Biophysical Society Newsletter
14
January
2014
Mechanobiology of Protein and Cells
In October 2013, the Biophysical Society co-spon-
sored a thematic meeting on the mechanobiology of
proteins and cells. The meeting was held at Mount
Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury
Cove, Maine, in a fabulous setting, amid rustic
accomodations-upon arrival, the participants had
to search for their cabin in the dark, with flashlights
provided by the Society to light
the way. The scenery as the sun
rose above the water the next
morning made the nighttime
trek worth it!
The meeting provided a forum
for analysis and discussion of
the mechanics of cells and cellular components by
biophysicists, biochemists, physiologists, and theoreti-
cians. The last decade has seen an explosion of both
data and theory on the dynamics and mechanics of
biomolecular components. The latest research to ma-
nipulate and observe molecules at the single molecule
level, even in vivo, and do real time observations on
catalysis and traffic inside were presented. The in vitro
reconstruction of cell division components and high-
resolution imaging of synthetic cell division was one
of the spectacular findings featured at the meeting.
Also, numerous new insights into the mechanics of
ion channels and solute transporters were presented.
The combination of functional and structural studies
with theory has resulted in realistic models on the
workings of many of the important machineries of
life. In several of the lectures, it was demonstrated that
we are beginning to understand how proteins can
be gated mechanically and how mechanic signals are
transduced from one component to another.
Many of the lectures addressed one or more of the
following questions: How are changes in osmotic
pressure and other mechanical stimuli sensed and
processed by living cells? How do macromolecule-
water-solute interactions modulate macromolecular
structure, assembly and function? How can physi-
cochemical factors like macromolecular crowding
and membrane tension be determined? What are the
molecular mechanisms of osmoregulatory transport-
ers and mechanosensitive channels. How does a cell
integrate the various regulatory mechanisms and
maintain a state of homeostasis, far from equilibrium?
There were lively discussions on science, not only
after the lectures but also during the poster ses-
sions and hikes in the national park. It was highly
appreciated that researchers from different disciplines
were brought together who
would not regularly meet
otherwise, even though they
share a common passion for
mechanobiology. In fact, the
mechanics of cellular compo-
nents is generally spread out
over a wide range of meetings
from biology to physics, and many researchers met
for the first time. The interaction of young and senior
researchers and the mutual learning aspect was a
highlight of the meeting. The closing of the national
government during the meeting raised additional
non-scientific discussion, in particular after some
drinks, around midnight.
The meeting’s organizing committee members
included
Bert Poolman
, University of Groningen,
The Netherlands, and
Paul Blount
, University
of Texas Southwestern, with the local organizer
Kevin Strange
and his staff from Mount Desert
Island Biological Laboratory.
—
Bert Poolman
, Meeting Chair
Over 80 abstracts were submitted for the four-day
meeting.
Great conference! Small
focused groups are such an
intense learning experience.
- Thomas Suchyna
Thematic
Meetings 2014
Modeling of
Biomolecular Systems
Interactions, Dynamics,
and Allostery
Istanbul, Turkey
September 10–14, 2014
Significance of Knotted
Structures for Function
of Proteins and Nucleic
Acids
Warsaw, Poland
September 17–21, 2014
Disordered Motifs and
Domains in Cell Control
Dublin, Ireland
October 11–15, 2014
For complete
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