Biophysical Society Bulletin | May 2023

May 2023

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Biophysics Week, held annually since 2016, is a global campaign to increase awareness of the field of biophysics. Every March, the Society unites the efforts of members, researchers, and organizations worldwide in celebration of biophysics. The goal is to educate and foster global public enthusiasm and support for biophysics research and to emphasize how important it is for researchers to be able to collaborate across borders in science, especially in an interdisciplinary field such as biophysics, to help contribute to the ad vancement of science. This year, the eighth annual event took place March 20–24 and included events hosted by BPS and Affiliate Event Organizers. The week featured both in-person and virtual events hosted by members in 16 different countries. From coffee chats to experiments to seminars and webinars, these events allowed communities across the globe to participate and learn how biophysics impacts science research. BPS would like to thank members and communities all over the world who hosted events and supported and participated in Biophysics Week. BPS provided several resources, such as classical lay summaries and lesson plans and experiments, throughout the week. Those resources are still available at www.biophysics.org/biophysics-week. Thank You Biophysics Week Partners! We want to recognize our international partners for supporting Biophysics Week outreach:

We appreciate their efforts in making this event a success by promoting and sharing Biophysics Week around the world. Together, we advance the role of biophysics in science.

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Biophysicist in Profile

Biophysics Week Communities Member Corner Important Dates

Public Affairs Publications

Career Development

Biophysicist in Profile

KoMomotani Area of Research Analysis of molecular pathways of smooth muscle regulation

Institution Sanyo-Onoda City University

At-a-Glance

Ko Momotani, professor at Sanyo-Onoda City University in Japan, spends his time between Japan and the United States. Over the years, he has developed a competence at cultural translation, which he tries to instill in his students in addition to their scientific training.

Ko Momotani

Ko Momotani grew up in Tokyo. After he graduated from high school in Japan, he moved to the United States to pursue higher education. “I started my education in the U.S. at Van derbilt University English Language Center because my En glish wasn’t good enough for college-level classes,” he shares. “I started my actual college-level education at Nashville State Community College, called Nashville Tech at the time, then transferred to Middle Tennessee State University, and trans ferred again to Penn State to complete my bachelor’s degree.” While he had loved science since he was a child, moving to the United States for his undergraduate studies reinforced his focus on STEM. He wasn’t yet fluent in English, so the uni versality of math and science was appealing. “The language of math and science, such as numbers, is the same in any language, allowing me to merge into the American educa tional system quickly,” he says. “I then became interested in addressing the question of how biological systems work. The initial and fundamental question still is why one state is called ‘alive’ and the other state is called ‘death,’ although molecu lar construction at a fixed time must be ‘almost’ the same. I understand that these two states are getting lately not clearly distinguishable, but it is still a fundamental question for me.” After earning his bachelor’s degree, Momotani attended the University of Virginia for his PhD studies. His professors Andrew P. Somlyo and Avril V. Somlyo in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics introduced him to his current area of research in the analysis of molecular pathways of smooth muscle contraction regulation. Aaron Franke , Vice President of Insight at Brain Surgery World wide, Inc., first met Momotani when both were trainees in the Somlyo lab. “I was starting my postdoc in the Somlyo lab and Ko was a graduate student at the time. It was in late Novem ber when I joined the lab and I remember seeing Ko in what I would learn to be his trademark appearance: wearing a puffer jacket and constantly moving at full pace,” Franke shares. “Ko was in constant movement—physically, mentally, and verbal ly—he loves to talk and share! He was also the first person

to offer to show me around the hospital and university, which provided me a quick glimpse into the level that he cares for all people around him.” “We worked on multiple projects in smooth muscle regula tion, but we also worked together outside of the lab which solidifies the type of person Ko is,” Franke adds. “We worked together on different home projects to reimagine our living spaces and build something new and different for our fam ilies. This was important because it allowed us to learn new techniques, be creative, solve new problems, and work as a team. Designing and implementing a more functional bath room or kitchen is fundamentally equivalent to designing and implementing an experiment in a lab setting. Working on different projects outside of the lab also provided us new perspectives that allowed us to think about physiological pro cesses differently. Structure dictates function in all settings.” As a postdoctoral researcher, he focused on the same re search area. “Being very simple, smooth muscle is regulated via two major pathways, calcium-dependent and -inde pendent,” he explains. “There was a missing link within the calcium-independent pathway, and I identified a protein called p63RhoGEF playing a role in that pathway.” Momotani now serves as a professor at Sanyo-Onoda City University in Japan. “Our lab is designing a cost-efficient in vivo screening method for blood vessel relaxing com pounds—drug candidates for hypertension treatment—using zebrafish,” he shares. His favorite thing about biophysics is its breadth. “Biophys ics covers vast areas and has impressive flexibility, from classic biological science to cutting-edge computer science, and serves as an intersection of multidisciplinary areas. My original training was in classic physiology, and flexibility in biophysics gave me an excellent opportunity for a smooth transition to a bit of modernization, bringing in computerized analyses,” Momotani says. “When I attend the Annual Meet ing, I can meet people from diverse areas, giving me an excel

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Biophysicist in Profile

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

lent opportunity to learn what’s happening in every single research area.” “While in this field, I have witnessed the transition from classic physiology to com putational or engineering-based biology, such as bioengineering. …[R]ecently, the Elon Musk -led company, Neuralink, now plans to embed a computer chip in the human brain to control an electric device or convert and transmit external stimuli back to a biological recipient, i.e., the brain. I don’t know if their plan will succeed, but the trend is certainly flipping science fiction to non-fiction,” Mo motani says. “Unfortunately, I am not in the generation that saw this trend in vision during our training, but future biophysical scientists like my students will undoubtedly live in this exciting future. I believe the adaptability of the biophysical field will tolerate this drastic tran sition, and my job is not to block innovative ideas of current trainees but to provide any possible opportunities to broaden their views, not to focus on the information from the past but to know how to tackle unknowns.” The biggest challenge of his career has been bridging two cultures as he has traveled reg ularly between Japan and the United States. “I have two homes, Japan and the U.S., which are indeed culturally very different. I spend about the same time in both countries. Some times, I have lost sense of which side I am on,” he shares. “Many people may think [the countries] share virtually the same values, but after I learned so much behind the scenes, I think they are very distinct from each other, which is true for how science is viewed as well. To overcome transcultural confusion, I go back and forth between these two locations to confuse my sense of where I am and be long. I had a tough time during the pandemic because international travel was blocked.” He has helped his trainees with bridging these cultural gaps as well. Yukari Tanae shares, “I

joined the global competition for graduate and undergraduate students by FUJIFILM this year. Professor Momotani was the coach of my team and he supported us all the time until that project finished. It was my first time working on that kind of project, and it did not feel easy to communicate in another language regarding the academic program, especially in a specific area. He advised me when I strug gled to proceed but did not overly interfere. It helped my confidence that he commended my work. In addition, he trains me how to speak English more naturally and convey my opinion appropriately. He has organized a regular ses sion for students to practice English speaking over two years. I join it almost every day, it is a precious opportunity to practice English in my daily life.” Outside of work, Momotani spends time with his family, travels, and socializes outside of work circles. “I also help overcome cultural barriers between English-speaking countries and Japan as an interpreter and facilitator, as I am familiar with technical terminologies in both languages and business cultures in both societies,” he shares. His own desire to foster connection is reflect ed in what he values most about belonging to the Biophysical Society. “The Biophysical Society greatly helps to keep people work ing in the field connected. Also, it is a place you ask for help. Whenever you are looking for somebody to solve any problem, from research to career, there is always somebody to help. Extensive diversity among people and the fields provides this capacity,” he details. “I also love that the Biophysical Society pro motes undergraduate research. I supervise a Biophysical Society Student Chapter, which is the only one in Japan. The students es tablished this Chapter with the great help of the Biophysical Society staff. The Biophysical Society is supportive no matter where you are in the world.”

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

Give back to the community. Learn how to get involved. www.biophysics.org/get-involved

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Public Affairs

CanaDeal BeMadeon theDebt Ceiling inTime? With the release of President Joe Biden ’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget in March, the start of appropriations hearings in the House, and the side deals cut in January during the election of Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to the Speakership, a looming ques tion hangs over the heads of Congress with dread—can a deal be secured to increase the debt ceiling before the United States defaults? The Congressional Budget Office announced that the U.S. Treasury Department hit the debt ceiling on January 19, meaning the United States will exhaust its ability to pay all its bills sometime between July and September 2023, unless the current $31.4 trillion cap on borrowing is raised or suspended. It’s a question that echoes in both chambers of Congress, but most significantly in the House where inter-party bickering amongst the GOP makes the likelihood of increasing the debt ceiling before the default deadline look like a herculean task. While McCarthy and Biden met to discuss the issue in early February, there have been no communications since outside of an exchange of letters at the end of March with the GOP calling for discretionary spending limits, rescissions of unspent COVID-19 funds, stricter welfare work requirements, energy-permitting measures, and border security resources. House Republicans are now saying that they aren’t planning any more detailed debt limit proposals, other than what Speaker McCarthy has already outlined. McCarthy told reporters prior to the two-week Easter Recess period that House Republicans are finalizing a bill combining an increase in the U.S. debt ceiling with spending cuts. However, the bill is already being opposed by Democrats who control the Senate, meaning it has little chance of making it to the President’s desk. The White House believes that House Republicans do not have the votes to pass a budget proposal. Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) reiterated that a budget resolution would have to wait. Though until when, he did not say. The Treasury Department is continuing to employ extraordinary measures to avoid a debt limit breach that would be a devastating blow to the U.S. economy, but has noted that it may reach the limit as soon as August.

National Academies Host Roundtable on Science Diplomacy The National Academies’ Roundtable on Global Science Diplo macy held a day-long meeting on March 29 focused on the impact of the war in Ukraine on scientists, a recent interagen cy assessment of shortcomings in U.S. science diplomacy ef forts, and research security efforts underway at the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. Moving forward, the roundtable intends to meet twice an nually to explore subjects such as how to increase the input of science advice in making foreign policy, investigate policy approaches to make international science and technology collaboration easier and more effective, identify areas where science cooperation can provide a means of transcending traditional diplomatic tensions, and train the next generation of science diplomats. Among its first initiatives are an Action Group on Science Diplomacy Education and an Action Group on Rebuilding Engineering, Science, Education, and Technology in Ukraine (RESET Ukraine). The roundtable is co-chaired by Bill Colgla zier , a physicist who from 2011 to 2014 was the science and technology adviser to the secretary of state, and Katherine Himes , a former science adviser at the U.S. Agency for Inter national Development.

Science Leaders in Place for 118th Congress Congress has finished selecting the committee leaders who will steer policy and budgets for science agencies for the next two years. There have been significant shifts in some key po sitions owing to retirements, shuffled assignments, and the Republican takeover of the House. Appropriations Committees Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are steering the full Appropriations Committee in the Senate, while Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have swapped majority and minority roles atop the House Appro priations Committee. The four are on good terms and Murray and Collins have pledged to work together to bring spending bills to the Senate floor. Energy-Water Subcommittees The new subcommittee chair in the House, Rep. Chuck Fleis chmann (R-TN) joins returning Ranking Member Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). Fleischmann has been a vocal supporter of the national lab system and energy research and development. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) returns for a final term as sub committee chair before she retires from Congress at the end of 2024 and will serve alongside Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

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Public Affairs

Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittees The new subcommittee chair on the House side is Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), while Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) remains the subcommittee’s top Democrat. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), respectively, remain the chair and ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee. Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittees Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) will serve as chair of the Senate subcommittee and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is the new ranking member. On the House side, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) is the new committee chair, while Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) continues to be the top Democrat for both the sub committee and the full committee. This is a significant loss to science as Capito and Aderholt replace two longstanding and outspoken National Institutes of Health supporters, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK). House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) has taken over as committee chair and will serve alongside Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). Lucas main tains cordial relations with the committee’s Democratic ma jority, resulting in bipartisan assent for major science policy provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act. Meanwhile Lofgren is known for her, thus far unsuccessful, efforts to create a special visa pathway for STEM graduates. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) returns as chair of the committee, alongside Sen. Ted Cruz . Cantwell was also a critical part of enacting the major science policy provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) returns as committee chair alongside Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). While Barrasso is less likely than Manchin to support policies and nominees backed by Demo crats, the two have similar outlooks on fossil fuels and have cooperated to advance the fortunes of nuclear energy. Armed Services Committees Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) is the new lead Republican for the House Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee and is also one of the longest-standing con gressional proponents of protecting Department of Defense

(DOD)-funded research and development from exploitation by the Chinese government, which will be a focal point of the new House Committee on China that he also chairs. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is the subcommittee’s new lead Democrat and shares Gallagher’s concern with the military’s slow pace in fielding new technologies. Representing a Silicon Valley district, he has also expressed a desire to help DOD build bridges with tech companies. The counterpart panel in the Senate is the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcom mittee, where Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been named the new chair with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) returning as ranking member. House Select Committee on the CCP House Republicans have established a new committee formally titled the Select Committee on the Strategic Com petition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, chaired by Rep. Gallagher. The committee does not have authority to advance legislation but will explore a range of issues that is apt to include competition in technology, intel lectual property theft, and controls on academic exchanges. Gallagher has indicated the committee will chart how to “se lectively decouple” the U.S. and Chinese economies, arguing that close economic engagement with the country has failed to result in a constructive relationship. Some Republicans have taken a hard line on such decoupling, calling for steps such as preventing Chinese students from studying science at U.S. universities. However, Gallagher and Committee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) have signaled their desire to proceed in a bipartisan manner. Intelligence Committees Although much of its work is behind closed doors, the Senate Intelligence Committee has in recent years sought to raise public awareness about efforts by the Chinese government to exploit the U.S. research system. Sens. Mark Warner (D VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), who return as chair and ranking member, have conducted a “roadshow” to brief leaders in the academic and corporate sectors on the issue. They have also recently expressed interest in reforming the National Counterintelligence and Security Center to better protect key technologies and have been probing whether more should be done to vet foreign students and researchers. The commit tee is also interested in improving the ability of intelligence agencies to monitor science and technology advancements abroad. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) will now chair the House Intelligence Committee alongside Rep. Jim Himes (D-TX).

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Publications

Know the Editor Ulrike Endesfelder

Editor’s Pick Biophysical Journal Mechanical memory stored through epigenetic remodeling reduces cell therapeutic potential Adrienne K. Scott, Eduard Casas, Stephanie E. Schneider, Alison R. Swearingen, Courtney L. Van Den Elzen, Benjamin Seelbinder, Jeanne E. Barthold, Jennifer F. Kugel, Josh Lewis Stern, Kyla J. Fos ter, Nancy C. Emery, Justin Brumbaugh, and Corey P. Neu “Tissue regeneration procedures, such as cartilage defect repair (e.g., matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implanta tion), often require cell expansion processes to achieve suffi cient cells to transplant into an in vivo environment. However, the chondrocyte cell expansion on 2D stiff substrates induces epigenetic changes that persist even when the chondrocytes are transferred to a different (e.g., 3D) or in vivo environment. Treatments to alter epigenetic gene regulation may be a viable strategy to improve existing cartilage defect repair pro cedures and other tissue engineering procedures that involve cell expansion.” I don’t think there’s any hidden magic here: I have an alert for PubMed, I regularly attend various conferences, I like to invite guest speakers to our institute colloquium, I scroll (too often) through my Twitter feed, I read recent reviews or commentar ies on certain topics when I come across them (should do this more often!), and we have our group channel on new litera ture as well as our journal club every two weeks. titative and precise single-molecule methods have become, e.g., when we measure the kinetochore architecture in our current structural work. At the same time, we are still pushing the technical limits through new developments, and I get insanely excited when we see better results from a new type of sensor or establish single-molecule imaging for a new organism, such as when we recently added the archaeon Haloferax volcanii to the organisms that can be super- resolved. How do you stay on top of all the latest developments in your field?

Universität Bonn Associate Editor Biophysical Reports

Ulrike Endesfelder

What are you currently working on that excites you? Oh, many different elements; that is the beauty and the challenge of interdisciplinary research! In general, we follow the dynamics of single molecules in microbial organisms and try to understand their molecular life in their native environ ment as it is just happening. We are driven by our biological questions, and it is absolutely mind blowing to see how quan

Version of Record Published March 3, 2023 DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.004

Call for BPS Student Chapters Interested in growing your educational and career opportunities? Biophysics students and their mentors can form their own Biophysical Society Student Chapter! Applications for new Student Chapters are being accepted until May 15 . For more information, a complete list of instructions, and a list of existing Chapters, visit www.biophysics.org/student-chapters.

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Publications

Rangamani Appointed Next Editor-in-Chief of The Biophysicist

information from the noise.” The journal’s readership and the biophysics community look forward to seeing The Biophysicist continue to grow and evolve under Rangamani’s guidance. Biophysical Journal Launches Postdoctoral Reviewer Program Biophysical Journal has initiated a new Postdoctoral Reviewer Program, giving postdoctoral researchers in biophysics the opportunity to be mentored by one of the journal’s Editors, to learn the editorial process, and to complete reviews that will be used in deciding whether articles will be accepted for publication. The program’s aim is for postdoctoral researchers to learn early in their careers how to properly and constructively review a paper. This will help them to write their own papers, to know more about the editorial process, and to be better positioned to become an editor themselves one day! Applicants must be in a postdoctoral position during the 2023–2024 academic year and must provide 1) a CV, includ ing relevant publications (up to 4 pages), 2) a link to at least one paper on which the candidate was first author, 3) a can didate statement of reasons for wanting to participate in the program, 4) a letter of support from a current mentor (current Society member) highlighting the applicant’s readiness to be a peer reviewer, and 5) a second letter of support. Applications are being accepted now and are due by July 1. Successful applicants will receive instructions this summer and will begin their one-year term in September. It is hoped that postdocs will be excited to expand their skills by acting as a Postdoc Reviewer. If you know a postdoc who would be a good candidate, please encourage them to apply at www. biophysics.org/publications/biophysical-journal/bj-postdoc toral-reviewer-program. If you have any questions about the program or the application process, please reach out to BJ@biophysics.org. The Biophysicist Reaches Out to BPS Student Chapters Sam Safran , Editor-in-Chief of The Biophysicist , recently sent a letter to the BPS Student Chapters on behalf of the jour nal’s editorial board to make students aware of the journal and the ways in which they can participate in the publication,

The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that Padmini Rangamani of the University of California, San Diego will be the next Editor-in-Chief of the Society’s education journal, The Biophysicist. The open access journal was launched in 2019 under the vision of the founding and current Edi tor-in-Chief, Sam Safran of the Department of Chemical and Biologi cal Physics of the Weizmann Institute

Padmini Rangamani

of Science, to highlight and nurture biophysics education, and its scholarship and development. Through academic Articles and more informal Reports (including a Student Forum), The Biophysicist brings fundamental concepts and techniques in biophysics education and related disciplines to a broad worldwide audience, as well as evidence-based pedagogical practice accessible to individuals at any level. After five years of establishing a successful trajectory for the journal, Safran will be passing the leadership baton this summer. The Society is immensely grateful for his contribution to the publications program. After a search process in summer and fall of 2022 conducted by the BPS Publications Committee, Rangamani was enthusi astically recommended as Safran’s successor and confirmed by BPS Council at the Annual Meeting in San Diego in Feb ruary. She currently studies the biophysics of endocytosis, theoretical developments in membrane-protein interactions, and the biophysics of dendritic spines. She credits luck and serendipity for helping to bring her to biophysics, when she was looking for a place where she could apply mathematical principles to biology. She will bring to the position the per spective of a researcher and educator in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering who considers the Biophysical Society her professional home. She also currently serves as an Editorial Board Member for Biophysical Journal and on the Society’s Committee for Professional Opportuni ties for Women (CPOW). When asked for her vision for the future of the journal, Rangamani said, “More than ever, now is the time for an education journal such as The Biophysicist to steer the conversation towards what matters most, creating a forum for best practices in education at all levels, and separating the

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Publications

In addition to academic, peer-reviewed Articles, The Biophys icist also publishes more informal and shorter Reports on a variety of topics, including highlights of education or men toring-oriented conferences, history of biophysics, remote learning, and inclusion/diversity in biophysics education. In particular, the Student Forum gives students and postdocs a platform in which they can share their unique experienc es. Please see the journal home page for examples of the Articles, Reports, Student Forum, and Book Reviews: www. thebiophysicist.org. Finally, students are invited to engage with the editorial board by inviting members whose home institutions are nearby to meet with your Chapter about biophysics education in general and The Biophysicist in particular. The board members and their affiliations can be found at https:/meridian.allenpress. com/the-biophysicist/pages/editorial-board. Please feel free to contact Safran at sam.safran@weizmann. ac.il regarding any submission questions you might have. To coordinate visits of Editorial Board members, please contact Ethan Yosebashvili , BPS Student Chapter Coordinator, at eyosebashvili@biophysics.org. The editorial board of The Biophysicist looks forward to your participation in the journal.

focusing on the journal’s mission as it relates to students and postdocs: https:/meridian.allenpress.com/the-biophysicist/ pages/for-students. One of the pillars of the new BPS strategic plan is to enhance the sharing of knowledge, which includes enriching training and education. Biophysics education is also fundamental to the BPS core values of scientific excellence and community building. Participating in events sponsored by the Education Committee at the Annual Meeting and during Biophysics Week are important ways to benefit from student-oriented biophysics activities. Another is by contributing to The Bio physicist by initiating and co-authoring Articles (generally with primary investigators) on new teaching approaches, lab and computer workshops, and assessment of student learning of biophysics. Either as “consumers” of such methods as students or as instructors within TA assignments, students undoubtedly have ideas and experience as to what works and what does not, and why. Working together with a primary investigator on a pedagogical paper is a way to share knowl edge and to gain experience in research on and scrutiny of both old and new methods of instruction.

Join the BPS PUI Network Are you looking to connect with other PUI faculties or interested in obtaining academic positions at Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUIs)? Join the BPS PUI Network. The network creates opportunities for current PUI faculty to network and share experiences with one another. Members of the Network exchange tips and ideas such as teaching strat egies, latest trends in education technology, online teaching, and more. Graduate students and postdocs interested in obtaining academic positions at PUIs are encouraged to join. Questions can be directed to Ethan Yosebashvili at eyosebashvili@biophysics.org. www.biophysics.org/PUI-Network

Numbers By the

Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to grow 15% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 4,000 job openings for biochemists and biophysicists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook , Biochemists and Biophysicists, https:/www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biochemists-and-biophysicists.htm (visitedMarch 24, 2023).

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Career Development

HowDoYouKnowYouNeedaSecondPostdoc? You are about to finish your first

experience in industry or academia after your first postdoc? Is spending another year as a postdoc that might involve moving worth the time invested? Tip #3: The position title can matter Some universities consider postdocs as staff and provide excellent benefits like health benefits and pension schemes. Some universities have a limit of five years past PhD for someone to be considered a postdoc. In that case, would you consider moving to your next postdoc position as a staff member or still with the same postdoc designation? Tip #4: Doing a second postdoc is not taboo For unfathomable reasons, doing a second postdoc is seen by some as a sign of not being able to get the dream job. However, this is far from the truth. Many individuals take a second postdoctoral research position because they want to do so and because there is a good reason behind it (i.e., doing a second postdoc will bring you closer to the next step in your career). Tip #5: Find your community and share your concerns Taking some time to achieve clarity regarding your decision about a second postdoc is always best. Make sure that you have mentors and that your family understand the tradeoffs of doing a second postdoc. Talk to your fellow postdocs and, most importantly, connect with those who are doing a second postdoc near you. If possible, give work presentations to your fellow postdocs and look at their responses. That can be a metric to judge yourself and decide if you are ready to apply to your dream job. Also, voice your concerns and options with your current postdoc supervisor, — Molly Cule

postdoc, which you thought was just the right gig needed to get to the next step in your career. However, there is a nagging feeling that the experience you wanted as a postdoc did not happen, or you were actually looking forward to a better learning experience. The end of funding for your current position might be looming soon, and you now must

make the decision whether to transition to the next step in your career or find another postdoc position. Deciding wheth er you need a second postdoctoral experience is not easy, even if it adds to your credentials as a researcher. Below are some tips for you to consider when making your decision. Tip #1: A postdoc position is not a safety net You should not consider doing a postdoc just because you did not find a suitable next position. In addition, doing a postdoc is not a backup plan in your career. You might even be suc cessful in moving toward a permanent position; by choosing a second postdoc instead, you risk foregoing potential employ ment income. Finding such a position that would help you move closer to your dream job is a much better choice than a second postdoc position. Always keep in mind that a postdoc position is a temporary stop-gap arrangement. Tip #2: Your time invested for a second postdoc should be worth its weight in gold This is a context-dependent question to answer. In some cases, a second postdoc can be warranted if certain skills and experiences, such as grant-writing experience, publica tion history (specifically, first-author papers), working as a team, and leading a project, have not been learned thus far in your scientific career. Would it be possible to get the same

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

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

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Annual Meeting BiophysicsWeek

BPS Student Chapters Events Purdue Biophysical Society Student Chapter

the celebrations, a BPS photo frame Twitter contest was organized to promote the Chapter on Twitter and other social media platforms.

The Purdue Biophysical Society Student Chapter organizes a “Spring Tea” event every Biophysics Week, with the theme changing each year. This year, they invited a new faculty member named Bryon Drown to share his experiences about how he transitioned from graduate student to postdoc to his career in academia! This was a great opportunity for our attendees to get tips and advice for their future careers.

Cornell Biophysical Society Student Chapter

The Cornell Biophysical Society Student Chapter participated in Biophysics Week by doing inter active demos about kinematics, thermodynamics, and electromag netism for the kids of graduate students and faculty at the Cornell Graduate Student Center. All the while we tried to explain how the concepts in the fun toys relate to living systems. University of Maryland, Baltimore Biophysical Society Student Chapter The University of Maryland, Baltimore Biophysical Society (UMB-BPS) Student Chapter organized a series of events to mark this year’s Biophysics Week. An outreach event was organized to discuss coding in STEM with high school stu dents in the UMB CURE Scholars program, a program aimed at providing middle and high school students in West Balti more with competitive and rewarding research, healthcare, and STEM-related career opportunities. A coffee hour was organized in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Phar maceutical Sciences as a social event, and to promote Student Chapter events. There was also a computational biophysics lecture where invited speakers gave talks on various com putational methods in molecular biophysics. To round out

Arizona Student Chapter of the Biophysical Society The Arizona Student Chapter of the Biophysical Society organized its second networking event after the pandemic, titled “Career Conversation over Coffee.” A diverse range of speakers were invited, ranging from early researchers to full professionals in both academia and industry. The event began with small presentations by the speakers about their early lives, challenges, and career paths, followed by an open discussion where they shared insights on conducting good research, focusing on one task versus multitasking, writ ing K99 fellowships or research grants, building a great job profile, honing required skillsets, and increasing opportunities in industry. In the end, the audience, which included under graduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as some faculty members, had the opportunity to interact with speakers during a networking session. Overall, the attendees were pleased to gain a first-hand perspective on the field they aspire to join.

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Annual Meeting BiophysicsWeek

University of Cincinnati Biophysical Society Student Chapter As a newly established Chapter, the University of Cincinnati Biophysical Society Student Chapter hosted an introductory mixer on March 23 to welcome new members and introduce chapter goals (topped off with some snacks and mingling). It was a good mix of attendees with members involved in bio physical sciences with interests ranging from medical physics to mathematical biology and bioengineering. The second (late) Biophysics Week event was a talk by Sakthi Sadayappan of University of Cincinnati Internal Medicine on April 7. Sadayap pan is a long-standing BPS member, and delivered a presen tation titled “Cardiac organoids for hypertrophic cardiomyop athy.”

On March 22, the interim Masinde Muliro University BPS Chapter Sponsor, Sabella Kiprono , organized an online training session in Synthetic Biology, presented by Erikan Baluku , who is the Head Ambassador of the Programme SynBio Africa and Global Biotech Revolution. The session was moderated by James Wakungwi Sakwa , Principal Laboratory Technologist in the School of Public Health, Biomedical Sciences & Technolo gy of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

Biophysical Society Kenya Chapter The Biophysical Society Kenya Chapter facilitated events throughout Biophysics Week at the Masinde Muliro University (MMUST). On Monday, March 20, the Chapter hosted a webinar based on presentations by Andrew Green . Participants learned how to write a CV and a cover letter.

On March 23, there were two community outreach events in cluding an organized nature walk and an introduction to STEM session at the Friends Girls High School-Igunga.

On Tuesday, March 21, the Chapter joined with the communi ty of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology’s various departments in sharing hands-on experiences in ar eas of light microscopy, elasticity, and diffusion, and three-di mensional DNA structure. It was such an exciting experience to see biophysics uniting students from public health, en gineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and biotechnology. Technologists Phylis Wekesa , Department of Physics, and Willy Aganyanya , Department of Biotechnology, successfully guided the experiments.

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Annual Meeting BiophysicsWeek

UT Arlington Biophysics Student Chapter

Instrument demonstrations were performed on both days of the event. On the first day, circular dichroism spectroscopy was demonstrated by Yvonne Christian and Vijayakumar. On the second day, Feba Francis and Shubhangini Singh performed a demonstration of high-performance liquid chromatogra phy. Amay Sanjay Redkar and Naveen Kumar demonstrated a molecular dynamics simulation. BPS Sponsored Events

The UT Arlington Biophysics Student Chapter collaborated with a MATLAB Ambassador to introduce students to MATLAB and how they can integrate this knowledge for different fields, along with how biophysicists are utilizing MATLAB currently to help them in their research.

Beyond English as the Language of Science —A Multilingual Biophysics Networking Event

IIT Guwahati Biophysical Society Student Chapter The IIT Guwahati Biophysical Society Student Chapter held a two-day lecture series during Biophysics Week on March 22–23 at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. The objective of the event was to enlighten undergraduate and graduate students with the fundamentals of important bio physical techniques.

This event brought together a diverse group of scientists to connect in their chosen languages. Organized by the Commit tee for Inclusion and Diversity, this session featured moderat ed breakout rooms in which biophysicists forged connections in Spanish, French, German, Ukrainian, Korean, and Japanese and amongst deaf and hard-of-hearing scientists.

On Day 1, Kalpana Kumari , the Vice President of the Student Chapter, delivered the introduction speech. A lecture on fluorescence spec troscopy by Rajaram Swaminathan followed. The second and third lectures were delivered by Nitin Chaudhary , who emphasized the fundamentals and applications of circular dichroism spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. On Day 2, Sachin Kumar gave a lecture to familiarize students with concepts like the central dogma of molecular biology, the genome, and agarose gel electrophoresis. This was followed by a lecture on the fundamentals and princi ples of chromatography by Vibin Ramakrishnan . The concluding lecture on molecular dynamics simulations was delivered by Ra makrishnan as well. The event was closed with a message of thanks from Aishwarya Vijayakumar , the President of the Student Chapter.

Career Q&A with Alaina G. Levine—Open Office Hours Alaina G. Levine , STEM Career Coach and author of Networking for Nerds (Wiley, 2015) and Create Your Unicorn Career! (forthcoming), hosted two open conver sation and career Q&A sessions. Partici pants were able to drop in any time for an Ask Me Anything Office Hour.

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Annual Meeting BiophysicsWeek

Affiliate Events Nanoscale Materials & Biological Physics Workshop The 2nd International Biophysics Work shop was hosted during Biophysics Week at Lahore University of Management Sci ences (LUMS) by the Syed Babar Ali School

Careers Beyond the Bench: Moving to a World Outside the Lab

The Biophysical Society Early Careers Committee hosted a panel discussion designed to explore career options in con sulting, industry, and academia. Panelists with science back grounds, now involved in a wide variety of careers, shared their personal experiences and answered questions from the audience. The speakers were: Giacomo Di Mauro , Boston Analytical; Elizabeth Crompton , Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP; Pinakin Sukthankar , Kansas State University; and Lesley Anson , Anson Scientific. Ask Me Anything about Biophysics with Special Guest Gail A. Robertson

of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) on the topic of “Na noscale Materials & Biolog ical Physics.” The workshop aimed to unite individuals from diverse disciplines of science in Pakistan as well as abroad under one roof. SBASSE will continue to strive towards promoting interdisci

Participants tweeted their questions with the #BiophysicsAMA tag to have them answered by Gail A. Robertson of the University of Wisconsin School of Med icine and Public Health and Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research and BPS past-president, a top scholar and dedi cated colleague in the field of biophysics!

plinary research in Pakistan and hopes that the workshop has inspired attendees to explore new research directions, collab orate across disciplines, and ultimately make breakthrough discoveries in the field of biophysics! Biophysical Solutions through Interdisciplinary Approaches

On March 23, the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Tehran hosted the webinar “Biophysical solutions through interdisciplinary approaches,” as part of the International Year of Basic Sci ences for Sustainable Development.

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Communities

Manuela Zoonens Membership Committee

Manuela Zoonens (photo credit: Éric Bongrand)

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? Yes, this is my first volunteer position for BPS. Why do you volunteer? To be honest, I did not consider volunteering on my own. I was contacted by my colleague, Melanie Cocco , who told me about it and invited me to consider it. It did not take long for me to accept. The idea of participating in such a Society was exciting because it is a great opportunity for the experience it brings. What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? My enrollment as a volunteer is still fairly new and my expe rience modest. However, the most important aspect I would like to highlight is the willingness of all the committee mem bers to fulfill their role as referees in evaluating projects and awarding travel grants and funding in the fairest and most equitable manner possible.

Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? Of course, volunteering is a personal decision, but if I had one piece of advice, I would say that it is a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and how decisions are made or how issues are handled. By participating, you can share your perspec tive and be part of the decisions. It is all very formative for a professional career. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I spend most of my time working in the lab either on my computer or at the bench, and when I am not at work, I take care of my children and enjoy spending time with my familly during vacations. My last trip abroad from France, where I live, was to Namibia, where I had an amazing adventure. In addition, spending three weeks away from a computer was a real chance to unwind!

Conferences

Submit an Abstract and Share Your Research Abstract Submission Deadline: June 8, 2023 Early Registration Deadline: June 19, 2023

Membrane Fusion and Budding

Estes Park, Colorado | September 24–27, 2023

This meeting will bring together trainees, emerging scientists, and leaders in the fields of mem brane fusion and budding and will cover many subfields of the fusion and budding disciplines, including, but not limited to, fusion and budding at synapses and neuroendocrine cells (exo- and endocytosis), in relation to the function of membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria and extracellular vesicles, and in the context of host/virus interactions, cell-cell fusion, and autophagy.

For more information, visit www.biophysics.org/2023EstesPark

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Communities Me ber Corner

Members in the News Alison Patteson , Syracuse University and member since 2021, was named a 2023 Cottrell Scholar.

Give the Gift of Membership To give the gift of BPS membership, visit www.biophysics.org/giftmembership

Alison Patteson

Grants & Opportunities

Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology The international Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neu robiology is awarded annually to one young scientist who is not older than 35 years for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology conducted by them during the past three years. Who can apply: Entrants must be a neurobiologist with an advanced degree received in the last 10 years and no more than 35 years of age. Deadline: June 15, 2023 Website: https:/corporate.eppendorf.com/en/company/ scientific-awards/global-award/#c2003

2024 Cottrell Scholar Award The Cottrell Scholar Award honors and helps to develop outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills. Who can apply: Applicants must be early career faculty at a U.S. or Canadian research university or primarily under graduate institution. Eligible applicants are tenure-track faculty who hold a primary or courtesy appointment in a chemistry, physics, or astronomy department that offers bachelor’s and/or graduate degrees in the applicant’s discipline. Deadline: July 1, 2023 Website: https:/ rescorp.org/cottrell-scholars/guidelines

Student Spotlight

Diego Lopez Mateos Biophysics Graduate Group University of California, Davis What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life? Jumping into biophysics has set me on a pursuit of meaning, inspiring me to dig deeper into life’s big questions and uncover the hidden connections that bind everything together. This mind-opening journey is not only broad ening my scientific horizons but also helping me discover my own unique path in life. As I continue to explore the fascinating mysteries of biology, I feel more connected to the world around me, making my personal experienc es more meaningful and captivating.

Diego Lopez Mateos

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