Biophysical Society Bulletin | March 2018

March 2018

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March 12–16, 2018

Join the Celebration! Biophysics Week, March 12–16, 2018, is an international celebration of the field and an opportunity to share the significant contributions biophysics has made to science with the general public, policy makers, students, and scientists in related fields. Here is what the society has planned:

BiophysicsWeek Partners

Inside Biophysics Week

Monday, March 12 • Biophysics at NIH—Lab Tour for Congressional Staff • Communicating Science 3 Ways Seminar, Part 1 Tuesday, March 13 • Networking and Personal Branding: Two Keys to Success Webinar Wednesday, March 14 • Communicating Science 3 Ways Seminar, Part 2

Thursday, March 15 • The Science of Unconscious Bias Video Seminar • Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: Interactions, Functions and Disease Webinar Friday, March 16 • Communicating Science 3 Ways Seminar, Part 3, and a Twitter Chat • Capitol Hill Briefing: Seeing Inside Human Cells with New Imaging Technology

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Society Awards

Biophysicist in Profile

Public Affairs Publications

Funding Your Science Grants and Opportunities

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Communities Member Corner

Nominations for 2019 Society Awards Through its awards program, the Biophysical Society honors its members and recog- nizes excellence in biophysics. The Society offers awards in ten different categories. Nominations for the awards are solicited and evaluated by the Biophysical Society Awards Committee. Nominations are now being accepted for 2019 awardees through May 1, 2018. All awards will be presented at the 2019 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. For information and to submit a nomination, visit www.biophysics.org/awards. On the website you will find over 50 additional Biophysics Week events taking place around the world. Be sure to visit the Biophysics Week website for daily trivia ques- tions, new profiles of biophysicists, #mybiophysics video clips, and lesson plans. Let us know how you are celebrating—#BiophysicsWeek!

Networking Events Upcoming Events

Biophysicist in Profile

Angela Gronenborn Area of Research Structural Biology

Institution University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

At-a-Glance

Angela Gronenborn , University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Rosalind Franklin Chair and Distin- guished Professor in the Department of Structural Biology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, grew up in Germany with a dream to become a mathematician, “just playing with numbers.” As a teenager, she was advised against pursuing this career due to the limited op- portunities available to women, and instead undertook studies in chemistry and physics. Early in her career, she determined that she would use NMR to solve protein-DNA complex struc- tures —which was impossible at the time. “But,” she says, “in the end I did it.” This February at the 62 nd Annual Meeting, Gronenborn assumed the position of Biophysical Society President for 2018–2019.

Angela Gronenborn

Biophysical Society President Angela Gronenborn has loved mathematics for as long as should can remember. She excelled at the subject, beginning in her early years. At her primary school in Cologne, Germany, she was so much farther along than her classmates that she often was excused from class. “During math lessons, I frequently was allowed to go shopping for my teacher — I know, these were different times and a different place,” she says. Gronenborn attended an all-girls boarding school for high school. She continued to love math, and discovered physics and chemistry, which became new favorite subjects. As she approached graduation and began to think more seriously about her future, she naturally gravitated toward further study of mathematics. “Both the high school principal and my father told me that this was a bad idea,” she says. “One may wonder why — the reason both gave me was that since I didn’t want to teach, it would be impossible for me to earn a living as a mathematician because I was a woman.” Because the option of a career in mathematics was eliminat- ed, she decided to pursue physics and chemistry. She gradu- ated from the University of Cologne in 1972, and then contin- ued on to earn her master’s degree in chemistry in 1975. She undertook PhD studies in chemistry at the same institution. “My PhD thesis work centered on 13C NMR spectroscopy of aromatic N-oxides and related compounds,” she explains, “comparing experimentally determined coupling constants with quantum mechanical calculated ones.” While carrying out her thesis research, Gronenborn moon- lighted at the genetics institute where her brother Bruno worked as a plant molecular biologist. “He is sort of indirectly responsible for what I do today,” she shares. “It was the time of the molecular biology revolution —DNA sequencing hadn’t

been invented yet — and there was this amazing group of people I spent time with, work and otherwise. That’s when I decided that I wanted to use NMR to solve protein-DNA complex structures, which was totally impossible at that time. But in the end I did it.” Following her PhD, she undertook a postdoctoral position at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Med- ical Research Council, in Mill Hill, London. “The fellowship application I wrote was on using NMR to solve structures of protein-DNA complexes — impossible at the time, since none of the heteronuclear, multidimensional methods had been invented yet,” Gronenborn explains. “Miraculously, I was awarded my fellowship. In reality, I worked on L. casei dihy- rofolate reductase (DHFR) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). And because I loved “shimming” (only NMR people would know what that means), I managed to get my first Nature paper, reporting on the direct observation by NMR of two coexisting conformations the DHFR-trimethoprim-NA- DP+ complex.” An earlier paper holds a more sentimental meaning for her, however. “In my mind, the most important first mentioning of my name in scientific print is in my brother’s 1978 Nature paper,” she shares, “where in a figure legend he thanks me for providing N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, which was easy for me to synthesize, and allowed him and Jo Messing to create a unique EcoR1 site in M13 — the beginnings of using M13 for cloning.” After her postdoc, she stayed on at NIMR as a member of the scientific staff in the division of molecular pharmacology and physical biochemistry. In 1984, she took a position as head of the biological NMR group at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich. Four years later she relocated her

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Biophysicist in Profile

Officers President Angela Gronenborn President-Elect David Piston Past-President Lukas Tamm Secretary Frances Separovic Treasurer Kalina Hristova Council

group to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, where she served as chief of the structural biology section. Gronenborn is currently the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Rosalind Frank- lin Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Structural Biology. Her research presently focuses on three main areas in biol- ogy: HIV pathogenesis, protein-carbohydrate recognition, and protein deposition diseases; she uses physico-chemical approaches in her work. Her group has developed new NMR methods for determining three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules and applies these to challenging systems. Key contributions include the development of restrained molecu- lar dynamics and simulated annealing algo- rithms and multidimensional, heteronuclear spectroscopy, which allowed the extension of conventional NMR methods to higher molecu- lar weight systems. The Gronenborn group has solved solution structures of a large number of medically and biologically important proteins, including cytokines and chemokines, transcrip- tion factors and their complexes, and various HIV- and AIDS-related proteins. Her biggest challenge at this career stage is staying on top of developments in the field. “Right now, [the challenge] is to keep abreast of all the new discoveries and cutting-edge methods in science,” she shares. “I don’t want to just continue with my well-established approaches.” “ I get paid for doingmy hobby, so there is not much time for other pastimes. ” Gronenborn finds great fulfillment in her research, viewing it not only as her career but also her primary leisure pursuit. “I get paid for doing my hobby, so there is not much time for other pastimes,” she says. “I love the arts, however, and visit museums, concerts, and plays. Having a few spare hours in any city in the world, I’d find a museum and go to a mod- ern art exhibit.”

The most rewarding aspect of her work comes from discovery, whether hers personally or that of her trainees: “When for the first time one sees a new structure, or finds an expla- nation for a puzzling observation,” she shares. “Equally, when I see how a spark ignites in a student and she or he experiences the thrill of science.” “ You need to be passionate about what you do; if you are passionate, you will be good at it, because this will be your constant companion. ” Perhaps because of this thrill of discovery, she says that she would love to revisit an earlier period of her career. “My dream for my ca- reer-end is to work another time as a postdoc,” she says, and “have all the fun again that made this period of my career the most enjoyable.” At the 62 nd Biophysical Society Annual Meet- ing in San Francisco, California, this February, Gronenborn assumed the position of Society President. In this position, she hopes to em- phasize scientific excellence and promote the importance of basic research at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Like many members, she values the Society for the opportunities made available to students and biophysicists early in their careers. “The Bio- physical Society — and its Annual Meeting — allow students and postdocs to present their work in a very large setting,” she says. “Several of my graduate students gave their first talks at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting. This is a terrific opportunity for young people.” For young scientists, whether in biophysics or another discipline, Gronenborn has one important piece of advice: “You need to be pas- sionate about what you do; if you are passion- ate, you will be good at it, because this will be your constant companion.”

Zev Bryant Jane Clarke Linda Columbus Bertrand Garcia-Moreno Teresa Giraldez Ruben Gonzalez, Jr. Arthur Palmer Marina Ramirez-Alvarado Jennifer Ross David Stokes Joanna Swain Pernilla Wittung-Stafeshede Biophysical Journal Jane Dyson Editor-in-Chief Society Office Ro Kampman Executive Officer Newsletter Executive Editor Rosalba Kampman Managing Editor Beth Staehle Contributing Writers and Proofreaders Dorothy Chaconas Laura Phelan

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Ray Wolfe Catie Curry

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. Canadian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2018 by the Biophysical Society. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

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Public Affairs

Congress passes 5th Short TermSpending Bill, Agrees to Raise Spending Caps Set by Sequestration In the early morning hours of February 9, Congress passed and President Trump approved a short-term spending bill that funds the federal government through March 23. The bill also raises the debt ceiling and includes an agreement to raise the spending caps set by sequestration for 2018 and 2019. The deal to raise the spending caps applies to both defense and nondefense discretionary programs, and is expected to clear the way to provide additional funding to programs both Democrats and Re- publicans care about, including at least a $1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in both FY 2018 and FY 2019. Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), chairman of the House health appropriations panel indicated that he expected NIH to fare well as long as Congress is able to pass a spending bill for the rest of FY 2018 by March 23. The Society, along with the rest of the science community, had been advocating for an increase in the spending caps throughout the year.

Senate Confirms Alex Azar as Secretary of Health and Human Services On January 24, the Senate approved the nomination of Alex Azar to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Azar officially began working in that capacity on January 29, when he

and individuals use the data to spot trends over time and develop an understanding of science-related issues import- ant to them. Organizations and individuals have found it very helpful in looking at diversity in the scientific workforce, de- gree attainment, and research outcomes, among other topics. To access the full report, visit the National Science Board’s interactive website: https:/www.nsf.gov/statistics/2018/ nsb20181/. March for Science Plans Rallies for April 14, 2018 The March for Science, a global organization that advocates for equitable evidence-based science policies, announced the 2018 international Marches for Science will take place Saturday, April 14, 2018, on Citizen Science Day. More than 70 satellite events around the world — from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Washington, DC, to Abuja, Nigeria — are already registered to participate in the second annual event, which will focus on holding political leaders accountable for passing equitable, evidence-based policies that serve all people and all communities. The events — some of which will be rallies, expos, and festivals —will be preceded by a Day of Action on April 13 in

Alex Azar

was sworn in. Most recently, Azar served as a former executive for Eli Lilly & Co. 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators Report Available On January 18, the National Science Board released the 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators, a congressionally man- dated report that provides data on the science and engineer- ing enterprise in the United States and around the world. The report is published every other year and includes information on science and engineering education, the workforce, R&D, public understanding of science, and the global marketplace. The report presents the data; it does not offer any policy rec- ommendations based on the information. Other organizations

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Public Affairs

Washington, DC, and across the globe, with advocates contacting their representatives and visiting federal and local offices to demand that officials vote for science. Last year’s March for Science event was the largest pro-science march in history with more than one million people in more than 600 locations across all seven continents joining together in support of science. This historic event was created by sci- entists and science supporters, powered by volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and generations, inspired by a growing concern about the lack of science in policy and the need to speak out. As more information becomes available on the 2018 marches, BPS will share it via social media and the Society’s website.

Visit BPS at the USA Science and Engineering Festival

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: USA Science and Engineering Festival With thousands of people dropping by the Biophysical Society booth, we are seeking volunteers to help us at the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Public polls show that many people can’t even name a living scientist, which is why it is great to have you, our members, there to talk to people about what you do and answer general questions about biophysics. If you are local to the Washington, DC, area, or will be in the area April 6 – 8 and are interested in volun- teering, please sign up at https:/www.surveymonkey. com/r/Y768SZ3 by March 15. Thank you in advance!

The Biophysical Society is proud to once again partici- pate in the USA Science and Engineering Festival, April 6–8, 2018, in Washington, DC, as an official partner

From the Blog Biophysical Society Creates Roadmap into the Future Hear from BPS President Lukas Tamm about the Society’s new strategic plan. The Society Council undertook a year-long strategic planning effort to ensure that the Society’s activities, programs, and direction continue to best promote the field as a cohesive, unique discipline, and that the Society continues to provide a home and support network for the breadth of current and future biophysi- cists to showcase their research and the advancement of the field. For more details visit: https:/ biophysicalsociety. wordpress.com/2018/01/04/biophysical-society-cre- ates-roadmap-into-the-future/. and an exhibitor. The free festival, the largest in the United States, is geared toward children, students, and families, and attracted over 365,000 visitors the last time it was held in 2016. Those attending have the opportunity to hear from famous science ambassadors, meet acting scientists, and learn about science, engineering, and math through hands-on activities. The Society will be exploring cell com- munication and collective action at its exhibit booth during the festival. Please spread the word about this incredible event to those who are able to attend. For more information, visit www. usasciencefestival.org.

http:/ biophysicalsociety.wordpress.com

Biophysics Week: An Opportunity for Public Outreach Biophysical Society member Meenakshi Prabhune shares her experience participating in Biophysics Week 2017. In response to an email calling for members to organize events during the outreach week, she decided to partic- ipate by writing about biophysics topics on her personal blog. Read her perspective on the experience here: https:/ biophysicalsociety.wordpress.com/2018/01/05/biophys- ics-week-an-opportunity-for-public-outreach/.

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Public Affairs

Yasmeen Hussain

BPS Congressional Fellow Reporting fromCapitol Hill It has been an exciting few months in Washington, DC! As this year’s Biophysical Society Congressional Fellow, I joined the office of Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) at the end of Septem- ber, after the AAAS Fellows orientation and the Congressional Fellows placement process. Congressman Foster, a physicist who formerly worked at Fermilab, is uniquely positioned to comment on science issues and the importance of evidence-based policy. I work on a broad range of topics that I’m excited about: education; science, including genetic engineering and the House Science Committee; the R&D caucus, of which Representative Foster is a co-chair; and energy and the environment. My experience as a BPS Congressional Fellow has been amazing so far. It’s hard to describe a “typical” day, but at any given moment I could be discussing ideas about how to solve a problem that’s come to our attention, writing a memo about legislation the Congressman might want to cosponsor or a letter to consider signing, meeting with constituents, prepar- ing questions for a Science Committee hearing, planning an R&D caucus briefing, reaching out to Congressional col- leagues or other stakeholders about projects we’re working on, or scanning through the news to follow issues in my portfolio. A few weeks into the fellowship, I was able to coordinate a letter that Representative Foster led to Administrator Pruitt expressing concern about the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board rules that prohibit EPA

grant-holders from serving in an advisory capacity. Since then, I’ve worked on other letters and legislation that our office is leading, including bills about student financial aid that we hope to offer as amendments to the Higher Education Act reauthorization. I am also developing new legislation, includ- ing a bill intended to expand federal employees’ access to scientific literature. My experience to date in science policy has incorporated some of my favorite aspects of academia: • Learning new things every day and keeping up on the latest developments in the field; • Aiming to solve complex problems; • Conferences and other social events that facilitate shar- ing ideas; • Interacting with the public and seeing the impact of sci- ence through outreach activities; and • Writing and presenting. I am fortunate to be working alongside experienced staff who know the policy and political aspects of issues that come across my desk. I’ve learned so much about how the govern- ment operates, and it has been great to bring some of that back to my research colleagues who have been curious about what’s happening on the Hill. The Biophysical Society Con- gressional Fellowship program has already been an incredible experience for me and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead! — Yasmeen Hussain BPS 2017–18 Congressional Fellow

Interested in being a BPS Congressional Fellow? Applications for 2019–20 will be available July 1, 2018.

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Publications

Know the Editor Peter Tieleman

University of Calgary Editor, Membranes

Your Best Research Deserves to Be Published in the Best Journal: Think BJ This is the year to publish your research in Biophysical Journal . Here is why: • High-quality science; • Rapid turnaround times; • No page limits; • Rigorous and constructive peer review by working scientists; • Seven sections devoted to specific areas of biophysical research; • New rapid publication of Letters for important and timely information; • Affordable publication fees with discounts for BPSmembers; • Author friendly pre-print policy; • Policies that promote transparency and data sharing; • Hybrid journal with open access and licensing options; • Publisher deposits to PubMed; compliance with federal agency policies; • Broad focus, wide dissemination; • Easy submission with ORCID IDs; • Authors receive link to share their articles for 50 days; • Opportunities to have your work highlighted in cover art, sliders, video clips, news releases, the BPS Newsletter, andmore; and • Automatic consideration for the Paper of the Year Award.

Peter Tieleman

What has been your most exciting discovery as a biophysicist? The structure of transient defects in membranes and their role in a variety of biophysical processes. As graduate student I had implemented a method to apply a voltage in GROMACS and was playing around with water– octane interfaces, because phospholipid models were expen- sive to simulate. I thought the water defects that formed at high voltages and the effects of periodic boundary conditions (a simulation limitation) in this toy system were fascinating. This grew into studies on electroporation, discussions on membrane defects in voltage gating of potassium channels (irrelevant, it turned out after the dust settled), lipid flip flop and passive ion permeation, perturbation of membranes by antimicrobial peptides, the detailed thermodynamics of membrane pore formation, and possible roles in reversible membrane protein folding. What are you currently working on that excites you? Computer simulations have grown in power by about four orders of magnitude since my water–octane toy models. We are now working on membrane models with dozens of lipid species and many proteins, at different levels of detail. We can calculate the distribution of different lipids around proteins by simply simulating proteins in complex lipid mix- tures. This helps identify binding sites for specific lipids on proteins, but I think much weaker interactions that lead to the local enrichment or depletion near a protein of certain lipid types by maybe 10% or 20% are an important mechanism in determining membrane structure. These types of systems also make it possible to study how largely hydrophobic drugs target specific membrane proteins, and we are involved in some exciting collaborations in this area.

• New easy-to-use LaTex template • Direct submission from bioRxiv • New Figure360 option Submit at https:/ biophysj.msubmit.net

Submit to Biophysical Journal using the new Overleaf LaTeX template at https:/www.overleaf.com/articles/biophysical-journal-template/pxxcptphxdhv

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Annual Meeting

biophysics.org/2019meeting

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Career Development

Funding Your Science: Alternative Mechanisms

Private funding is available from non-profit foundations and professional organizations, and private companies budget a considerable amount of money for basic research discoveries and curing specific diseases. Some research aligns with foun- dations—large ones such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foun- dation or the Howard Hughes Foundation, as well as several smaller ones, which can be found on FoundationCenter.org. Some investigators and situations may be ideally suited for foundation support. Most foundations organize their grant- ing programs so that they do not overlap with those at the NIH. Different foundations may also have different eligibility criteria to those at the NIH, opening unique opportunities for additional funding. Whatever your scientific field, it is never too soon to begin applying for funding. Continue to search for organizations that may align with your field of study and perhaps most impor- tantly, keep applying.

Whether you are a student applying for a fellowship or a new investigator who has not yet received independent funding, the process of finding financial support for your research is important to the success of your scientific future.

With recent downsizing of the NIH budget, it may be helpful to consider alternative granting organizations and opportunities that venture beyond the scope of government funding. “It can be a downer for any scientist to see the current fund- ing picture, but the situation isn’t dire yet, I don’t think,” says Enriqueta Bond , president of the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. “There is money out there, and you just need to be relentless about getting it.” While the NIH’s mission is to promote advancements in the national health and welfare, and it does so through a robust extramural funding program, there are other federal agencies that provide research funding that scientists should explore. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF), Depart- ment of Defense (DOD), and Department of Energy (DOE), fund biophysics research. Many of the research programs at these agencies address the era of interdisciplinary science, requiring expertise across multiple disciplines. The overall goal of the NSF is to advance new concepts in science and engineering while promoting global leadership in research and education. The vision of the DOE is to provide innovative research and development to improve the nation’s energy system and advance clean energy.

Credit: HHS.gov

Get Involved with BPS The Biophysical Society (BPS) provides many opportunities for members to get involved and give back to the biophysics community. Make a Difference • Gain Leadership Experience Expand Your Network To learn more about the different opportunities, please visit www.biophysics.org/AboutUs/GetInvolved. Get involved today!

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Career Development Biophysical Society The atic Meeting

Genomic tools are becoming essential in molecular and personalized medi- cine by virtue of their capacity to analyze diversity within the human genome. Whereas genomic variability at the sequence level is manifestly involved in health and diseases of organisms, little is known about the roles that such vari- ability plays in the physical organization of genomes. The theme of this meet- ing is an exploration of the long-overdue application of biophysical methods in genomics, emphasizing structural and functional aspects of genome and transcriptome dynamics. Proposed topic areas include extremophile genomes, highly compact genomes, extrachromosomal circular DNAs, circular and micro RNAs, DNA viruses and viroids, and other nucleic-acid and chromatin structures having potential roles in genome regulation. Genome Biophysics: Integrating Genomics and Biophysics to Understand Structural and Functional Aspects of Genomes August 19–24, 2018 | Santa Cruz, California

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Sarah Harris , University of Leeds, United Kingdom Stephen Levene , University of Texas at Dallas, USA

Julia Salzman , Stanford University, USA Massa Shoura , Stanford University, USA

SPEAKERS Nadav Ahituv , University of California, San Francisco, USA Javier Arsuaga , University of California, Davis, USA Ami Bhatt , Stanford University, USA Xiavier Darzacq , University of California, Berkeley, USA Martin Depken , Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Charles Dorman , Trinity College, Ireland Andrew Fire , Stanford University, USA

Laura Iandweber , Columbia University, USA Joanna Kelly , Washington State University, USA Alan Lambowitz , University of Texas at Austin, USA Christian Micheletti , SISSATrieste, Italy Sergei Mirkin , Tufts University, USA Shinichi Morishita , University of Tokyo, Japan Mario Nicodemi , University of Naples, Italy Wilma Olson , Rutgers University, USA Karsten Rippe , Heidelberg University, Germany Marc Salit , NIST, USA

Tamar Schlick , NewYork University, USA David Schwartz , University of Wisconsin, USA Andrzej Stasiak , University of Lausanne, Switzerland Tim J. Stevens , MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, United Kingdom Bo Wang , Stanford University, USA Sarah Woodson , John Hopkins University, USA Zeba Wunderlich , University of California, Irvine, USA Alexandra Zidovska , NewYork University, USA

Abstract Submission & Registration Deadline: April 2, 2018

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For more information, visit www.biophysics.org/2018SantaCruz

Career Development

Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to grow 11 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. More biochemists and biophysicists will be needed to use the knowledge they have gained from basic research to develop biological products and processes that improve people’s lives. Source: https:/www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biochemists-and-biophysicists.htm Numbers By the

Looking for a job? Looking to hire? Visit the BPS Job Board to find the position you’ve been looking for or the right candidate to hire. Job Seekers – Post your resume for potential employers to search and view. It’s easy and it’s FREE! Employers – Post your job and begin your search for qualified applicants. Thousands of qualified job seekers visit the site each day and hundreds of companies count on the BPS Job Board to deliver great candidates. Post your job and start your search! Get started today at biophysics.org/jobs

Grants & Opportunities

Innovative Technologies to Deliver Genome Editing Machinery to Disease-relevant Cells and Tissues The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to support the development and evaluation of inno- vative approaches to deliver genome editing machinery into somatic cells, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the development of genome editing therapeutics to treat human disease. Deadline: April 3, 2018 Website: https:/grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/ RFA-RM-18-016.html

Conference Grants to Advance Collaborative Research on Aging Biology

Conference grant applications are encouraged in scientific areas that will foster extramural research on the molecular, biochemical, cellular, genetic, and physiological mechanisms underlying normal aging and related pathologies. The National Institute on Aging is particularly interested in promoting and facilitating team science to allow researchers at all levels of training to come together to exchange ideas, tools, and approaches in an effort to increase collaborative research. Deadline: April 12, 2018 Website: https:/grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/ par-15-265.html

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Communities

Biological Fluorescense Subgroup The Biological Fluorescence Subgroup is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Gregorio Weber Award for Excellence in Fluorescence Theory and Applications. Sponsored by ISS, they are: Debora Foguel , Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Pressure and Fluorescence Studies on Protein Misfolding Related to Amyloidogenic and Neurodegenerative Diseases Jerson L. Silva , Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Pressure and Fluorescence Studies on Protein Misfolding Related to Prion Diseases and Cancer

Each winner gave a short presentation during the Biological Fluorescence Subgroup symposium on Saturday, February 17, 2018. The Gregorio Weber Award for Excellence in Fluorescence Theory and Applications is an annual award that honors and recognizes distinguished individuals who have made original and significant contributions to the field of fluorescence. The award is named after Professor Gregorio Weber, who pio- neered developments in the theory and application of fluores- cence techniques in biology and biochemistry. Award recipi- ents are selected from a group nominated by their peers, and all nominees must be senior-level researchers with a rank of full professor, lab director, or equivalent. For more information please see: http:/www.iss.com/events/ weber.html.

BPS Announces First Group of Recognized Student Chapters

The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce that ten inaugural chapters have been selected for recognition in the BPS Student Chapter Program. Selected by the Education Committee, we congratulate these chapters, and look forward to working with them to promote the field of biophysics and foster the next generation of biophysicists. The ten recognized chapters represent a variety of institutions and regions including: Clemson University Egypt (Hosted at Alexandria University) Emory University Texas A&M University University of Maryland, College Park

University of Michigan University of Missouri York University, Canada

Florida State University Johns Hopkins University

The aim of the BPS Student Chapter Program is to build active student chapters around the globe, increase student mem- bership and participation within the Society, and promote biophysics as a discipline across college campuses through activities organized by the chapters. Students who become officers or participate in the chapters will have an opportunity to take an active leadership role within their institutions and the Biophysical Society, with special opportunities to partici- pate in activities at future Society meetings. Chapters may be formed within a single institution, or region- al chapters may be developed among multiple, neighboring institutions. Recognized chapters will be reimbursed up to $200 by the Society to assist with getting started.

Chapters wishing to be recognized starting in the fall semes- ter of 2018 must submit the Endorsement and Petition Form, Chapter Bylaws, and the Chapter Information Sheet to the Society office via email to dmcnulty@biophysics.org by May 1, 2018, for consideration. Applicants will be notified in early June regarding the status of their application.

For more information and a complete list of instructions on forming an official BPS Student Chapter visit www.biophysics.org/StudentChapters.

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Member Corner

myBPS Coming Soon: A NewWay toManage Your BPS Activities

Look for the new myBPS! BPS is proud to announce the launch of myBPS at the beginning of April, which will allow you to manage your account details in a convenient and secure manner. With a myBPS account you will be able to: Create and share a personal professional profile Manage account details such as member number, address change, ORCID id, updates to professional details, and more View and track account transactions Manage your communication preferences Join and renew easily including easy upload of necessary documentation for membership

Manage volunteering preferences Join the Find a Biophysicist Network Access many members-only features

Once myBPS becomes available, all members and website visitors who conducts any transactions with BPS online will be required to create an account. Please look out for an email in early April that will provide you with detailed instructions on how to get your myBPS account started!

Student Spotlight

Felix Wong School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University

As you move forward in science, what type of research do you see yourself doing? Why? Having done my PhD research focusing on bacterial cell mechanics, I anticipate branching out to eukaryotic cell mechanics and studying related topics like the physical processes underlying cancer. I believe that quantitative modeling can lead to a better understanding of many biological processes, ranging from gene regulation to aging, and I hope to eventually work my way through this list.

Felix Wong

Important Dates

Biophysics Week March 12–16, 2018 March 25–29, 2019 March 9–13, 2020

BPS Thematic Meetings April 2, 2018 Abstract Submission and Registration: Genome Biophysics May 7, 2018 Abstract Submission: The Heart by Numbers June 4, 2018 Early Registration: The Heart by Numbers

63 rd BPS Annual Meeting March 2–6, 2019

Abstract Submission and Registration Open July 1, 2018

March 2018

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Communities

Spring 2018 Call for Networking Events

Are you looking to connect with local biophysicists? Do you have an idea for a networking event and want to host one in your area? BPS can help! Since 2011, BPS has encouraged local communities of biophysicists to come together by providing mini- grants to support the events. These events have brought together local scientists (Society members and non-members) to discuss various topics in biophysics and to share their experiences, research, and ideas with their local community. All current Society members inside and outside of the United States are eligible to apply. Please note that your event must meet the following requirements: • The event should be no longer than one day; • It should be a stand-alone event (not part of a larger conference); • The event should promote interaction between • The event must take place in an area not currently well served by other opportunities for networking among biophysicists; • A meeting size of approximately 25 to a maximum of 150 attendees is best; • It must be advertised prominently as a BPS-sponsored event; and • If there is a speaker list, it should include graduate students and postdocs. BPS will be accepting networking event proposals for events occurring in the summer of 2018 at the earliest. The networking event submission site will be open March 15 – April 30, 2018. If selected, you will receive up to $500 through the Membership Committee’s mini-grant program to host the event. For more information about the proposal requirements or for more information on upcoming networking events, please visit www.bio- physics.org/meetings/NetworkingEvents. different institutions and/or communities in a geographical area not served by the BPS Annual Meeting; • There should be an emphasis on promotion of biophysics;

Please visit the 2018 Networking Events, accessible by links here www.biophysics.org/meetings/NetworkingEvents for more information about registration and abstract submission details. Plan to come out and network with fellow biophysicists in your area!

March 2018

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Duetta TM

• Simultaneous Two-in-One Fluorescence and Absorbance Spectrometer • Fluorescence and UV-Vis-NIR absorbance + Ultra-fast Excitation Emission Matrices (EEMs) • Acquire complete Fluorescence spectrum in <300 milliseconds…In the Blink of an Eye! • Fingerprint molecules with high specificity and ultrahigh sensitivity in less than a minute! • Highest level of fluorescence sensitivity with 3,000:1 RMS for Water Raman • EzSpec ™ touchscreen software designed for millennials! • Smaller, faster, more sensitive, two-in-one spectrometer……all for less~ The New Two-in-One Fluorescence and Absorbance Spectrometer

Follow us @ HScientific and join the conversation with #Duetta

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Biophysical Society

5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110 Rockville, Maryland 20852

March 2018

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y

Upcoming Events

April April 12–13 Second MCW Redox Biology Symposium Milwaukee, WI https:/www.mcw.edu/ Redox-Biology-Pro- gram/2018-Symposium.htm April 26–29 Symposium on Multidisciplinary Medicine, Research & Devel- opment, and Innovations in Medicine Antakya-Hatay, Turkey http:/www.mku.edu.tr/ files/21_dosya_1430823366. pdf

May May 22

June June 3–5 EMBO|EMBL Symposium: Biological Oscillators: Design, https:/www.embo-em- bl-symposia.org/sympo- sia/2018/EES18-05/index. html June 20–22 6th International Iberian Bio- physics Congress Castellon, Spain http:/www.sbe2018.com/ Mechanism, Function Heidelberg, Germany

July July 23–27

Thinking outside the ATP Box: New Ways to Target Kinases for

11th European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Lisbon, Portugal http:/www.ecmtb2018.org/

Therapeutics New York, NY https:/www.nyas.org/

events/2018/thinking-out- side-the-atp-box-new-ways- to-target-kinases-for-thera- peutics/ May 23 Presentation Skills Course with the Royal Society London, UK https:/www.rsb.org.uk/ events?event=presentation- skills

Please visit www.biophysics.org for a complete list of upcoming events.