Biophysical Society Bulletin | October 2024

October 2024

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY

BPS Honors Fifteen Outstanding Biophysicists The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the 2025 Society Award recipients. These members will be honored during the 69th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society in February 2025.

Christopher O. Barnes

Scott C. Blanchard Paula J. Booth

Silvia Cavagnero Hernan G. Garcia James A. Glazier

Gilad Haran

Elizabeth A. Jonas Hugo Lachuer

Daniel R. Larson

Christopher O. Barnes , Stanford University, USA, will receive the Early Independent Career Award as an outstanding young investi gator who combines structural methods with in vivo approaches to translate knowledge of viral-host interactions into developing therapeutics and vaccines against zoonotic viruses. Scott C. Blanchard , St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, USA, will receive the Kazuhiko Kinosita Award in Single-Molecule Bio physics for expanding the reach of single-molecule fluorescence approaches to reveal the dynamics of complex biological systems, including translating ribosomes and membrane proteins.

Doreen Matthies Janice L. Robertson Devarajan Thirumalai

Nadab Wubshet

Elizabeth A. Yates

Paula J. Booth , King’s College London, United Kingdom, will receive the Anatrace Membrane Protein Award for continuing pioneering contributions to our understanding of the biophysics of mem brane protein folding, particularly folding kinetics.

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Black in Biophysics Symposium at BPS2025 We are taking the opportunity to highlight Black biophysicists and honor Black History Month in the United States and elsewhere. At our Annual Meeting, BPS aims to foster inclusion; this not only supports equitable representation but also enhanc es the quality and impact of research experiences by leveraging the full spectrum of expertise and perspectives available. The Black in Biophysics Symposium features four stars, all early career scientists, selected to attract a broad, interdisciplinary audience from across our Society. We invite all attendees to learn about exciting new developments in biophysics and to celebrate the diversity of the biophysics commu nity at this special symposium. The speakers selected for 2025 are Alaji Bah , SUNY Upstate Medical University; Breann Brown , Vanderbilt University; Oleta Johnson , Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Wade Zeno , University of Southern California. The Symposium will be co-chaired by Alisha Jones , New York University, and Christopher Barnes , Stanford University. Alaji Bah Breann Brown Oleta Johnson Wade Zeno

Inside

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12 14 16 17 19 20

President’s Message

Annual Meeting Communities

Stay Connected with BPS

Society Awards Member Corner

Career Development

Biophysicist in Profile

Webinars

Public Affairs Publications

In Memoriam

10

Important Dates

President’s Message

Awardees Define Excellence for BPS As the Biophysical Society pres ident, it has been my duty and privilege to chair the BPS Fellows

humbling to learn in some depth about the contributions of fellow BPS members to cutting-edge, rigorous knowledge. I was reminded that the “giants” on whose shoulders science thrives still walk among us and can be found at all career lev els, and across all fields of investigation. This abundance also made our selection task very difficult. Each nominee has a unique record of contributions and not one criterion captures any one member’s tapestry of accom plishments. This is why selection cannot be done by artificial intelligence! On the contrary, it is important to acknowledge that excellence is a value judgement that is far from being an absolute or theoretical concept, but it is one that has strong historical and cultural components. In other words, what we recognize as “excellent” reflects a set of values and priorities that change over time. In effect, it is the role of these two committees, the Awards Committee and the Fellows Com mittee, to define excellence in biophysics annually, based on frank evaluations of the nominations submitted in each cycle. In turn, the slate of nominees, through the awardees’ accom plishments, broadcasts this definition. For this reason, it is important not only to have a large pool of diverse nominees, but also to have evaluation committees that are diverse. During the deliberations, it was very inter esting to note that, in addition to the uniform guidance, each committee member had a unique set of criteria for ranking nominees. Some still consider the number of publications or the prestige of the journals in which a nominee publish es as the most important metric of impact. Others swear by the h-index, or the number of patents, or the number of invitations at national and international meetings. Given this variety, it was just miraculous that after hearing from each committee member, a short discussion shaped a unanimous decision for each award. Yet, the number of awards is limited, and, yes, many meritorious nominees were not selected this year. Some nominators might be disappointed or even frus trated. If you are one of them, please know that your efforts are appreciated, and please persist! I was gratified to learn that all committee members agreed that science cannot be done in a vacuum, and all considered BPS engagement as an integral part of the excellence the Society should aim to recognize through its annual awards. Sustained membership, regular participation in meetings, publishing in and reviewing for BPS journals, and engagement with governance and leadership were all highly valued. Was the process perfect? In my opinion: pretty close, but I am open to opinions to the contrary. I know we can and will do more to recognize all areas of research where biophysics has a positive impact. Here, our Subgroups can be helpful in

Committee and to participate in the BPS Awards Committee, chaired by Linda Columbus . Both committees met over the sum mer to review the nominations and select the winners, who were announced last month. I cannot wait to congratulate all

Gabriela K. Popescu

the awardees personally in February! Here, I want to share with you some of the feelings, thoughts, and insights I gained following this experience, some of which will stay with me for a long time and will guide me in the future. I am immensely proud of all the 2025 BPS Awardees (www. biophysics.org/Awards-Funding/Society-Awards)! By recog nizing their work and accomplishments, BPS makes a bold assertion about the state of biophysics in the world, which is strong and flourishing. In turn, through their accomplishments and identities, the BPS Awardees publicize annually the values BPS stands for: excellence and integrity, diversity and equity, and a global community. I am indebted to the many colleagues who assembled and submitted nominations. My dad used to say: “Gabi, you cannot pass an exam you don’t show up for!” And it is true for awards as well! No one can win an award they have not been nominated for. More importantly, BPS cannot recognize members who are not nominated, regardless of how out standing they may be. Therefore, I am again making an appeal here to consider nominating yourself or a deserving colleague in the next cycle, which will open January 1, 2025. Famil iarize yourself with the BPS Awards (www.biophysics.org/ Awards-Funding/Society-Awards), and should you need help in assembling a nomination, do contact us (awards@biophys ics.org). Assistance is available through our many committees (www.biophysics.org/About-BPS/Governance/Committees) and through our knowledgeable staff (society@biophysics. org). The larger and more diverse the pool of nominees, the more accurately representative of our values will be the slate of awardees! This year, we received a large number of meritorious nomi nations. The BPS Fellows Committee received 39 nomination packages, from which we selected 6 BPS members (or 1% of membership, as per our policies). The BPS Awards Committee reviewed 85 nominations, from which we selected 13 mem bers. This abundance reflects the fact that BPS is fortunate to count among its members numerous highly accomplished scientists across career levels and areas of research. It was

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President’s Message

Officers President Gabriela K. Popescu President-Elect Lynmarie K. Thompson Past-President Taekjip Ha Secretary Teresa Giraldez Treasurer Samantha Harris Council Patricia Bassereau Margaret Cheung Martin Gruebele Taviare Hawkins Anne Kenworthy Syma Khalid Emmanuel Margeat Anita Niedziela-Majka Elizabeth Rhoades Tamar Schlick Valeria Vasquez Jing Xu Biophysical Journal Vasanthi Jayaraman Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Padmini Rangamani Editor-in-Chief Biophysical Reports

assisting with nominations for their most de serving members. Importantly, we must remain vigilant and continue to recognize contributions from members across the many aspects of diver sity that enrich our community, including gender, geography, career level, ethnicity and racial identi ty, as well as type of institution, and so on. BPS Council regularly reviews the distribution of such indices of diversity across BPS Fellows

and Awardees as well as for nominees and nominators, with the goal of catching imbal ances early and recommending steps to correct them. In my December column, I will update you with any actions the Council recommends. Meanwhile, please continue to voice your sug gestions and opinions. — Gabriela K. Popescu , President

Call for Local or Virtual Networking Events

Are you looking to connect with fellow biophysicists? The Biophysical Society (BPS) can help! BPS is calling for networking events to be held in 2025. BPS will continue to support both virtual and in-person local networking events. We ask that members use their best judgment and follow all local public health guidance for in-person events. Events can include seminars, mini-symposia, or workshops, covering topics such as profes sional development, research topics, techniques, or something else! It is up to you!

Jörg Enderlein Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Benefits of Hosting a Virtual BPS Networking Event: • BPS will provide the Zoom virtual plat form for the meeting and monitoring assistance on the day of the meeting, if it is held between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM USA Eastern Time • BPS will help you advertise the meeting (social media, emails, BPS Bulletin , etc.) • You can attract attendees from all over the world to get together on one topic!

Benefits of Hosting an In-Person BPS Networking Event: • BPS will reimburse you up to $500 for the costs associated with hosting the meeting • BPS will help you advertise the meeting (social media, emails, BPS Bulletin , etc.) • You can meet and exchange ideas with others at your institution and neighbor ing communities!

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 © 2024 by the Biophysical Society. Darren Early Laura Phelan

All current Society members are eligible to apply. BPS will be accepting networking event proposals for events occurring in February 2025 and beyond. The networking event submission site will be open until November 1, 2024. Applicants will be notified of the results in late December 2024. For more information about the proposal requirements and to view past and upcoming networking events, please visit www.biophysics.org/networking-events.

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

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Society Awards

BPS Honors Fifteen Outstanding Biophysicists

Daniel R. Larson , Center for Cancer Research, National Can cer Institute, USA, will receive the Carolyn Cohen Innovation Award for his pioneering contributions to the field of gene regulation using single-cell and single-molecule biophysical methods that encompass advances in both theoretical and experimental methods that have resulted in specific advanc es in our understanding of transcription, splicing, and gene regulation. Doreen Matthies , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, USA, will receive the Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award for her research investigating transmembrane proteins by cryo-EM, including discovering structures of key magnesium channels and transporters. Janice L. Robertson , Washington University in St. Louis, USA, will receive the Agnes Pockels Award in Lipids and Membrane Biophysics for her work advancing the experimental and computational study of membrane protein oligomerization in membranes, including identifying critical driving forces and regulation of stability by ions and lipids. Devarajan Thirumalai , The University of Texas at Austin, USA, will receive the Founders Award for developing and applying theoretical concepts and novel simulations to solve a bewil dering array of problems in biophysics for 30 years. Nadab Wubshet , University of Michigan and Harvard Univer sity, USA, will receive the Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award for outstanding contributions to the study of the mechanics of actin cytoskeleton in cells and encapsu lated in giant vesicles. Elizabeth A. Yates , United States Naval Academy, USA, will receive the PUI Faculty Award for pioneering biophysical research in bio-inspired materials toward the development of deployable underwater adhesives and tirelessly working to improve the curriculum for USNA’s chemistry majors.

Continued from Page 1

Silvia Cavagnero , University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, will receive the Emily M. Gray Award for developing courses, inno vating instructional methods, mentoring students at all levels, and promoting diversity in biophysics. Hernan G. Garcia , University of California, Berkeley, USA, will receive the Michael and Kate Bárány Award for his outstand ing contributions to quantitative developmental biology and his creative use of advanced microscopies and theory to char acterize and follow transversally the control of transcription in the Drosophila embryo. James A. Glazier , Indiana University Bloomington, USA, will receive the Klaus Schulten and Zaida Luthey-Schulten Computational Biophysics Lecture Award for his development of algorithms, software, and models describing the emergent multicellular organization of development, homeostasis, and disease. Gilad Haran , Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, will receive the Ignacio Tinoco Award of the Biophysical Society for his many contributions to developing novel spectroscopic methods and applying them to provide new insights into a wide range of problems in protein dynamics and function. Elizabeth A. Jonas , Yale University School of Medicine, USA, will receive the BPS Award in the Biophysics of Health and Disease for her groundbreaking research in biophysics and neuroscience and her continuous service to the Biophysical Society’s Bioenergetics, Mitochondria, and Metabolism Subgroup. Hugo Lachuer , Institut Jacques Monod (CNRS), France, will receive the Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award for discovering that the spatial pattern of lysosomal exocytosis is controlled by membrane tension gradients.

Premium Recruitment Special Looking to wrap up your hard-to-fill roles by the end of year? We are offering a premium recruitment special package to help successfully fill your open roles! This limited time package will include: • Job posting for 45 days • Job emailed to over 7,000 Biophysical Society Profes sionals • Job included in Biology Job Board Network • Job remains high in search results • Access to resume bank for 45 days The cost is $699 for members or $899 for non-members. The special will be running from September 1 through December 31, 2024, and offers more than $200 in savings! Post your ad today! www.biophysics-jobs.careerwebsite.com/employer/pricing/

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AMnenmu ab le Mr Ceoertni negr

Members in the News

Alberto Diaspro , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Society member since 1996, was named a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and also was awarded the 2024 Enrico Fermi Prize for optical microscopy in biology.

Alberto Diaspro

Grants & Opportunities American Association of University Women – American Dissertation Fellowship The American Dissertation Fellowship Program offsets scholars’ expenses during their final year of disserta tion writing. The program is open to women in all fields of study, though those engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math fields are especially encouraged to apply. The fellowships carry a stipend of $25,000. Who can apply: Applicants must be or identify as a woman, must have completed all coursework and passed all preliminary exams, have a prior-approved research proposal or plan, and be engaged in completing the final year of their dissertation writing on a full-time basis from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Applicants must be com pleting their first doctoral degree at an institution accred ited by the US Department of Education. Applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident. Deadline: November 15, 2024 Website: https:/ www.aauw.org/resources/programs/ fellowships-grants/current-opportunities/american-dis sertation-fellowship-program

The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science This fellowship offers an opportunity for postdocs in all areas of the natural and social sciences and engineering who have conceived an original and independent research idea that falls outside the scope of large-scale research projects. Fellows receive support for up to five years, amounting to a maximum of 600,000 Swiss francs (ap proximately $700,000 USD) over five years, which can be used to cover all costs of research. Who can apply: Applicants must officially hold a PhD on January 15, 2025, which was received a maximum of five years prior to that date. Applicants must not have ever held a faculty-equivalent position (e.g., assistant profes sor or lecturer). Deadline: January 25, 2025 Website: https:/ brancoweissfellowship.org/

Student Spotlight

Ngoc-Lan Le-Nguyen Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life? I am currently working on insulin and insulin receptors by using molecular dynamics simulations, which has sharpened my problem-solving skills significantly. Each challenge I encounter pushes me to learn new tech niques and approaches, which has made me more adaptable and resourceful in all aspects of life. I’ve become more open to embracing new challenges and opportunities, rather than quickly turning them down.

Ngoc-Lan Le-Nguyen

October 2024

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B i oApnhnyus iacli sMt ei ne tPi nr ogf i l e

Donald C. Chang Area of Research

Institution Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for detecting cancer, bio-photonics, cell signaling, and electro poration

At-a-Glance

Donald C. Chang grew up in Hong Kong as a refugee from a small town in southern China. He faced many challenges as a child refugee but received a quality education, which helped him find his pas sion for scientific research. He was a founding professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he now serves as Professor Emeritus.

Donald C. Chang

Donald C. Chang was born in a small town in southern China, now part of the city of Shenzhen, near the border with Hong Kong. His father was a rice merchant and his mother a home maker. He faced adversity from a young age, however, and did not grow up with his parents. He explains, “When I was a primary school student, my family was persecuted during the land-reform movement. I was forced to escape to Hong Kong. Fortunately, with the help of a relative there, I was accepted by a refugee school. Although Hong Kong was a booming city, the refugee school was in an isolated suburban area by the sea. The living conditions and my childhood life were very simple. I had to face challenges just on my own; it was tough. Fortunately, I had a good education.” Chang became interested in science as a child studying at the refugee school. He shares, “As a child refugee, I did not have the benefit of growing up with my parents. So, my start in science was purely by interest. When I was a high school student, I loved to read popular science publications, including reports in newspapers and popular science books. Also, I was strongly influenced by two high school teachers; one taught me biology in the 7th grade, and another taught me physics in the 9th grade. They were very inspiring. I decided to study sci ence because I was highly curious about how nature works.” Chang was an exceptionally good student and was given the opportunity—and scholarships—to study physics at the National Taiwan University in Taipei. He states, “After getting a bachelor’s degree in physics, I was fortunate to receive a fellowship to come to the United States to study at Rice University in Houston, Texas. I spent five years there and ob tained a master’s and a PhD degree, both in physics. The one who helped me to start in the area of biophysics was my PhD advisor, Professor H.E. Rorschach . He was a physics professor at Rice University and was very kind to me.” He continues, “When I decided to move into the field of biophysics, there was no biophysics study at Rice Univer sity. We had to develop everything from scratch. Professor Rorschach supported me wholeheartedly during this process.

He generously offered me lab space and equipment so that I could start my research work. I converted a spin-echo NMR spectrometer I built for studying quantum physics to study biological cells. I collaborated with a young physiologist, Pro fessor C.F. Hazlewood at Baylor College of Medicine.” After the completion of Chang’s PhD, he pursued postdoc toral work, primarily at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University. He explains, “After I finished my PhD degree, I used my expertise in physics to start doing biophysics work. This work involved faculty in the Physiology Department of Baylor College of Medicine and the Physics Department of Rice Uni versity. I also spent some summers at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. I took two special courses there, one on neurobiology, another on embryology.” In the early 1990s, he moved to a new university, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), where he was a founding professor, and later a professor chair. He now serves as a professor emeritus at HKUST, due to age restric tions for researchers in Hong Kong. His current work is mainly in theoretical biophysics, quantum physics, and quantum biology. Chang has made several important contributions to the field of biophysics. The first was helping to establish the physical basis of using NMR for cancer detection. Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful technique for detecting cancer, based on the discovery that the NMR relaxation times of water pro tons are closely related to the physiological and pathological state of the tissue. Chang is a major contributor in this work; he was among the earliest investigators in using spin-echo NMR to study the physical properties of water inside biologi cal cells. He is also a major contributor in the development of elec troporation technology, an important tool for the develop ment of gene therapy, which has the potential to cure many diseases, including cancer. He was a pioneer in applying the pulsed electric field to permeabilize the cell membrane so

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Biophysicist in Profile

that exogenous molecules can be injected into the living cell. It was discovered in the 1980s that the cell membrane can be transiently permeabilized by using an intense electric pulse. Various types of molecules, including DNA, RNA, and proteins, can be introduced into living cells by using this method. How ever, it was not clear at first what the physical mechanism involved in this process is. Chang was an early investigator in this field and made major contributions in delineating the physical mechanism involved in electroporation. He explains, “In the 1990s, a powerful bio-photonic technique using green fluorescent protein (GFP) emerged. The gene of GFP can be edited and fused with targeted proteins and then expressed in a living cell. Using such fluorescently labeled molecules, it becomes possible to use optical methods to investigate the signaling pathways in vivo. By using genetic engineering methods, GFP can be modified to develop novel biosensors to rapidly screen new drugs for cancer or neuro degenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease).” Using a fluorescent probe and confocal laser microscopy, he was the first to demonstrate that a localized Ca 2+ signal is involved in regulating cell division in embryonic cells. This signal was absent in the domestic cells. “In collaboration with Professor Roger Y. Tsien of the University of California San Diego—2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry—I used GFP based bio-photonics to show that the mammalian cells use the Ca 2+ signal receptor (calmodulin), instead of the Ca 2+ ions, as the key signaling regulator for controlling the cytokinesis process,” Chang details.

He notes, “Biophysics is a truly interdisciplinary field. It covers a very wide area in the study of nature. So, there is a lot of room for innovative research. One is only limited by his or her own imagination. That is great! Also, biophysics is pretty down to earth. Unlike some other fancy studies such as parti cle physics or cosmology, the major hypotheses in biophysics usually can be tested in experiments.” Asked about where he thinks the field of biophysics will go in the future, Chang postulates, “I think in the future, biophys ics will continue to be a booming field. There will be many opportunities in this discipline. I foresee the need to use more quantum physics in this field. Most of the biophysics studies today use classical physics and traditional chemistry. This may not be enough. Living systems are built on atoms, molecules, and macromolecules; cellular structures are really nanostructures. Their operational principles should be under stood at a quantum physics level. Now, with the advancement of technology, we can do new modeling and have new under standings. That is also what I plan to work on. I will collabo rate with physicists, neuroscientists, and quantum chemists to contribute to this field.” In his free time, Chang serves as a BPS Ambassador repre senting China. Outside of science, he enjoys sports, reading history, and watching news. He played tennis regularly for many years and was also a table tennis champion during his time at Rice University.

Celebrate a Decade of Biophysics Week! Join us for a milestone event as we mark the 10th anniversary of Biophysics Week! This is not just any celebration—this is a chance to highlight the important research, contributions, and discoveries of those working in biophysics! Whether you’re a seasoned researcher, an aspiring student, or simply passionate about science, this is a great opportunity to get involved. Be part of history by hosting your own Affiliate Event during this extraordinary week. Don’t miss out—let’s make this Biophysics Week the most memorable yet! For more information, visit www.biophysics.org/outreach/biophysics-week/be-an-affiliate-event-organizer. #BiophysicsWeek

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Public Affairs

Applications Are Open for the Biophysical Society 2025–2026 Congressional Fellowship Interested in using your science skills to inform science policy? Does spending a year working on Capitol Hill in Washing ton, DC, helping develop policy sound exciting? The Biophysical Society’s Congressional Fellowship program (https:/www. biophysics.org/policy-advocacy/congressional-fellowship) is your opportunity to participate directly in the process of law-making that impacts how research is funded and regulated. This year-long opportunity provides fellows a chance to use their science knowledge to inform the public policy process. Fellows will gain firsthand knowledge and experience of how Congress works and participate in the esteemed AAAS Science and Technology Fellows program that provides ongoing training and networking opportunities during the fellowship year and beyond. Visit https:/www.biophysics.org/policy-advo cacy/congressional-fellowship for more details about the program or contact Leann Fox at fellows@biophysics.org or (240) 290-5606. The application deadline is December 13, 2024 .

NIH’s Bertagnoli Acknowledges Damage Done by China Initiative

after the awardees for the second year in a row were all male. The prize, valued at 1 million Swiss francs ($1.1 million USD), is awarded to three scientists to invest in their research to safeguard the planet against various environmental tipping points. However, complaints from several of the female re search finalists this year point to flaws in the nomination and awards process used by the FPP. The prize stipulates that each award’s prize money support the work of one designated “lead scientist”—the individual “who best represents the team” of a winning article—how ever, the work done is often collaborative in nature. Although the named winner can request that the prize be divided before the contract is awarded, it is at the discretion of the winner to make such a stipulation. Critics say that the prize’s winner-take-all design encourages universities to nominate senior scientists, who are often men, to ensure that the mon ey lands at their institutions. Around the World Venezuela Faces Continued Brain Drain with Maduro Claiming Re-election Victory The declaration of victory by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for a third term brings continued bad news for science researchers in the country. Scientists around the country are concerned that yet another six years of Maduro’s policies will spell further trouble for the country’s scientific enterprise. Science funding has stagnated under Maduro, affecting re search efforts and academic salaries. The ultimate result has been a massive brain drain. The Academy of Physical,

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnoli issued a formal statement in August acknowledging that some researchers feel that the NIH created an “unintended and difficult climate” for Asian and Asian-American scientists, particularly those of Chinese descent. The move comes six years after former President Donald Trump’ s administration launched a Department of Justice China Initiative to prevent China from stealing US intellectual property that ended in 2022. During this same period, the NIH also launched its own effort to uncover whether grantees had failed to disclose ties to “shadow labs” abroad and foreign funding. Bertagnoli’s statement also announced steps to clarify policies to ensure that discrimination and harassment are not a part of NIH policy. The NIH committed to working with stakeholder groups, universities, and academic professional organizations to take actions that repair our relationships with these valued members of the research community. These actions include working with other government agencies on research security training, malign foreign talent program recruitment guidelines, a newly created NIH decision matrix, and common disclosure forms to protect the integrity of NIH-funded research while encouraging scientific collabo rations with other countries. Frontiers Planet Prize Draws Protests from Female Researchers The Frontiers Planet Prize (FPP), sponsored by the Frontiers Research Foundation, the nonprofit parent of a big open-ac cess publisher, is coming under fire from female researchers

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Public Affairs

Mathematical, and Natural Sciences of Venezuela has estimated that between 1980 and 2020, 2,869 research ers—20% of the government’s official count of scientists in Venezuela—had left the country at the height of their ca reers. These researchers were also responsible for 34% of the Venezuelan scientific papers produced in that period. In early April, Maduro announced the Gran Misión Ciencia, Innovación y Tecnología project to care for and preserve the talent pool in Venezuelan science, strengthen research centers, and foster international alliances and collaborations. How this will be achieved has yet to be laid out even months later, leaving the future of Venezuelan scientific research uncertain. Russian Research Funding Faces Massive Cuts The Russian Federal Assembly finalized spending plans for 2025 and 2026, leveling a blow to scientific research with a cut of 25%. Funding for applied research, which receives roughly two-thirds of Russia’s federal research spending, will be hit hardest by the cuts, dropping from 458 billion rubles ($4.9 billion USD) this year to 362 billion rubles in 2025 and 260 billion rubles in 2026. Spending on basic research will remain essentially flat, falling slightly from 261 billion rubles to 235 billion rubles in 2025, then increasing to 276 billion rubles in 2026. Overall, the plan calls for the share of federal spending dedicated to research to fall from 2.7% this year to 2.0% in 2026—its lowest level since 2004.

Now in paperback Cell Boundaries How Membranes and Their Proteins Work Stephen H White

Gunnar von Heijne Donald M Engelman

The central themes of Cell Boundaries concern the structural and energetic principles underlying cell membranes, and how these principles enable function. The book aims to broaden the knowledge about the basic physics and physical chemistry that informs us about membranes. TABLE OF CONTENTS The E Words, Membrane Structure, Lipid Bilayers, Peptide-Lipid Interactions, Membrane Protein Folding, Protein Trafficking, Membrane Protein Biosynthesis, How Proteins Shape Membranes, Membrane Protein Bioinformatics, Structure Determination, Small Molecule Channels, Ion Channels, Primary Transporters, Secondary Transporters, Bioenergetics, Signaling in Cells

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Photo by Summers Scholl Engelman, White, von Heijne

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Get Involved.

The Biophysical Society provides many opportunities for members to get involved and give back to the biophysics community.

To learn more about the different opportunities, please visit www.biophysics.org/get-involved.

The Biophysical Society is grateful to its Industry Partners.

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

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Publications

Know the Editor Daphne Weihs

Editor’s Pick

Technion–Israel Institute of Technology Editor, Cell Biophysics Biophysical Journal

Daphne Weihs

What are you currently working on that excites you? I am currently working on causative connections between mechanobiology and cancer or wounds and on the interesting connections between cancer and wounds. I have understood over the last few years that cancer is the opposite of wounds in many ways. In cancer, the main aim is to reduce cell pro liferation, reduce migration and invasion, and minimize the cancer-cell community overall; cancer-cell invasion can cause metastasis, which remains the cause for 90% of cancer- associated deaths. In contrast, in wounds, the main aim is to rapidly close small gaps in cell layers before these progress into wounds and present themselves clinically, which requires increased proliferation and migration, as well as formation of new, stable, and functional cell layers and extracellular matrix. I find this a fascinating puzzle, learning from one system and applying to others. What has been your biggest “aha” moment in science? My biggest “aha” moment was when I realized that it is the completely unexpected results that are typically the most exciting and promising. Typically, before starting experiments, a concept or theory should be in place of what is expected to happen; yet, the experimental results could completely disprove it. After verifying that the results are consistent, reproducible, and not a result of an experimental error or artifact, the real excitement begins, as a new explanation is now required. One may have stumbled onto something much more exciting than was initially planned for. I have, therefore, learned to follow “breadcrumbs” and think outside the box, instead of staying fixed on the initially planned path.

Biophysical Journal Dendritic cell force-migration coupling on aligned fiber networks Christian Hernandez-Padilla, Ben Joosten, Aime Franco, Alessandra Cambi, Koen van den Dries, and Amrinder S. Nain “A key challenge in the field of mechanobiology has been modeling and investigating cell migration in three-dimensional environments that mimic native extracellular matrix (ECM). Hernandez-Padilla and co-workers address this challenge in the latest issue of Biophysical Journal by introducing suspended nanofiber networks to study dendrit ic cell migration, a process critical to immune system function. These fiber networks enable precise control over fiber spacing and diame ter, as well as force measurement. Results reveal a subpopulation of highly motile immature dendritic cells that migrate independent of fiber alignment, a new force-migration coupling through filamentous protrusions, and differential responses to fiber diameters and inflam matory stimuli. Immature dendritic cells concentrate protrusive activ ity at the cell front while exerting forces primarily laterally and behind the cell body, allowing for random migration even on aligned fibers. The system enables quantification of how topographical features drive dendritic cell behavior and potentially impact their immune surveil lance capabilities. By bridging the gap between simplified 2D studies and complex 3D environments, the system presented in this paper finally enables more nuanced investigations into cell-ECM interactions and their role in health and disease.” Version of Record Published July 10, 2024 DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2024.07.011

Numbers By the

The Biophysical Society’s members represent 65 different countries around the world.

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Publications

Call for Applications: Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Reports Open for infinite possibilities The Biophysical Society is seeking the next Editor-in-Chief for its open access journal, Biophysical Reports , to support the Soci ety’s strategic goals: • Sharing Knowledge in and about Biophysics Biophysical Reports publishes Letters, short Reports, and full-length Articles for rapid publication, which can be written for spe cialists or general audiences. The journal welcomes submissions describing new results, methods, or technologies. The journal complements Biophysical Journal by providing a vehicle for articles with rapid turnaround in a fully open access journal. Biophysi cal Reports publishes original research in all aspects of biophysics, from the molecular to whole-organism levels. The Editor-in-Chief should embody the scientific standards of the Society, support its mission, and have a vision for the future of the journal. This appointment will begin January 1, 2026, for a single five-year term. This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of biophysics and to lead a high-quality open access publication. The Editor-in-Chief will: • Lead the editorial team; • Recruit exciting manuscripts through attendance at international conferences and scientific meetings; • Shape the future editorial direction of a journal that is now beyond the startup phase; • Work with Society Office staff on day-to-day editorial management; and • Collaborate with staff and the Society’s publishing partner, Cell Press, on effective workflows, journal website features, marketing, and social media promotion of the journal. The successful candidate will have: • Broad interest across the full spectrum of biophysics, • Project and/or people management skills, • Strong organizational skills, • Fostering a Global Community • Supporting the Next Generation

• Strong written and oral communication skills, and • Interest in engaging with the scientific community.

The Publications Committee welcomes applications from candidates who support and are dedicated to the Society’s val ues. There are no restrictions on scientific interests, background, gender, or geography. To apply, please submit a cover letter outlining the motivations for your interest. We will also accept nominations. We will consider applications until March 1, 2025. Confidential applications should be made to the Publications Committee through the Society Office (jlong@biophysics.org).

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Annual Meeting

Student Opportunities Calling all students! What is in store for you at the BPS2025 Annual Meeting? There are several sessions planned throughout the meeting to provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to network with faculty members and other students from around the world and to explore a variety of career paths after graduation.

Thank you to our sponsors: APS Physical Review Journals Bruker Carl Zeiss Microscopy LLC Chroma Technology

Undergraduate Poster Award Competition (UPAC) Saturday, February 15, 3:00 pm –5:00 pm , USA Pacific UPAC gives undergraduate students a chance to present their research, to get recognition for the increasingly high quality of undergraduate research, and to encourage further participa tion of undergraduates in the Biophysical So ciety and at the Annual Meeting. The Society awards and recognizes up to 10 outstanding students who give the best overall poster presentations during the competition. Students are judged on the quality and scien tific merit of their research, knowledge of the research problem, contribution to the project, and overall presentation of the poster. Judges look for students to present a clearly stated question, hypothesis, results, and conclusions. Registration deadline is January 7, 2025 . To learn more, go online at www.biophysics. org/2025meeting/awards-competitions/ poster-competitions.

Undergraduate Student “Pizza Breakfast” Sunday, February 16, 11:30 am –1:00 pm , USA Pacific Undergraduate students should plan to attend this session. It’s your chance to meet oth er students and network—not to mention pizza will be served! During this session, BPS Committee members and invited speakers will have a panel discussion with Q&A on academ ic and career paths in biophysics. This session is limited to the first 100 attendees. Education and Career Opportunities Fair Sunday, February 16, 1:00 pm –3:00 pm , USA Pacific Starting to look for a postdoc position? Or maybe you’re an undergraduate thinking about grad school? Check out the Education and Career Opportunities Fair. Student attendees are invited to meet with representatives from educational institutions as well as industry and government agencies. Find out about open postdoc positions and laboratories seeking graduate students at universities with leading programs in biophysics. Stop by the fair to learn about the variety of op portunities available and to talk one-on-one with representatives from participating institutions.

Cube Biotech Depixus SAS Fidabio Leica Microsystems LUMICKS Mad City Labs Inc Malvern Panalytical Nanion Technologies Sophion Bioscience A/S Thermo Fisher Scientific

Missed the October 1 abstract submission deadline? No worries, there is still time to submit a late abstract for poster presentation. Late abstract submissions will be accepted beginning October 7.

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Annual Meeting

Graduate Student Breakfast Monday, February 17, 7:30 am –8:30 am , USA Pacific Get inspired while eating breakfast! Graduate students should attend this breakfast for a chance to meet other students, discuss issues they face in their current career stage, and learn from others’ experiences. Limited to the first 100 at tendees. Annual Meeting of the Student Chapters Monday, February 17, 11:00 am –12:30 pm , USA Pacific Students and meeting attendees are invited to meet several BPS Student Chapters from around the world for an interac tive workshop. Student Chapter officers and representatives will be onsite to share information about their Chapter and to learn about other Chapters. This session aims to establish Chapter interactions, communications, and planning for future Student Chapter Annual Meeting sessions. If you are inter ested in learning about or starting a Chapter near you, please plan to attend. JUST-B Poster Session Monday, February 17, 3:00 pm –5:00 pm , USA Pacific The JUST-B Poster Session highlights the achievements of underrepresented students, postdocs, and early career researchers. Present your work and network with BPS2025 attendees. All are welcome to attend. To learn more and to sign up to participate, please visit www.biophysics.org/educa tion-careers/just-b-poster-session.

Undergraduate Student Lounge Saturday, February 15 – Wednesday, February 19 Need to catch up on coursework? Or do you want to meet other undergraduate attendees? Stop by the Undergraduate Student Lounge throughout the meeting. Wi-Fi will be avail able. Student Housing Deadline: December 6, 2024 Affordable student housing is available for undergraduate and graduate student meeting attendees who are current Society members. To secure student housing, visit the Annual Meeting website. Student Volunteers Undergraduates and graduate students can volunteer their time at the Annual Meeting in exchange for complimentary meeting registration. Volunteers must be Society members with registration fully paid and must be willing to volunteer for six hours during the meeting. To apply, please send an email to meetings@biophysics.org by January 6, 2025, with the following information: full name, cell phone number, and complete list of dates/times available. Those selected will have their registration refunded after the meeting. Call for Future of Biophysics Symposium Speakers Do you know a young researcher doing cutting-edge research at the interface of the physical and life sciences? The Biophysical Society is seeking suggestions from you for speakers to be featured in the special Future of Biophysics Burroughs Wellcome Fund Symposium in Los Angeles. If you have a colleague who may be suitable for a nomina tion, visit https:/www.surveymonkey.com/r/2MH7NH3 and complete the required information fields by October 15, 2024. DID YOU KNOW? Student members can take advantage of significantly reduced meeting registration and membership rates. Have your students submit an abstract and join the Biophysical Society today!

Registration closes on January 7, 2025 One-on-One with a Mentor

Student and Early Career Members are invited to apply to be paired with a mentor from among BPS Regular Members. Pairs are matched based on scientific interests from their membership profiles, as well as the answers to a short questionnaire. Mem bership and meeting registration are required for participation. You can sign up online at https:/www.biophysics.org/2025meet ing/program/professional-development-networking?#mentor.

biophysics.org/ 2025meeting

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Communities

Start a BPS Student Chapter at Your Institution! The Fall Call for BPS Student Chapters is now open and accepting applications through November 14, 2024. Apply now to form a BPS Student Chapter at your institution and join a worldwide network of student leaders promoting the field of biophysics!

BPS Student Chapters are led by students and provide members with opportunities for professional development to enhance their academic experience. Chapters may be formed within a single institution, or regional Chapters may be developed among multiple neighboring institutions anywhere in the world. Approved Chapters can also receive up to $200 in matching reim bursable expenses to assist with getting started, along with the chance to apply for the Student Chapter Events Grant totaling $500 of additional funding. Advisors, don’t miss this opportunity to help support the next generation of biophysicists. Share this exciting opportunity with students in your department and consider serving as a Chapter Sponsor. As a Chapter Sponsor, you will provide professional guidance, practical advice, and assistance to students. For more information, a complete list of instructions on forming a BPS Student Chapter, and a list of existing Chapters, vis it www.biophysics.org/student-chapters.

Subgroups Physical Cell Biology

Channels, Receptors and Transporters The Channels, Receptors and Transporters (CRT) Subgroup Symposium will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025, as part of the 69th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society in Los Angeles, California. We are excited to announce our invited speakers: Juan Du , Northwestern University; Willow Coyote-Mae stas , University of California, San Francisco; Jorge Contreras , University of California, Davis; Mette Poulsen , University of Copenhagen; and Ben Correy , Australian National University. This year, to showcase our early career members, we will select three postdoctoral researchers to present their research in a short talk format (10 minutes + 5 minutes of discussion) and three PhD students to present flash talks (5 minutes). These talks will be selected from CRT Subgroup member abstracts submitted to the main Biophysical Society Meeting. We are also pleased to call for nominations for the Kenneth S. Cole Award, a prestigious recognition given to one or more researchers in the field of membrane biophysics in acknowl edgment of their exceptional research accomplishments, potential for future contributions, and service to the biophysics community. The nomination deadline is October 25, 2024, and details on eligibility and nomination requirements can be found at https:/www.biophysics.org/Awards-Funding/ Subgroup-Awards. Previous unsuccessful nominations are welcome to be resubmitted. The award will be presented at the CRT Subgroup dinner after the symposium on February 15, 2025. This dinner is jointly held with the Membrane Transport Subgroup and is always an exciting evening and a highlight of the meeting. Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $120 when you register for the BPS meeting. Further details about the dinner will also be distributed to the CRT Subgroup mem bership shortly.

The Physical Cell Biology Subgroup is soliciting nominations for two awards, an Early Career Award for postdoctoral research ers or pre-tenure principal investigators, and a Student Award for PhD students. The awardees will receive $500 in prize money and will present their work at the Subgroup Symposium on February 15, 2025, during the BPS Annual Meeting. Please send nominations by December 15, 2024 to the Subgroup Chair, Shiladitya Banerjee (shiladtb@andrew.cmu.edu), and Program Chair, Jian Liu (jliu187@jhmi.edu), with the subject “Physical Cell Subgroup Award for Early Career Scientist” or “Physical Cell Subgroup Award for Students.” Self-nominations are accepted. More details can be found at www.biophysics. org/awards-funding/subgroup-awards. We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 symposium in Los Angeles themed “Interplay between theory and experiment in Physical Cell Biology.” Invited speakers include Stephanie Weber , McGill University; Kiyoshi Mizuuchi , National Institutes of Health; Wenting Zhao , Nanyang Technological University Singapore; Se bastian Streichan , University of California, Santa Barbara; Qiong Yang , University of Michigan; and Ulrich Schwarz , University of Heidelberg. We especially welcome contributions from ear ly-stage investigators. Abstracts not selected for a talk during the BPS Annual Meeting will have the chance to be selected for a presentation during our new Annual Virtual Networking Event in Fall 2025 (more information to be announced).

— Shiladitya Banerjee , Chair — Jian Liu , Program Chair

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