio. These responsibilities in clude, but are not limited to: drafting legislation, meeting with constituents to address their concerns, tracking relevant bills, staffing the Senator, and preparing legislative memos for him. I also have been closely involved in several legislative resolu tions, where I oversaw their development and committee pro cess that ultimately resulted in adoption on the Senate floor. Most notably, I had the opportunity to work on the appropri ations process. In case you have always wondered how the government is funded, appropriations are the answer, in a

period known as “March Madness,” though not the one you are probably thinking of. Using guidance from the Appropria tions Committee and a hard deadline on the calendar, hun dreds of groups flood the halls of Congress to make sure their priorities are heard—including our very own Society. During this period, I have been tasked with tracking all the appropria tions funding request letters under our portfolio and matching them with our constituents’ requests and priorities. In short, this experience has been life changing. I have to thank my office and my team for making me feel part of the staff from day one, and BPS for believing in my potential.

Elmer Zapata-Mercado BPS Congressional Fellow 2022–2023

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I currently work in the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as a member of the Oversight and Investigations team. We specialize in investigating both government agen cies and private industries to expose fraud, waste, and abuse and use our findings to push for policy reforms to protect the public. As such, I’ve been able to work across a broad range of policy areas including healthcare, energy and environment, and banking and finance. My day-to-day responsibilities involve balancing my time between tasks such as drafting letters, writing memos on legislative recommendations, fact-checking speeches, and preparing hearing questions for the Senator. We also dedicate time to engage with constituents on behalf of the Senator to hear about pressing local issues and concerns. Often, each day turns out to be a whirlwind of activity, and even eight months in, I’m still constantly finding myself out of my com fort zone and learning new skills and materials.

Working in a political setting has been a completely new experience for me. One of the biggest differences I’ve no ticed has been transitioning from spending years studying the same narrow subfield to juggling between completely different subject areas every day. However, I’ve found myself relying on many of the skills I learned as a scientist in this new environment—researching, collaborating, being comfortable with learning new concepts, and readjusting strategies when something doesn’t work out as planned and trying again. Overall, it’s been an incredibly exciting and rewarding experi ence that has made a huge impact on both my professional and personal interests, and I’m excited to continue learning more in the months ahead.

Luyi Cheng BPS Congressional Fellow 2022–2023

Applications Are Open for the Biophysical Society 2024–2025 Congressional Fellowship Interested in using your science skills to inform science policy? Does spending a year working on Capitol Hill in Wash ington, DC helping to develop policy sound exciting? The Biophysical Society’s Congressional Fellowship Program is your opportunity to participate directly in the process of lawmaking that impacts how research is funded and reg ulated. This year-long opportunity provides fellows a chance to utilize their science knowledge to inform the public policy process. Fellows will gain firsthand knowledge and experience on how Congress works and will participate in the esteemed American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Fellows program that provides ongoing training and networking opportunities during the fellowship year and beyond. Visit https:/www. biophysics.org/policy-advocacy/congressional-fellowship for more details about the program or contact Leann Fox at fellows@biophysics.org or (240) 290-5606. The application deadline is December 8, 2023 . Societies like BPS have supported scientists like us to find an opportunity to work in Congress, but there are many ways scien tists and biophysicists can get involved in the policy-making process without leaving the lab. For example, funding for scientific research and development is intrinsically connected to the legislative process. Get in touch with your Senators and Represen tatives and share how funding opportunities have supported your research, contribute your knowledge to “one-pagers” related to current policy issues, and advocate for data-driven decision making. Scientists need to advocate on behalf of science and ensure our voices are heard! Take action at https:/www.biophysics.org/policy-advocacy/take-action or reach out to Leann Fox , Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs, at lfox@biophysics.org to get involved.

Numbers By the

Over the past five years, the Biophysical Society has distributed more than $435,000 to members to support travel to the Annual Meeting.

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Publications

Know the Editor Alan Grossfield

University of Rochester Medical Center Associate Editor, Proteins Biophysical Journal

Editor’s Pick Biophysical Journal Small angle x-ray scattering investigation of the integration of free fatty acids in polysorbate 20 micelles Jörg Ehrit, Tobias W. Gräwert, Hendrik Göddeke, Petr V. Konarev, Dmitri I. Svergun, and Norbert Nagel “Polysorbate-containing formulations of biologics may occa sionally release free fatty acids upon polysorbate degrada tion. These free fatty acids may precipitate and form parti cles, which is undesirable for pharmaceutical formulations for subcutaneous injection. As polysorbate micelles should have the potential to incorporate free fatty acids and thus to prevent their precipitation, a better understanding of the in teraction of free fatty acids with polysorbate micelles should help to develop more robust pharmaceutical formulations of biologics. Here the authors present molecular modelling and experimental results that provide detailed information on interaction of free fatty acids with polysorbate micelles.”

Alan Grossfield

What has been your most exciting discovery as a biophysicist?

When I was a postdoc, I worked on modeling the solvation of simple ions by using a polarizable force field. I have a vivid memory of the day the free energy calculations finished: my colleagues looking over my shoulder as I added up the indi vidual free energies and corrections and cheering as all four came out within 1% of the experimental values. At a cocktail party of non-scientists, how would you explain what you do? I usually start by saying that our research is computer mod eling and wait to see if their eyes glaze over. If they’re still conscious, I say something like: We use computer models to connect the physics of molecules— the way they move, how they stick to the things they bump into, and how they change shape when they bind to each other—to their biological function.

Version of Record Published June 19, 2023 DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2023.06.011

Call for Papers

Deadline for submission: September 30, 2023

Image Courtesy: Samrat Mukhopadhyay’s Lab

Special Issue: Biological Condensates

Editors:

Samrat Mukhopadhyay (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali) Keren Lasker (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA) Galia Debelouchina (University of California, San Diego)

For more information, visit biophysics.org/biophysical-journal

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Special Issue Call for Papers: Effective Mentoring of Biophysicists Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2024

Mentoring is a major responsibility of biophysicists and biophysics educators in which nearly all members of the biophysics community engage. Although we have a robust research community that focuses on best practices for mentoring, relatively few biophysicists present their work in this area to our community in publications. We therefore wish to make this work more visible within the Biophysical Society and international biophysics community, to disseminate the lessons learned, and thus enhance the mentoring of biophysicists, particularly those at early stages of their careers. Toward that end, the Editorial Board of The Biophysicist invites articles documenting effective practices for the mentoring of early career scientists and trainees at all levels, for this special issue. Submissions can be structured as Articles or Reports and may, respectively, be part of formal curricular elements in a program or center or may be about informal practices used by individuals who advise early career scientists or trainees. Articles should provide more than anecdotal evidence of the impact of these prac tices by including appropriate formative and/or summative assessments documenting developmental growth that is the result of their mentoring activities. In addition, we invite students and trainees to describe unique aspects of their mentoring experiences (as both mentees and as near-peer mentors of more junior students), in short contributions to our Student Forum. Areas of interest might include but are not limited to:

• Transition into laboratory research • Running an effective journal club

• Pedagogical training of teaching assistants, graduate students, and/or post-doctoral trainees through formal or informal programs • Efforts toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect in departments or research centers • Evidence-based efforts (e.g., as included in grants award ed to middle- and senior-level biophysicists) that support mentoring

• Developing mentoring and lab management skills • Career training and guidance of graduate students and post-doctoral scientists • Maintaining work-life balance

This is an excellent opportunity for team leaders who run training programs or centers to document and publish on the impactful mentoring work they are doing within their units. Such publications may be highly beneficial as evidence of your work in this area at the time of your grant renewal and will help disseminate effective practices across our community, making your work visible to your colleagues. In conjunction with this call, the Editorial Board of The Biophysicist and the BPS Education Committee will be co-hosting a webinar and discussion, Mentoring the Next Generation of Biophysicists, later in 2023. These conversations will be a valuable opportunity to hear about some of the work being done in this space and to discuss with editors and colleagues potential manuscripts. Infor mation about the webinar will be announced soon. Prospective authors should read the Information for Authors on the journal Web page and submit via the journal submission site. Pre-submission inquiries can be addressed to thebiophysicist@biophysics.org.

To submit, visit https:/thebiophysicist.msubmit.net/cgi-bin/main.plex

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Annual Meeting

Thank you to our sponsors: Bruker Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC Chroma Technology Delmic HORIBA Scientific Leica Microsystems Mad City Labs Inc PicoQuant Photonics North America Inc Sophion Bioscience A/S Sutter Instrument Worthington Biochemical Corp

A Note from the Program Chairs

At BPS2024, our Annual Meeting gets a facelift. The symposia and workshops are as exciting as ever, with a slate of invited speakers that represent breakthrough biophysics research and who will give a glimpse into what the next generation of our Society looks like. This means we want to see you on that podium too! For the first time, in this upcoming meeting we have reserved at least 20% of symposia talks for speakers se lected directly from submitted abstracts. Principal Investigators will find the new option to self-suggest their abstract describing their latest research for symposia topics. Do not miss the abstract deadline! The topics will be varied and stimulating, covering the broad membership of our Society: from staple themes like membrane proteins to venturing into new areas where biophysics is making an impact, such as plant biology and how biological systems adapt to temperature change. We are looking forward to seeing you in Philly!

Be Sure To See: Three Major Program Changes Page 13

Ibrahim Cissé Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics

Elizabeth Villa University of California, San Diego

Symposia

Peptides as the Future of Biological Drugs Miguel Castanho , University of Lisbon, Portugal, Chair Joel Schneider , NCI, NIH, USA Robert Hancock , University of British of Columbia, Canada Ana Salomé Veiga , University of Lisbon, Portugal Dynamics Driving Allostery Gilad Haran , Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, Chair

Intrinsically Disordered Regions in Transcriptional Regulation Benjamin Sabari , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA, Chair Naama Barkai , Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Denes Hnisz , Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Germany Wonki Cho , KAIST, South Korea Biophysics of Cancer Kandice Tanner , NCI, NIH, USA, Chair Christina Towers , Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA Chrystal Starbird , The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA Nicole LaRonde , Pfizer, USA

Abstract Submission and Registration Now Open Remember, to submit an abstract or register for the Annual Meeting you must have a myBPS Account. biophysics.org/2024meeting

Ivet Bahar , University of Pittsburgh, USA Banu Ozkan , Arizona State University, USA Speaker to be announced

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Annual Meeting

New Insights into Ion Channel Regulation Anna Bukiya , University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA, Co-Chair Avia Rosenhouse-Dantsker , University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, Co-Chair Tamara Rosenbaum , National Autonomous University of Mexico Kailash Gulshan , Cleveland State University, USA Gating Modalities of Mechanically- Activated Ion Channels Swetha Murthy , Oregon Health & Science University, USA, Chair Medha Pathak , University of California, Irvine, USA Eduardo Perozo , University of Chicago, USA Bailong Xiao , Tsinghua University, China Structural Mechanisms of GPCR Activation, Regulation, and Signaling Jennifer Cash , University of California, Davis, USA, Chair Jean-Philippe Fortin , Pfizer, USA Patrick Sexton , Monash University, Australia Matthieu Masureel , Genentech, USA Membrane Lipidomics of Multiresistant Bacteria Mibel Aguilar , Monash University, Australia, Chair Megan O’Mara , The University of Queensland, Australia Kelly Hines , University of Georgia, USA Jessica Seeliger , Stony Brook University, USA Biophysics of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Infection Processes Effie Bastounis , University of Tübingen, Germany, Chair Daria Bonazzi , Pasteur Institute, France Alexandre Persat , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland Enrique Rojas , New York University, USA Workshops Leveraging Education Research to Make Your Teaching More Effective Patricia Soto , Creighton University, USA, Chair Thomas Mennella , Western New England University, USA Catherine Crouch , Swarthmore College, USA Stephanie Gardner , Purdue University, USA In Situ Structural Biology (Cyro-Electron Tomography) Bridget Carragher , Chan Zuckerberg Institute, USA, Chair Julia Mahamid , European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany

Phase Separation in Membrane and Lipids Abdou Rachid Thiam , École Normale Supérieure (ENS), France, Chair Trevor GrandPre , Princeton University, USA Sarah Shelby , University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA Lindsay Case , MIT, USA Biophysics of ER and Secretory Pathway Sonya Neal , University of California, San Diego, USA, Chair Christine Mayr , Sloan Kettering Institute, USA Tae-Young Yoon , Seoul National University, South Korea Speaker to be announced Cardiac Plasticity or Maturation - the Cardiomyocyte’s Perspective Cesare Terracciano , Imperial College of London, United Kingdom, Chair William T Pu , Harvard University, USA Seitaro Nomura , University of Tokyo, Japan Nina Ullrich , Heidelberg University, Germany Emerging Concepts in Microtubule Function Sabine Petry , Princeton University, USA, Chair Katerina Toropova , University of Oxford, United Kingdom Kassandra Ori-McKenney , University of California, Davis, USA Justin Kollman , University of Washington, USA The Fluid Versus Gel Nature of the Genome Laura Finzi , Emory University, USA, Chair Marco Cosentino-Lagomarsino , University of Milan, Italy Christine Jacobs-Wagner , Stanford University, USA Speaker to be announced

Genome Organization Ana Pombo , Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Germany, Chair Leonid Mirny , MIT, USA Longzhi Tan , Stanford University, USA Clodagh O’Shea , Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Biophysics Uri Manor , Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA Jeffrey Cameron , University of Colorado Boulder, USA Speaker to be announced Speaker to be announced Systems Biology from Molecules to Communities Lacramioara Bintu , Stanford University, USA, Chair Zaida Luthey-Schulten , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA Elizabeth Jerison , University of Chicago, USA Arjun Raj , University of Pennsylvania, USA Plant Biophysics Markita Landry , University of California, Berkeley, USA, Chair Lucia Strader , Duke University, USA Diwakar Shukla , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA Martin Howard , John Innes Centre, United Kingdom Climate Change: Adaption to Temperature Changes Kavita Rangan , University of California, San Diego, USA, Chair Emily Carrington , University of Washington, USA David Savage , University of California, Berkeley, USA Cesar Cuevas-Velazquez , National Autonomous University of Mexico New Approaches to Capture the Central Dogma in Eukaryotes Xiaowei Zhuang , Harvard University, USA, Chair Timothy Stasevich , Colorado State University, USA Ning Zhao , University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, USA Jumana AlHaj Abed , Harvard University, USA

Integrative Modeling: Beyond Experimental and Predicted Structures Rommie Amaro , University of California San Diego, USA, Chair Andrej Sali , University of California, San Francisco, USA Gerhard Hummer , Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Germany Virginie Hamel , University of Geneva, Switzerland

Pushing Imaging to Near Atomic Resolution In Situ Alice Pyne , University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, Chair Christian Wurm , Abberior, Germany Hong Wang , North Carolina State University, USA Jonas Ries , European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany

Gaia Pigino , Human Technopole, Italy Gira Bhabha , New York University, USA

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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 and modified 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 2024 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 Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Aggregates, and Condensates 2A Intrinsically Disordered Proteins 2B Protein Aggregates 2C Condensates: Physical Properties and Modeling 2D Condensates in Physiology and Disease Nucleic Acids 3A DNA Replication, Recombination, and Repair 3B Transcription 3C Ribosomes and Translation 3D DNA Structure and Dynamics 3E RNA Structure and Dynamics 3F Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions 3G Chromatin and the Nucleoid Lipids and Membranes 4A Membrane Physical Chemistry 4B Membrane Dynamics 4C Membrane Active Peptides 4D Membrane Fusion and Non-Bilayer Structures 4E Membrane Structure 4F Protein-Lipid Interactions: Channels 4G Protein-Lipid Interactions: Structures 4H General Protein-Lipid Interactions

Cell Physiology and Bioenergetics 5A

Membrane Receptors and Signal Transduction

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

Mechanosensation

Exocytosis and Endocytosis

Calcium Signaling

Intracellular Calcium Channels and Calcium Sparks and Waves Membrane Pumps, Transporters, and Exchangers

Excitation-Contraction Coupling

Cardiac, Smooth, and Skeletal Muscle Electrophysiology

5I 5J

Muscle Regulation

Intracellular Organelle Dynamics Bioenergetics and Photosynthesis Mitochondria in Cell Life and Death

5K 5L

Channels and Transporters 6A

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

6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 6G 6H

TRP Channels

Ligand-Gated Channels

Ion Channel Regulatory Mechanisms Ion Channels, Pharmacology, and Disease

Anion Channels

6I Other Channels Cytoskeleton, Motility, and Motors 7A

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

7B

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

7I 7J

7K 7L

Systems Biology 8A

Modeling of Biological Systems Imaging in Systems and Synthetic Biology Genetic, Metabolic, and Cellular Networks Novel Techniques for Systems and Synthetic Biology

8B 8C 8D

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Annual Meeting

Techniques To allow attendees to search for abstracts based on specific techniques in addition to areas of research, during abstract submission you will be asked to select the technique used in your research from among the list of broad topics. The technique categories for the 2024 Annual Meeting are listed here.

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 Electron Microscopy 10C Diffraction and Scattering Techniques 10D Molecular Dynamics 10E

• Analytical Ultracentrifugation • Artificial Intelligence Methods • Atomic Force Spectroscopy • Bioinformatics • Calorimetry • Cell/Tissue Imaging and Mechanics • Computational Modeling – Cells and Systems

Computational Methods and Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Bioinformatics Optical Microscopy and Superresolution Imaging Optical Spectroscopy: CD, UV-VIS, Vibrational, Fluorescence Force Spectroscopy and Scanning Probe Microscopy Single-Molecule Spectroscopy

10F 10G 10H

• Computational Modeling – Molecular and Macromolecular • Computational/Theoretical Chemistry and Simulations • Electron Microscopy and Tomography • Electrophysiology

10I

Bioengineering and Biomaterials 11A Bioengineering 11B Biosensors 11C Biosurfaces 11D Micro- and Nanotechnology 11E Biomaterials Biophysics Education 12A Biophysics Education

• Fluorescence and Light Microscopy • Magnetic Resonance (NMR, EPR, MRI) • Mass Spectrometry • Microfluidics and Microfabrication • Nanotechnology

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance/EPR Spectroscopy • Optical Spectroscopy (CD, UV/Vis, Fluorescence)

• Single Molecule Methods • Superresolution Imaging • Time-Resolved Spectroscopy • Transient State Kinetics

• Vibrational Spectroscopy (Infrared and Raman) • X-Ray and Neutron Scattering and Diffraction • X-Ray Crystallography • None/Other

Take a Look at the Three Major Changes to the Annual Meeting Program Three major changes are being implemented for the 2024 Annual Meeting that will increase opportunities for participation. Please read the changes below carefully BEFORE moving forward with your abstract submission. I. “Symp Select” Speaker One additional speaker will be added to each symposium as a “Symp Select” speaker. If you are a principal investigator, you will have the option of choosing “Symp Select” when submitting your abstract. “Symp Select” speakers will have 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for Q&A. Program chairs will select one “Symp Select” speaker for each of the 20 symposia. II. Platform Presenters Can Also Present a Poster If you select platform presentation and are programmed for a talk, you can select the option to also present your work in a poster session. III. Five-Minute Flash Talks Instead of each platform having eight talks, they will now have seven platform talks and three flash talks (five minutes each). Flash talk presenters will also present this work in a poster session

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Communities

Yuri Nesmelov Membership Committee

Yuri Nesmelov

Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? Initially, I had a major concern that volunteering would consume a substantial amount of my time. However, I have discovered that it is not as overwhelming as I had anticipat ed, thanks to the BPS staff. While there is certainly a time commitment involved, it is quite manageable. Thus far, my volunteering experience has been positive, and I encourage others to contemplate engaging in such a service. If you gen uinely appreciate the Society’s endeavors, it is worthwhile to become an active participant. If you are reading this BPS Bulle tin , chances are you are more than just a nominal member of the Society, so consider volunteering; it is not as challenging as it may seem. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I am interested in the regulation of muscle contraction at the molecular level. My lab works with different mutants of myosin molecular motor to figure out how it functions. When not at work, I enjoy riding my bicycle, camping in parks along the Atlantic shore, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and canoeing with friends in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota.

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? Since 2018, I have been a part of the Membership Committee and am currently serving my second term. I am an intermit tent member of other Societies but volunteer only for BPS. Why do you volunteer? The short answer would be to give back to BPS. Having been a member of the Society since 2000, I attend the Annual Meet ing every year. The BPS Annual Meeting is one of the high lights of the year. I love to come and be part of such a vibrant scientific community, meet people I know, learn something new, and catch a few ideas. Over the years I observed how the Annual Meeting changes in terms of fostering this scientific community and became interested in what is going on behind the scenes. What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? Being a member of the committee offers a unique experience. I appreciate the opportunity to be in a group of similarly mind ed, cooperative people who share BPS’s values and are willing to make things better. Members of the committee are from all over the world, with different perspectives and cultural backgrounds, but with a common interest assuring cohesive thinking.

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

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

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