Advances in organismal and cellular metabolism

Organizers
Nika Danial, Harvard Medical School
Gary Patti, Washington University in St. Louis

Metabolism has captured the interest of researchers across many different biological disciplines. We want to facilitate interactions between investigators who may be thinking about the same metabolic themes but who are not typically at the same meetings or conference tracks. The presentations in this symposium will not be organized by discipline but rather by metabolism topic, with the aim of stimulating new discussions and collaborative opportunities.

Metabolic physiology

Chair: Gary Patti

• Gary Patti, Washington University in St. Louis
• Deb Muoio, Duke University
• Nada Kalaany, Harvard Medical School
• Matt Gentry, University of Kentucky

Metabolism in health and disease

Chair: TBA

• Tiffany Horng, ShanghaiTech University
• Jason Tennessen, Indiana University
• TBA
• Jing Fan, University of Wisconsin

Organelle metabolism

Chair: Nika Danial

• Nika Danial, Harvard Medical School
• Dale Abel, University of California, Los Angeles
• Roberto Zoncu, University of California, Berkeley
• Natalie Niemi, Washington University in St. Louis

AI and ML in structural biology, drug design and systems biology

Organizers
Rommie E. Amaro, University of California, San Diego
Celia Schiffer, University of Massachusetts Medical School

After decades of playing second fiddle, computation is taking center stage — achieving critical insights that experimentation alone cannot. Computational simulations are rewriting textbooks — from molecules to system dynamics and function — and machine learning is accelerating drug design and development. Find out at this symposium how computation is transforming biological problem-solving.

Structure determination

Chair: Rommie E. Amaro

• Debora Marks, Harvard Medical School
• Rommie E. Amaro, University of California, San Diego
• Ramanathan Arvind, Argonne National Laboratory; University of Chicago
• Jason Perry, Gilead Sciences Inc.

Drug design

Chair: Celia Schiffer

• John Chodera, Sloan Kettering Institute
• David Baker, University of Washington
• Steve Capuzzi, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
• Celia Schiffer, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Bioinformatics / Systems biology

Chair: Ivet Bahar

• Marian Walhout, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
• Janet George, Intel Corporation
• Ivet Bahar, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• Henry van dem Bedam, AtomWise Inc.

Bias in, bias out in data science

Organizer
Allison C. Augustus–Wallace, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

If we are to one day mitigate health disparities, we must turn the microscope on ourselves and better understand the lens through which we see the world and how it affects our work. These symposia will examine the effects of implicit biases on biomedical research. One symposium will be about how experimental design and data interpretation contribute to health disparities. One will be about the social construct of race. The third will be about genetics and artificial intelligence.

Implicit bias

Chair: Ruma Bannerjee

• Blindspot: hidden biases of good people
  Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard University

The purpose of this session is to reveal the surprising and even perplexing ways in which we make errors in assessing and evaluating others when we recruit and hire, onboard and promote, lead teams, undertake succession planning and work on behalf of our clients or the public we serve. Banaji believes that people intend well and that the inconsistency we see, between values and behavior, comes from a lack of awareness. But because implicit bias is pervasive, we must rely on scientific evidence to “outsmart” our minds. If we do so, we will be more likely to reach the life goals we have chosen for ourselves and to serve better the organizations for which we work.

Race as a human construct: We are only human, not a race

Chair: Kayunta Johnson–Winters

• Amanda Bryant–Friedrich, Wayne State University
• Chris Gignoux, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
• TBA
• Allison C. Augustus–Wallace, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

How selection bias and data interpretation contribute to disparities in health outcomes and artificial intelligence development

Chair: Sonia Flores

• Irene Dankwa–Mullan, IBM Watson Health
• Lucio Miele, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
• Robert T. Maupin Jr., Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
• Rosalina Bray, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Biochemistry of elemental cycling

Organizers
Jennifer Dubois, Montana State University
Sean Elliott, Boston University

Whether engaging in the molecular construction projects of the carbon, nitrogen or sulfur cycles or simply moving electrons to make a bioenergetic living, microbial organisms harness metals as cofactors to continuously cycle and recycle the environment around us. These symposia will cover recently elucidated mechanisms, insight into how metallocofactors are harnessed to power the redox reactions of life around us, and surprising insights into the connections between metals, microbes and electrons. With concerns for sustainability and a new energy economy, the microscopic world of biological chemistry has much to teach us.

The enzymology of the carbon cycle

Chair: Jennifer Dubois

• Stephen Ragsdale, University of Michigan
• Sean Elliott, Boston University
• Cecilia Gomez Martinez, University of California, Berkeley
• Kylie Allen, Virginia Tech

Frontiers of the nitrogen cycle

Chair: Eric Hegg

• Eric Hegg, Michigan State University
• Yilin Hu, University of California, Irvine
• Lisa Stein, University of Alberta
• Akif Tezcan, University of California, San Diego

Metals, microbes and minerals

Chair: Sean Elliott

• Eric Boyd, Montana State University
• Jennifer Dubois, Montana State University
• Jeff Gralnick, University of Minnesota
• Christine Morrison, Colorado School of Mines

Cell signaling — new tools and emerging concepts

Organizers
Kevin Gardner, City University of New York
Jin Zhang, University of California, San Diego

Biochemists have made tremendous advances at developing new classes of genetically encoded protein tools to detect and control signaling activities with high spatiotemporal precision. For these symposia, we have assembled experts who will discuss new tools for manipulating and visualizing the activity of enzymes and other classes of protein activity in living cells across a range of settings. We welcome anyone interested in novel protein-based tools to observe and control cellular behavior as well as new concepts in cellular organization that have emerged from use of these reagents.

Toolkit for native biochemistry: Sensors, actuators and computational tools

Chair: Kevin Gardner

• Kevin H. Gardner, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center
• Klaus Hahn, Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Sabrina Spencer, University of Colorado Boulder
• David van Valen, California Institute of Technology

Spatiotemporal control of cellular signaling

Chair: Jin Zhang

• Jin Zhang, University of California, San Diego
• Mark von Zastrow, University of California, San Francisco
• Lukasz Bugaj, University of Pennsylvania
• Anton Bennett, Yale University

Liquid–liquid phase separation as a signaling paradigm

Chair: Christine Mayr

• Christine Mayr, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Zhijian "James" Chen, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Sarah Veatch, University of Michigan
• Shana Elbaum–Garfinkle, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center

Education and professional development

Organizer
Margaret I. Kanipes, North Carolina A&T State University

The ASBMB Education and Professional Development Committee will present three symposia on distinct but essential matters in biochemistry and molecular biology education. One will cover how BMB educators are integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into their classes so that students may learn to think like biochemists and data scientists. Another will be about leading during challenging times — and sustaining effective leadership. The third will be about the lifelong process of cultural humility and how the practice of it fosters inclusive learning and working environments.

Artificial intelligence and BMB education

• Walter R.P. Novak, Wabash College
• Bonnie L. Hall, Grand View University
• LaTanya N. Brown–Robertson, Howard University
• TBA

Intentional leadership and BMB education

• Margaret Kanipes, North Carolina A&T State University
• April A. Dukes, University of Pittsburgh
• Marina Holz, New York Medical College
• TBA

Cultural humility and BMB education

• Antentor Othrell Hinton, Jr., Vanderbilt University
• Sheila Jaswal, Amherst College
• Sarah L. Eddy, Florida International University
• TBA

Frontiers in carbohydrate synthesis and recognition

Organizers
Xi Chen, University of California, Davis
Catherine Grimes, University of Delaware

Carbohydrates are indispensable biomolecules that are essential for life. This symposium will showcase recent approaches and advances that have made it easier to synthesize glycans and better understand the roles of carbohydrates in health and disease. Aficionados and the uninitiated alike are welcome to attend and learn about how these developments can advance their research.

Synthesis of glycans for exploring their role in health and disease

Chair: Xi Chen

• Catherine L. Grimes, University of Delaware
• Rita Gerardy–Schahn, Hannover Medical School
• Steven D. Townsend, Vanderbilt University
• Jerry Troutman, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Chemical glycobiology and tools for glycoscience

Chair: Catherine Grimes

• Mireille Kamariza, Harvard University
• Jeff Gildersleeve, National Cancer Institute
• Lingjun Li, University of Wisconsin
• Tania Lupoli, New York University

Carbohydrate biocatalysts and glycan-binding probes/materials

Chair: Catherine Grimes

• Xi Chen, University of California, Davis
• Barbara Imperiali, Massachuetts Institute of Technology
• Kelley Moremen, University of Georgia
• Vered Padler–Karavani, Tel Aviv University

Lipid dynamics and signals in membrane and protein structure

Organizers
Michael Airola, Stony Brook University
Robert V. Stahelin, Purdue University

Lipids play fundamental roles in cell compartmentalization, stress responses, metabolism, gene regulation, inflammation, and the activation of both cell protective and cell destructive mechanisms. These symposia will feature experts in lipids in microorganisms, lipid metabolism and transport and membrane structure and dynamics. Come for the lipid–protein interactions. Stay for a better understanding of membrane structure and biophysics in cell physiology.

New roles for lipids in microorganisms and viruses

Chair: Michael Airola

• Robert V. Stahelin, Purdue University
• Elizabeth Johnson, Cornell University
• Eric A. Klein, Rutgers University–Camden
• TBA

Molecular insight into lipid metabolism and transport

Chair: Abdou Rachid Thiam

• Michael Airola, Stony Brook University
• Angeline Lyon, Purdue University
• Eric Ortlund, Emory University School of Medicine
• Saskia Neher, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Membrane structure and dynamics

Chair: Robert Stahelin

• Abdou Rachid Thiam, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris
• Sarah Keller, University of Washington
• Suzanne Scarlata, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Ilya Leventhal, University of Virginia

Organelles, mechanisms and phase properties of cellular quality control

Organizers
W. Mike Henne, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Cheryl Kerfeld, Michigan State University

No longer are organelles thought to be mere compartments within the cell; today they are appreciated as having key roles in fine-tuning metabolism, signaling and quality control in both bacteria and eukaryotes. These symposia will feature new work showing how organelles create microenvironments for metabolic pathways and sense and respond to cues, as well as studies of lipid and protein phase properties that equip organelles to protect cells from stress and maintain organismal homeostasis.

Bacterial organelles

Chair: Cheryl Kerfeld

• Luning Lu, University of Liverpool
• Anthony Vecchiarelli, University of Michigan
• Cheryl Kerfeld, Michigan State University
• Arash Komelli, University of California, Berkeley

Phase separation in organelle structure and function

Chair: W. Mike Henne

• David Savage, University of California, Berkeley/HHMI
• Martin Jonikas, Princeton University
• Mike Henne, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Alex Merz, University of Washington School of Medicine

Inter-organelle communication

Chair: Rushika Perera

• Karin Reinisch, Yale University
• Laura Lackner, Northwestern University
• Sarah Cohen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Rushika Perera, University of California, San Francisco

Protein machines and disorder

Organizers
Ivaylo Ivanov, Georgia State University
Yan Jessie Zhang, University of Texas at Austin

Protein machines are highly structured, intricate assemblies. Structurally disordered protein regions, not so much. Not only do both play essential roles in life’s processes, but they also make the other work better. That is why they will be the stars of these symposia. We’ll cover protein machines in genome maintenance and gene regulation, methods for the study of disordered proteins and condensates as well as the roles of disordered proteins in disease.

Protein machines at the intersection of genome maintenance and gene regulation

Chair: Jessie Zhang

• Ivaylo Ivanov, Georgia State University
• Huilin Li, Van Andel Institute
• Tanya Paull, University of Texas at Austin
• Yuan He, Northwestern University

Methodology investigating disordered proteins and condensates

Chair: Ivaylo Ivanov

• Jeetain Mittal, Texas A&M University
• Jessie Zhang, University of Texas at Austin
• Xavier Darzacq, University of California, Berkeley
• Simon Alberti, Technische Universität Dresden

Disordered protein in diseases

Chair: Rebecca Page

• James Shorter, University of Pennsylvania
• Hao Jiang, University of Virginia
• Pinglong Xu, Zhejiang University
• Rebecca Page, University of Connecticut

Regulation of RNA

Organizers
Daniel Dominguez, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stacy Horner, Duke University

If there were a “Biomolecule of the Year,” RNA would have been the reigning champ for a few years running. A pandemic caused by an RNA virus. Multiple RNA vaccines to defeat it. There’s no competition! These symposia will zero in on RNA regulation. One will feature experts on RNA binding proteins and disease, another will cover RNA modifications and yet another will cover novel RNAs. We welcome the fellow RNA fanatics among us — as well as anyone else curious about the latest approaches to studying its function.

RNA binding proteins and disease

Chair: Daniel Dominguez

• Daniel Dominguez, Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Brenda L. Bass, University of Utah
• Alfredo Castello, MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
• Kristen Lynch, University of Pennsylvannia School of Medicine

RNA modifications: discovery and function

Chair: Stacy Horner

• Stacy Horner, Duke University School of Medicine
• Lydia M. Contreras, University of Texas at Austin
• Kate Meyer, Duke University School of Medicine
• Jordan Meier, National Cancer Institute

Novel RNAs: localization, form, function

Chair: Eric Wang

• Silvi Rouskin, Harvard Medical School
• Eliezer Calo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Grace Chen, Yale University
• Eric Wang, University of Florida