Biophysical Society Newsletter | August 2017

7

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2017

AUGUST

Thematic Meetings Single Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation, and Modeling A very exciting BPS Thematic Meeting, Single Cell Biophysics: Measurement, Modulation , and Modeling, was held on June 17–20, 2017, in Taipei, Taiwan, at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences (IAMS), Academia Sinica, on the campus of National Taiwan University. This meeting brought together a diverse group of researchers with a common interest in cellular-level biophysics. The meeting included 170 physicists, biologists, chemists, and bioengineers from 24 countries. The success of any meeting depends on both the scientific presentations and the interaction of the participants. We appreciate that so many of the speakers chose to present unpublished results. Par- ticipants were eager to ask questions and continue discussions at coffee breaks and meals. In addi- tion to the 29 invited speaker presentations and 13 short talks, 100 posters were presented in two poster sessions. These very active poster sessions helped to encourage discussion throughout the meeting. The Biophysical Journal sponsored awards to two postdocs and two students, providing recognition to younger scientists. Congratulations to awardees Wan-chen Huang , Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Daniel Jones, Uppsala University, Sweden; Ivan Lazarte, National Central University, Tai- wan; and Felix Wong , Harvard, USA! And thanks very much to all of our poster judges. BPS Thematic Meetings are an opportunity for scientists to gather and exchange ideas in different locations around the world. For many of the in- ternational participants, this was their first visit to Taiwan. Scientists and engineers are, by definition, curious people, and while we normally explore in the lab, we all embraced the chance to explore a new city. Participants explored the city and culture of Taiwan through an opening reception with

Attendees from across the globe met at National Taiwan University to discuss and share their research.

traditional folk art and Taiwanese shaved ice, a tour of one of Taipei’s famous Night Markets, and tours through two of the most famous landmarks in Taipei, the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101. A traditional banquet provided a taste of Taipei’s finest food. In addition, these cultural ac- tivities provided the chance for extended informal discussions. The meeting was organized by Jung-Chi Liao (Aca- demia Sinica, Taiwan), Keng-hui Lin (Academia Sinica, Taiwan), Christine Payne (Georgia Tech, USA), and Jie Xiao (Johns Hopkins, USA). It was made possible through funding from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the United States’ National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as generous support from industry (AIP Publishing, Bitplane, Major, and Molecular Devices) and Georgia Tech’s College of Sciences. We hope this Single Cell Biophysics Thematic Meeting stimulated new ideas, initiated new col- laborations, and exposed everyone to some new foods. While many of these outcomes will be longer-term, an immediate outcome of this meet- ing has been the petition to start a Cell Biophysics Subgroup within the Biophysical Society. This subgroup would organize symposia on the Sat- urday prior to the annual BPS meeting. If this subgroup would be useful for you, please contact subgroups@biophysics.org to add your name to our petition.