Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2019

Publications

Know the Editor Jill Trewhella University of Sydney Editor, Proteins

Special Issue: Membrane Protein Signaling Editors: Andrew Plested and Vasanthi Jayaraman Biophysical Journal Call for Papers

Jill Trewhella

The Journal welcomes submissions that report on biophysics of membrane protein signaling, with emphasis on the structure and dynamics of channels, transporters, and receptors. Physiological signaling, model systems and sensory biology are of particular interest. • Instructions for authors can be found at: www.biophysj.org/authors • Questions can be directed to the BJ Editorial Office at BJ@biophysics.org or (240) 290-5545.

What have you read lately that you found really interesting or stimulating? (a paper, a book, science or not science) I just finished reading Venki Ramakrishnan’s The Gene Machine . I found it a fascinating account of science, politics, and personal- ity from someone who’s had an amazing career in science. We were post docs together at Yale in the early 1980s, part of the same group, and we both went on to work in the National Lab system— Venki first at Oak Ridge and then Brookhaven, I to Los Alamos. In our roles as incoming staff scientists, we were encouraged to work on neutron scattering methods for biology. However, Venki became convinced neutron scattering would not answer the key questions about of biology. In contrast, I always had an inherent interest in methods, loved working with big machines, and was intrigued to see what solution small-angle neutron scattering and its unique capacity for selective contrast variation could do. I closed his book and felt a smile as I reflected on the wonders of my life in science and how paths diverge and reap different kinds of rewards. What has been your most exciting discovery as a biophysicist? There are two, and they have a number of things in common that link directly to my choices for my path in science. As a very young scientist, I discovered that the dumb- bell-shaped Ca2+-receptor calmodulin was different in solu- tion compared to its crystal structure. We had to develop new methods to correctly interpret the solution scattering data. At the time, it was controversial and I had difficulty getting it published. But it was right and it started a whole area of study for me. The second came when I was a well-established researcher. We showed how the regulatory domains of the cardiac myosin binding protein C bound specifically to neighboring subunits in actin fibers. Again, we had to develop new methods to build a three-dimensional model, integrating data from crystallogra- phy, electron microscopy, and neutron scattering with contrast variation. Again, the result was controversial. Again, it was right, which we proved with some subsequent co-electron microscopy.

Deadline for submission: July 1, 2019

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May 2019

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