Biophysical Society Bulletin | June 2018

June 2018

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

2018 Elections Open Voting Period June 1 through August 1

The Society is pleased to announce the 2018 slate of candidates for President-Elect, Secretary, and Council. The two candidates for President-Elect are Samantha Harris of the University of Arizona and Catherine A. Royer of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The President-Elect will serve a one-year term, beginning March 2019, followed by a year as President, starting February 2020, and one subsequent year term as Past-President, beginning in February 2021. The candidate for Secretary is Erin D. Sheets of the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Secretary will serve a four-year term, beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2023. Samantha Harris Catherine D. Royer

Erin D. Sheets

Inside Biophysicist in Profile

This year’s slate includes nine candidates for Council, shown below. The four members who are elected will each serve a three-year term beginning on March 5, 2019.

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Public Affairs From the Blog Communities Member Corner

Michelle Digman

Marta Filizola

Sonia M. Gregory

Harley T. Kurata

Don C. Lamb

New Member Benefit

Important Dates

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Publications

Meetings and Events Career Development

Obituary

Upcoming Events

Joseph A. Mindell

David J. Moore

Anna Moroni

Thorsten Wohland

Full biographical information and candidate statements are available at www.biophysics. org. All regular Society members with 2018 dues paid by May 31, 2018, are eligible to vote. Eligible members may vote electronically through August 1, 2018, by means of the secure site found at www.biophysics.org/Election. The Society in indebted to the Nominating Committee, which developed the slate. The committee members were Arthur Palmer , Chair, Michael Pusch , Jonathan Rocheleau , Suzanne Scarlata , and Joanna Swain .

Don’t miss out on webinars, video library, membership directory, awards and funding opportunities, ability to easily renew your membership, change your address, vote, and much more. Create your myBPS account now if you have not done so.

Biophysicist in Profile

Jack Diwu Areas of Research Real time monitoring of cellular events by fluorescence

Company AAT Bioquest

At-a-Glance

Jack Diwu would not have chosen to study chemistry if he had been given another option, but he quickly came to love the subject. Since his time in graduate school he has pursued his scientific passions, making moves in his career to follow research that interested him. In 2006 he founded AAT Bioquest, where, he says, “It has been my greatest pleasure to see our products being used by scientists for their research projects.”

Jack Diwu

Zhenjun “Jack” Diwu , founder, President, and CEO of AAT Bioquest, grew up in Xianyang, a small city close to Xi’an, the capital city of Shaanxi Province in China. Xianyang is situated on the north bank of the Wei River about 12 miles northwest of Xi’an, in an area that was the cradle of early Chinese civili- zation. Its historical importance began with the Qin state. All of China was united under the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE) for the first time in Chinese history. “My early interest in Chinese history, literature, and political science might be related to the rich history of my birth place,” he shares. In his younger years, Diwu was much more interested in these subjects than in science, which may have had as much to do with his natural curiosity as it did the larger cultural moment in which he was growing up. “The entire Chinese society was ignoring the nat- ural sciences at the time,” he says. “I started to have a strong interest in science and engineering once Xiaoping Deng started his reform in China. Before Deng’s reform, there were few opportunities in science and technologies in China. Scientists and educators were unfairly treated in China in the 1970s, which had a very negative influence on my earlier interests in science as it did on other young people of my generation.” After Deng had begun his education system reform in the late 1970s, Diwu was enrolled into Northwest University in Xian, China. He was assigned to the Department of Chemistry, though he had a stronger interest in math and engineering. “You must go with your assignment by the government at the time in China, thus I started my scientific career with chemis- try. When I started my chemistry major with Northwest Uni- versity in 1980, I might have had the poorest scores among all my classmates,” he says. “Fortunately, I started to have a strong interest in chemistry, and thus I quickly caught up with my grades. By the time of my college graduation in 1984, I had become one of the top students.” That same year, he enrolled in graduate school at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. At this prestigious research institution, Diwu had access to many resources he had not been able to access at Northwest University. He read multiple

newspapers each day, and one day in the Guangming Daily came across an intriguing article about Linjin Jiang’s research on photobiology. This proved to be fortuitous, and he began his biophysics career in Jiang’s lab. “Her lab research focused on photochemistry, photophysics, and photobiology,” he says. “My strong background in math and chemistry played a significant role in my early success in her lab.” He studied the phototherapeutic mechanism of hyporcrellins, a group of natural pigments isolated from a fungus grown in Yunnan Province, China. Following completion of his PhD in 1988, Diwu wanted to continue this research, and sought out a postdoctoral posi- tion with William Lown at University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In his first year there, he focused on investigating the essential photophysical and biological properties of perylen- equinoid compounds. “Some of exceptional properties of hypocrellin B discovered in Dr. Lown’s lab were particularly in- triguing. We decided to explore its phototherapeutic potential in my last two years of postdoctoral work,” he explains. Over the next two years, his priority was to explore the anti-cancer applications of hypocrellin B by collaborating with the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton. A pharmaceutical company, SonoLight Pharmaceutical, was formed based on Diwu’s research, in order to further explore the commercial poten- tial of the light-activated or ultrasound-activated anticancer and anti-HIV applications of hypocrellin B. Later, SonoLight merged with Alta Pharma to form Quest Pharmaceuticals, which is still actively exploring the various applications of hypocrellin B and its derivatives for anticancer, antiviral, and cosmetic applications. One day during his time in Lown’s lab, Diwu was reading a business journal that featured a report on a small biotechnol- ogy firm, Molecular Probes, based in Eugene, Oregon. “The ar- ticle reminded me my deep interest in fluorescence. I decided to write to Dr. Richard Haugland , the founder and president of Molecular Probes. To my surprise Dr. Haugland immediately wrote me back with an invitation for an on-site job interview.

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Biophysicist in Profile

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

I got a job offer from Molecular Probes in about three weeks,” he shares. “At the time, it was hard for me to leave the hypocrellin research project on which we had made significant progress that resulted in big funding from Canada Research Council and Alberta Heritage Foundation; however, I wanted so much to try something new, and therefore, I decided to join Molecular Probes. It turned out that my decision did not disappoint me. Dr. Haugland’s immense knowledge and passion for science deeply impressed me. I had chances to ex- change ideas and discuss research projects all the time.”

tion of FLIPR calcium assay kits for the high throughput screeening (HTS) market; these products quickly became the gold standard in the HTS market.”

Zev Bryant Jane Clarke Linda Columbus Bertrand Garcia-Moreno Teresa Giraldez Ruben Gonzalez, Jr. Arthur Palmer Marina Ramirez-Alvarado Jennifer Ross David Stokes Joanna Swain Pernilla Wittung-Stafeshede Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief Society Office Ro Kampman Executive Officer Newsletter Executive Editor Rosalba Kampman Managing Editor Beth Staehle Contributing Writers and Proofreaders Dorothy Chaconas Laura Phelan

Diwu with Luke Lavis in Chemistry Lab at Molecular Devices.

In 2006 he founded AAT Bioquest, a small biotech company. “We love to see our products being used to advance biophysical and other scientific research. Our research and develop- ment in calcium detection is a great example. Influenced by Dr. Tsien’s talk at Molecular Probes, I have been passionate to improve calcium detection by providing more effective tools to scientists since calcium detection is essential and important for cellular communi- cations and signal transduction,” he shares. “By AAT Bioquest’s second year, we had introduced our first calcium product, Fluo-8®. Following our early success of Fluo-8, we introduced the follow-up calcium detection products, Cal-520® and Calbryte™-520 that have far superior properties than the earlier calcium dyes such as Fluo-3 and Fluo-4. AAT Bioquest is investing more than half of its revenue back to research projects. Our current focus is to develop infrared calcium detection products that enable calcium imaging with live animals, a rapidly growing research area, but limited by the availability of infrared fluorescent detec- tion reagents.” Throughout his career, Diwu has followed his passions, and advises young scientists to do the same: “If you are interested in what you do and passionate about your projects, you al- ways feel energetic and actively pursue it with a great chance to succeed. No matter what re- sults you get you always feel happy. If there is a better opportunity, do a good analysis before you make your final decision. There is nothing wrong with changing direction or making some adjustments as long as you are well prepared.”

Diwu with his family.

In 1996, Nobel laureate Roger Tsien visited Mo- lecular Probes and gave a lecture on fluores- cent probes and their applications. “I was lucky to have a dinner with Dr. Tsien, who mentioned the story of Fluo-3 discovery. I admired his brilliant idea to invent Fluo-3 based on the prototype calcium ion indicator, EGTA,” he says. “Since then, I have had a strong interest in developing fluorescent probes for calcium de- tections, which led to [AAT Bioquest’s] recent development of the best calcium probes on the market such as Cal-520® and Calbryte-520.” Diwu left Molecular Probes in 2000 for Mo- lecular Devices, after becoming interested in the company’s calcium detection-dedicated FLIPR instrument. “At the time it was the only instrument that could kinetically read calcium signals in a high throughput mode due to its outstanding liquid handling and fast reading capability,” he explains. “I had a strong inter- est in learning the integration of fluorescence detection reagents and systems. I contacted Molecular Devices for a job opportunity and was luckily offered the Director of Chemistry. We successfully developed the first genera-

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Ray Wolfe Catie Curry

The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published eleven times per year, January-December, by the Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2018 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

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Public Affairs

Take Advantage of the Congressional Recess: Meet with Your Member of Congress

Both the House and Senate traditionally break for a month every August. During this time, elected officials spend most of their time in their home states and districts. Because they are there for more than just a few days, it is great time to set up a meet- ing at his/her local district office or invite the representative or senator to tour your research lab. These meetings are a great way to make a connection and show your politicians the research taking place right there in their district. To have the most impact, we encourage you to find a colleague to join you in your advocacy efforts. Members of Congress do want to meet and hear from their constituents, and love it even more when they can meet more than one at a time. Plus, hav- ing someone with a slightly different perspective can help make your case even stronger. The Society is here to assist you in the process. Sign up by July 20 at http:/www.biophysics.org/policy-advocacy/take-action to participate and Society staff will guide you through the process and provide materials you can use.

EPA Rule Proposal Would Prohibit “Secret Science” in Policymaking EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a rule proposal on April 24 that would not allow the EPA to use research in setting rules and policies unless it is publicly available and reproducible. While this sounds innocuous, studies can often not be released to the public because of individual privacy concerns and cannot be reproduced because they are longi- tudinal and follow a population over a lengthy period of time. The rule is a copy of the Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act, introduced by Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and passed by the House three times, most recently in March 2017, but not taken up by the Senate. The rule is facing pushback from the science community and Democratic members of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. NIH Budget Justification Provides Insight into NIH Priorities In April, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its FY 2019 Budget Justification. This document provides detailed information on how the organization would spend the money

that it has requested from Congress for FY 2019. The details provide insight into the administration’s priorities for the year, as well as information on new initiatives and programs that the administration would like to end. The FY 2019 justifica- tion indicates that if Congress were to provide the funding that President Trump has requested, NIH would: • Commit $100 million to create a fund in the Office of the Director to support the Next Generation Researchers Ini- tiative, which Institutes and Centers could use to supple- ment their own funds for the initiative; • Spend $30 million to support data science activities across NIH; • Provide $50 million to the Common Fund for additional prize competitions; • Fully fund the All of Us Research Program, the Brain Ini- tiative, the Cancer Moonshot, and Regenerative Medicine Initiative included in the 21st Century Cures Act; and • Create seven operational centers to streamline Institute and Center operations.

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Public Affairs

NIH received more funding in 2018 than the President has requested in 2019. Based on congressional actions in the past two years, it is very likely that NIH will receive more than the President has requested, and justified, in this document in 2019. Justifications for individual Institutes and Centers are also available at https:/officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/insti_cen- ter_subs.html. NewNational Academies Report Recommends Actions to Support Early Career Biomedical Researchers A new report, The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behav- ioral Sciences Researchers: Breaking Through , released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

calls for a series of substantial reforms to strengthen the US biomedical research system for the next generation of scientists. The congressionally requested report includes recommendations to open career paths inside and outside of academia for early career scientists, broaden responsibility among public and private stakeholders for the future of the research ecosystem, and increase policy experimentation and investment in that research ecosystem, so that scientists are empowered to imagine new and innovative treatments for diseases and improvements to health and well-being. The report also identifies barriers that have impeded past efforts at reform of the biomedical research ecosystem, and propos- es means to overcome those obstacles. The report can be read in its entirety at https:/www.nap.edu/catalog/25008/ the-next-generation-of-biomedical-and-behavioral-scienc- es-researchers-breaking.

Use Your Expertise toMake a Difference! Sign-up for Find a Biophysicist Network (FaB)

Be an inspiration to your community and help change the lives of those inter- ested in or studying science. Based on members’ feedback, the FaB Network launched in early April with the newly redesigned BPS website. Volunteer to be a K-12 classroom visitor, mentor, science fair judge, speaker, or student chapter sponsor. The Find a Biophysicist (FaB) Network is free and accessible by mem- bers and nonmembers, but only BPS members may join FaB. The network is designed to provide the best match to users searching for a biophysicist for any of the aforementioned activities. To join FaB, login or create your myBPS account and get involved. Help build this new network by signing up today. For more information, visit biophysics. org/get-involved.

From the Blog

biophysics.org/blog

Filamentous Shells with Phase-separated Cores

Biophysics on World Malaria Day

Patrick M. McCall , Samanvaya Srivastava , Sarah L. Perry , David R. Kovar , Margaret L. Gardel , and Matthew V. Tirrell wrote about their cover art for the April 10, 2018, issue of Biophysical Journal. The cover image shows actin filaments and filament bundles localized to the periphery of coacervate droplets. Read more:

In recognition of World Malaria Day on April 25, we spoke with BPS member Ulrich Schwarz from the

Department of Physics and Astron- omy at Heidelberg University and his collaborator Friedrich Frischknecht from Heidelberg University Medical School about their research relating to malaria. Read more: http:/www.biophysics.org/blog/ biophysics-on-world-malaria-day

http:/www.biophysics.org/blog/filamen- tous-shells-with-phase-separated-cores

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2018 Biophysical Society Thematic Meetings

Genome Biophysics: Integrating Genomics and Biophysics to Understand Structural and Functional Aspects of Genomes Santa Cruz, California | August 19–24, 2018

Genomic tools are becoming essential in molecular and personalized medicine by virtue of their capacity to analyze diversity within the human genome. Whereas genomic variability at the sequence level is manifestly involved in health and diseases of organisms, little is known about the roles that such variability plays in the physical organization of genomes. The theme of this meeting is an exploration of the long-overdue application of biophysical methods in genomics, emphasizing structural and functional aspects of genome and transcriptome dynamics. Topic areas include extremophile genomes, highly compact genomes, extrachromosomal circular DNAs, circular and micro RNAs, DNA viruses and viroids, and other nucleic-acid and chromatin structures having potential roles in genome regulation. Organizing Committee:

Late Abstract & Registration Deadline: June 18, 2018

Sarah Harris , University of Leeds, United Kingdom Stephen Levene, University of Texas at Dallas, USA Julia Salzman , Stanford University, USA Massa Shoura , Stanford University, USA

www.biophysics.org/ 2018SantaCruz

The focus on mathematical and biophysical models coupled with experiments sets this meeting apart from cardiological and biological meetings. The meeting will be highly interdisciplinary with contributions from medicine, biology, physics, bioengineering, and mathematics. Specifi- cally, topics will include: • Cell level: modelling of excitation contraction cou- pling, sarcomere models, metabolic modelling, ROS signalling, spatially resolved models, and subcellular structures; Hemodynamics: flow in atria and ventricles, aortic flow, valve stenosis replacement, stenting; • Organ level: Electrophysiology, mechanics, total heart function, personalization; • Modelling diseases: arrhythmia, antitachypacing and defibrillation, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. nucleic-acid and chromatin structures having potential roles in genome regulation.

Organizing Committee: Martin Falcke , Max Delbruck Center Berlin, Germany Gernot Plank , Medical University of Graz, Austria Zhilin Qu , University of California, Los Angeles, USA Karin Sipido , University of Leuven, Belgium James Weiss , University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Late Abstract Deadline: June 25, 2018

www.biophysics.org/ 2018Berlin

Communities

A Glance at Biophysics in Japan

National Research Council Research Associateship Programs These programs promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the US government through the administration of programs offering grad- uate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportu- nities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. Who can apply: Once a host laboratory and Research Adviser are identified, an application is submitted online. Prospective applicants should carefully read the details and eligibility of the program to which they are apply- ing, as some laboratories have citizenship and/or other requirements. Deadline: August 1, 2018 Website: http:/sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap/ iPS cell research is the most famous medical science in Japan because Professor Shinya Yamanaka won the Nobel prize in medicine in 2012. Also, it is the most anticipated field in the next generation of medicine. Biophysics has been support- ing this research field by providing the physical basis of cell dynamics to understand the mechanisms of differentiation. Moreover, iPS cells have enabled us to study unsolved cell dy- namics in any cell types by their precise differentiation ability. On the other hand, artificial cell research is still rapidly grow- ing as the innovative way to understand, modify, and rebuild living cell models. This trend has been coming from a part of synthetic biology. The main aim of artificial cell research is to construct “cells” that are metabolizable, splittable, and controllable. To construct artificial cells from defined biomole- cules, biophysics offers innumerable physical fundamentals of self-organization in the phenomena of life. The Biophysical Society of Japan has nearly 4,000 members. Its outreach activities include lectures in elementary, junior high, and high school by famous Japanese biophysics re- searchers to generate enthusiasm for the science in younger students. — Shunshi Kohyama , Keio University

Over the past half century, biophysics has been a significant and important platform in Japan for both biologists and physicists to understand the question, What is life? through physical and

AAAS Mentor Awards The two categories of the AAAS Mentor Awards (Life- time Mentor Award and Mentor Award) both honor individuals who during their careers demonstrate extraordinary leadership to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineer- ing fields and careers. It is important to indicate in the nomination materials how the nominee’s work resulted in departmental and/or institutional change in terms of the granting of PhDs to underrepresented students, with quantitative data and demonstrated through the student and colleague letters of support. Who can apply: The award is open to all regardless of nationality or citizenship. Nominees must be living at the time of their nomination. Deadline: August 15, 2018 Website: https:/www.aaas.org/page/aaas-mentor- awards Grants & Opportunities Biophysics also offers powerful tools for recently developed life science research fields in Japan. Two notable studies are regenerative medicine using iPS cells and the construction of artificial cells by bottom-up synthetic biology. mathematical considerations. Biophysics has been mainly led and promoted by the Biophysical Society of Japan, and influences a wide range of quantitative considerations about biological subjects, from single-molecule to whole organisms and ecosystems.

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Communities

The Biophysical Society is grateful for its 2018 Industry Partners.

Gold Member

Silver Member

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

Public Affairs Committee The BPS Bulletin will be running a series highlighting the Soci- ety’s committees to help members learn more about them and the kinds of things committee volunteers do on behalf of the members. The Public Affairs Committee was established in 1971 by Society President Fred M. Snell , as the Committee on Scientific Public Policy. By 1975 it was named the Public Science Policy Committee. It was re-organized by the Executive Board in May 1995 and the name was changed to Public Affairs Com- mittee. The official charge of the Public Affairs Committee is: (1) To ensure appropriate support for biophysics and basic research at the government and funding agencies; (2) to support bio- physics through government and funding bodies and public outreach and education; (3) to develop special initiatives and responses, as appropriate, to matters of public policy that impact on biophysics and biophysicists at all education and career levels; and (4) to advise the Society president and council on matters of public affairs. How does the committee go about doing this? The commit- tee meets monthly via conference call and twice a year in person. Its members serve as the first line in responding to requests for information from federal agencies on science policy-related matters and administrative and congressional

budget proposals. They use their judgement and the exper- tise they develop during their tenure on the committee to determine what issues matter to the BPS membership, and what kind of feedback can help shape a policy in ways that are representative of the Society’s membership. The committee strives to provide educational opportunities for members and the public by organizing opportunities for scientists to meet with legislators; providing an online advo- cacy toolkit; sponsoring programs at the annual meeting on (1) current science policy topics, (2) science communication, and (3) navigating federal agency grant programs; and leading outreach programs like Biophysics Week, the BPS science fair awards, and the exhibit at the USA Science and Engineering Festival. The committee also selects the annual BPS congres- sional fellow, which provides both a personal growth opportu- nity and a much needed scientific voice among congressional staff. The current committee chair is Ed Egelman, University of Virginia. He has served in this role for six years, and will be turning the reins over to Eric Sundberg , University of Mary- land Medical School, on July 1. The Chair and members of the committee are appointed by the President, approved by Council, and serve for three-year staggered terms, each renewable once. The President and Secretary of the Society also serve on the committee as ex-officio members.

Become Involved— Join a Committee The Biophysical Society committees are essential to the implementation of the Society’s stated purpose to lead devel- opment and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. Society members who wish to be considered for a committee appointment are encouraged to submit a volunteer form, which can be found at https:/www.surveymonkey.com/r/ 2019CommitteeVolunteers. Individuals who submit volunteer forms prior to October 1, 2018, and have paid their 2019 membership by January 2019 will be notified of their appointments by mid-March 2019.

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Member Corner

Members in the News

Jennifer Doudna , University of California, Berkeley, and Society member since 2015, was awarded the National Acad- emy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences.

Adriaan Bax , National Institutes of Health, and Society member since 1998 , received the National Academy of Sciences Award for Scientific Reviewing.

Jennifer Doudna

Adriaan Bax

NewMembership Benefit in 2019 Beginning with the 2019 dues cycle, Society membership will include one complimentary subgroup membership. Members may always join additional subgroups for $20 each. As before, all emeritus and student members may join as many subgroups as they wish for no additional fee. BPS subgroups are an integral part of the Society, providing year-round opportunities for members to meet, network, and collaborate within their more focused research communities while still enjoying the rich benefits of belonging to the broader biophysics world of the Biophysical Society.

Important Dates BPS Thematic Meetings Genome Biophysics August 19–24, 2018, Santa Cruz, California June 18, 2018 Late Abstract Submission The Heart by Numbers September 4–7, 2018, Berlin, Germany June 25, 2018 Late Abstract Submission 63 rd BPS Annual Meeting March 2–6, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland July 1, 2018 Abstract Submission and Registration Open

Student Spotlight Giancarlo Bruni

University of Colorado, Boulder As you move forward in science, what type of research do you see yourself doing? Why? As I move forward in science I could see myself applying the quantitative optical tools I’ve learned studying bacterial electrophysiology to explore how electrophysiology influences other organism’s biology. I think the use of optical electrophysiology to observe whole tissues could reveal exciting new insights into developmental biology, and could also be relevant for understanding disease phenotypes.

Giancarlo Bruni

Biophysics Week March 25–29, 2019 March 9–13, 2020

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Publications

Know the Editor Jeffrey Fredberg Harvard University

Top Reasons to Publish in BJ 1. Acceptance to publication now in 2-3 days. 2. New author proofing system allows authors to enter corrections easily directly into proof preserving the underlying coding. Saves time and effort. 3. New LaTex template through Overleaf allows easy composition and submission of files. 4. Direct submission available from BioRxiv to BJ and from BJ to BioRxiv. 5. Rigorous and constructive peer review by working scientists. 6. No page limits. 7. Hybrid journal with open access and licensing options. 8. Comprehensive policies that promote transparency and data sharing. 9. Affordable publication fees with discounts for BPS members. 10. Automatic consideration for the Paper of the Year Award 11. Easy submission with ORCIDs. 12. Authors receive link to share their article for 50 days. 13. Opportunities to have your work highlighted with cover art, sliders, video clips, press releases, and more.

Editor, Systems Biophysics

Jeffrey Fredberg

What are you currently working on that excites you? Just as each sand grain in a sand castle nestles among its immediate neighbors, so too does each cell in certain tissues. As regards cell packing, we found that slight differences of shape from cell-to-cell within a packed epithelial tissue — the tissue type that lines the surface of every organ — is not so much a matter of biological happenstance as much as it is a physical necessity required for cells to migrate, organs to develop, and tissues to remodel. We came to realize, further, that the epithelial tissue displays two distinct behaviors. On the one hand, cells comprising an integrated epithelial tissue can rearrange among themselves and flow like a liquid, but on the other hand they can stop those rearrangements and freeze like a solid. As such, there exists a remarkable phys- ical analogy between the manner in which an organ can be molded from a collection of cells and the manner in which a sandcastle can be molded from a collection of sand grains. Both arise from collective systems that can jam and unjam. What has been your most exciting discovery as a biophysicist? It was the realization that the cytoskeleton of the living eukaryotic cell is solid-like, not fluid-like, and conforms to the class of systems called soft glassy materials, which includes pastes, foams, and colloids.

14. Opportunity to submit a Figure360. 15. Broad focus; wide dissemination.

Biophysical Journal Is Committed to Rapid Publication Papers accepted to the Biophysical Journal are now being published 2-3 days from receipt of final files. To check out recently accepted manuscripts at https:/www.cell.com/biophysj/newarticles. These recently accepted manuscripts have not been copyedited or composed into pages; however, corrected proofs will replace the accepted manuscript online as soon as they are available. In addition to initiating rapid publication, the journal has moved to a new author proofing system where author queries can be dealt with at the same time as the proofing stage, as opposed to separately via email as has been done in the past. This will speed up acceptance to publication of the final version of the article by two days.

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Meetings and Events

Announcing the 2019 Thematic Meetings Mark your calendars! The BPS will hold four thematic meetings in 2019 that will explore focused topics from varying perspectives. Multiscale Modeling of Chromatin: Bridging Experiment with Theory Les Houches, France March 31–April 5 This meeting will bring together biologists, Lima, Peru July 15–18

Revisiting the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology at the Single-Molecule Level

The molecular processes that drive and regulate the flow of information from genes to proteins—i.e., the central dogma of molec- ular biology—have been

chemists, physicists, and mathematicians to discuss and launch collaborations to advance the field of chromatin modeling and applications through new conceptual approaches and perspectives. The meeting will emphasize the unique multiscale features and properties of chromatin, from DNA to nuclear organiza- tion and interactions, and will encourage/enhance the devel- opment of multiscale models and experimental strategies needed to address all relevant components of the chromatin folding problem. Such multiscale approaches, combining experimental data and modeling/informatics, are necessary to extract and identify structure/function relationships on various scales, from atoms to whole genomes, and to pursue important applications in epigenetics and medicine.

extensively studied using traditional biochemical and molec- ular tools. However, thanks to the advent of single-molecule manipulation and nanoscale visualization techniques, many unknown biophysical aspects of these processes have been unveiled. This meeting aims to cover recent discoveries produced by single-molecule approaches in the biophysics of replication, transcription, protein synthesis, chaperone-mediated protein folding/degradation, and molecular motors. Additional topics include the latest developments in single molecule instru- mentation and nanoscale visualization, steered molecular dynamics simulations, and single-molecule applications for the study of pathogens and infectious diseases. Biology and Physics Confront Cell-Cell Adhesion

Quantitative Aspects of Membrane Fusion and Fission Padova, Italy May 6–10 Quantitative understanding of biophysical mechanisms increasingly requires analy- sis of dynamical and phys- iologically relevant cellular changes. This is especially

Aussois, France October 14–17

Cell-cell adhesion is the fundamental process that led to multicellular organ- isms. It is essential both for embryonic development and adult tissue homeo-

relevant for biological membrane processes that occur at distinct points in time and space, such as membrane fusion or fission, and that are driven by localized and quantifiable interaction of proteins, lipids and messenger molecules. This interdisciplinary meeting will address the growing need for collaboration between experimentalists and theorists to fully take advantage of the quantitative nature of the experimen- tal observations in this field and to improve the quantitative descriptions of membrane events.

stasis. This meeting will bring together biologists, biophysi- cists, soft matter physicists, and computational scientists to discuss the role of mechanics in cell-cell adhesion. We will confront how the different communities understand adhesion at the molecular, cellular, and tissue scales.

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Meetings and Events

Call for 2020 Thematic Meetings Submission Site for 2020 Thematic Meeting Proposals will open June 12, 2018.

Calling all Society members! This is a unique opportunity for you to organize a meeting on a topic you care about, while receiving administrative support from the Society. Three to four thematic meetings will be selected on focused topics that have not been recently presented. The Soci- ety underwrites each meeting up to $10,000 and provides complete meeting management, including all web and onsite components. What makes these meetings unique from other small meetings is that they bring together researchers from disparate disciplines to work on a common problem, which is what biophysicists do. Thematic meetings have taken place throughout the world, reaching communities that often can- not attend the Society’s Annual Meeting.

Criteria for BPS Thematic Meetings are: • Organizers must be Society members; • Topics must be timely, not recently addressed, and should foster interdisciplinary and international research; • Each must be a standalone meeting, not a satellite to another meeting or an established small meeting that already meets periodically; • Speakers must present new and exciting research; • The proposed list of speakers must represent the geo- graphic, gender, and ethnic diversity of Society member- ship; and • Domestic and international sites are appropriate.

Complete submissions must include names and emails of the organizers, who must be current members, a proposed meeting title, a description of meeting’s topic and theme, an explanation of topic’s timeliness and importance, the proposed meeting location and rationale, the proposed meeting dates and projected number of attendees, any potential funding sources, and all potential conflicting meetings. Previous and upcoming thematic meetings can be viewed on http:/www.biophysics.org/thematic-meetings/ Only complete proposals submitted through the online submission site (https:/www.surveymonkey.com/r/SR7CXBH) will be considered by the Thematic Meetings Committee. Submission deadline for proposals is July 17, 2018.

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Career Development

Using Social Media to Share your Science

LinkedIn Highlights Ethical self-promotion on your LinkedIn profile should highlight your strengths and what you can uniquely bring to a potential employer and future collaborator. Your LinkedIn headline offers 120 characters to relay how you wish to pres- ent yourself and it is a useful place to reinforce your value to potential employers and collaborators. The goal is to use this space wisely and be precise by including the most significant keywords applicable to your skillset. The summary section of your Linkedin profile provides anoth- er opportunity for savvy self-promotion with space for up to 2000 characters, the first 200 of which are immediately vis- ible. One recommendation is to use this space to write about your key strengths with a short paragraph discussing each one. If you’re actively looking for a new job it can be helpful to include your email address at the end of your summary section. Tips for Twitter In 280 characters or less, Twitter can move your science from a lab discussion to an international scientific audience. The use of Twitter among scientists, particularly in academia, is growing. Some scientists suggest that if you are presenting at conferences you may want to include your Twitter handle on slides and posters, which can facilitate future discussions about your research and increase your scientific impact. Finally, there are a growing number of platforms focused specifically on peer-reviewed research, including Mendeley and ResearchGate. These sites are a great way to help promote and share your scientific discoveries among your peers. Along the same lines there are specific sites for different disciplines, including GitHub for computer scientists and BioMedExperts for life scientists. Whatever platform(s) you chose, social media can be instru- mental in advancing your science and scientific career. The key is to be engaged and apply your scientific rigor when writing posts. With social media, we as a scientific community can strive to improve transparency and promote more rigorous science and discussions.

Social media has been under scrutiny over the past few years and for good reason. It is a powerful platform to relay information, or in some cases, misinformation, to the masses around the world, instantly. For this reason we thought it was an important and timely topic to discuss. Given that social media algorithms used by Facebook, Linke-

dIn, Twitter, and Google+, for example, are principally driven by engagement, so the more frequently you share, post, and click the stronger your networks can grow. Facebook Fact Check Facebook has faced controversy in recent months over their data privacy policies and less than rigorous fact checks. A 2017 Pew Research Center analysis, The Science People See on Social Media , recently analyzed six months’ of posts from 30 of the most followed science-related pages on Facebook, in- cluding National Geographic and the Discovery Channel (Hitlin and Olmstead, March 21, 2018; http:/pewrsr.ch/2FPvcQc). They found that millions of people follow science-related pages on Facebook and that multiplatform organizations (listed above and others) including Facebook-primary feeds such as IFLScience are taking advantage of this large audi- ence. The top 30 Facebook pages used in their study showed 29 percent of posts were based on new scientific discoveries, and 16 percent of posts were promotions or advertisement for media or events. Visual posts including those with videos explaining science concepts, highlighting new discoveries, or showcasing ways people can put scientific discoveries to use in their research yielded much more engagement. Engage- ment was based on shares, comments, and likes or other reactions. In light of these numbers, it is clear that Facebook can be a powerful tool for science outreach and disseminating your scientific breakthroughs. In this era of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” scientists can— and some might say it is our responsibility to — use our vast training and expertise to actively participate in social media with the possible added benefit of creating a following and name for our science.

Numbers By the

Over 10,600 job seekers have viewed positions on the BPS Job Board since January 2018.

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Career Development

Learn How to Network to Boost Your Career For this article, I interviewed Alaina G. Levine , who is a pro- fessional speaker, STEM career consultant, and the author of the book Networking for Nerds . Out of all the talks I went to regarding job hunting and networking, only after listening to Alaina at the 2018 BPS Annual Meeting, was I complete- ly convinced that networking is crucial when it comes to finding job and educational opportunities. In this article Alaina explains the philosophy of networking and how we should perceive and use it to advance our careers. — Seda Kocaman , PhD Candidate, Department of Biochemis- try & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Member of the BPS Membership Committee SK: What is networking and why is it crucial? AL: Networking is the only way to get access to hidden career opportunities. Ninety percent of jobs and opportunities are gotten through networking. Networking is about crafting win- win alliances where both parties are providing value to each other by trying to see how they can contribute to each other’s goals. This creates an ecosystem for careers to be developed and expanded upon. SK: How should we approach someone if we are interested in working with them? AL: When you are searching for a job, do not just rely on the advertised positions alone. Reach out to people with whom you are interested in working and ask them for a 15-minute informal phone appointment to talk about what they are working on and how you can potentially collaborate or work with them. The idea is not to ask for jobs directly, but to indicate how you can help them in their work. This will give you access to hidden opportunities and maybe even have a position created solely for you. Think of networking as a long- term investment. You should not get into it wanting, needing, or emphasizing that you are going for a tangible benefit. If there is someone with whom you have been interacting for a while and you have not collaborated with them yet, it is still highly possible that in the future you can work together and that you are laying the groundwork today. SK: How can we make sure that the people we have met before and would like to work in the future, will not forget about us over the years? AL: To keep in touch with your contacts, email them one to four times a year, particularly around the holiday season. In the emails, you can include new information about yourself (e.g., what you are currently working on) and/or about them (e.g., they won the Nobel Prize!). You can also include some-

thing of value to them (e.g., a paper related to their work). Additionally, you can ask them a question about their re- search. This way you will display a positive attitude and show them that you are a professional scholar who is interested in their work. These will keep your promise of value (your brand) fresh in their minds and when an actual solidified opportunity comes up they will be more likely to consider working with you since they already know you. SK: Do senior career individuals appreciate when an early career professional tries to reach out to them? AL: Absolutely, yes! Even the top people like CEOs or Nobel Laureates are impressed when an early career professional reaches out to them. They see you brave and having a pos- itive attitude, something that is required to be successful in their team. You do not have to meet them in person; in fact, the majority of networking is done online by finding people through LinkedIn or conference agendas, emailing and asking them for an informal 15-minute phone appointment. During the appointment you can ask them positive questions about their work and the best aspects of their job, and as the con- versation unfolds you should mention your own expertise and strengths so that they can consider working with you. SK: How likely is it to get a positive response when we ask people for a 15-minute informal appointment? AL: The more people know about your brand, the more likely your career is to advance. Reaching out to 10 people in a month is a good start. In the beginning, when you are sending emails to people that you do not know personally, your con- version rate from sending the email to actually setting up an appointment is probably going to be about 50 percent. As you advance in your career and refine your language to write more powerful emails, the number will go up. Keep in mind that, just because someone cannot talk to you now, does not mean that they are saying no forever. Maybe in a year, there might be another opportunity for you to contact or even collaborate with them. Persistence is good in these cases, particularly in your early career. SK: Thank you very much for all the valuable information you have shared with us Alaina! Finally, is there anything else you would like to share that we have not talked about? AL: It was a pleasure, thank you! BPS offers some excellent networking opportunities and resources that you can use to advance your career. The most important thing that you can do for yourself in career building is to have that bravery to go up to people or to organizations like BPS and ask for experiences that you want, you need, and [where] you think that you will be able to provide value. When you demonstrate those guts, you will be amazed of what kind of opportuni- ties you will get for yourself, your team, your field, and your career. This attitude will help you build the unicorn career of your dreams.

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