Workshop on structural biology, molecular biophysics is Aug. 1

The 10th Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics Workshop will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1, in the Paustain Amphitheater (MCS3002) in the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education.

Presenting at the workshop will be:

• Olga Boudker, PhD, who focuses on the structure, mechanism, evolution and modulation of membrane ion-driven transporters. She is a professor in the department of physiology and biophysics at Cornell University, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and National Academy of Sciences member.
• Liskin Swint-Kruse, PhD, an expert on the evolution of protein functional variation. She is chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
• Catherine Eichhorn, PhD, who works to understand the folding and function of regulatory RNAs and RNPs using integrated structural biology, biophysical and chemical biology tools. She is an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Marcia Levitus, PhD, who focuses on single molecule biophysics and molecular photophysics. Her current projects aim to elucidate the thermodynamics and conformational dynamics of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. She is a professor in the school of molecular sciences and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.
• Tobin Sosnick, PhD, who uses experimental and computational studies of the function, folding and dynamics of soluble and membrane proteins, including properties of disordered proteins, phase separation, folding of ion channels and mechanobiology, and LOV2-based optogenetics. He is chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Chicago.

A poster session will be held during the workshop with prizes awarded. An application to present a poster can be found on the event site, along with a poster abstract. The deadline for poster abstracts is July 25.

“I want to encourage anyone with an interest in structural biology and molecular biophysics to join us on Aug. 1,” said Gloria Borgstahl, PhD, professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases who coordinated the workshop with Luis Marky, PhD, professor in the UNMC College of Pharmacy. “Attendees can expect to learn from five very knowledgeable experts who have a passion for the field, as well as for teaching.”

In preparation for the workshop, five student-led journal club sessions are being held. The remaining sessions take place July 18, 23 and 29 in person and via Zoom. All journal club information can be found on the event website.

Registration is free for the day-long workshop, but space is limited. For more information on the workshop and to register, visit the event website.