We have assembled a diverse group of guest bloggers to share their experiences during the 57th Annual Meeting. Meet them below and check back to read their updates starting on January 29! Jeremy Anderson, a second year graduate student in Johns Hopkins University’s Molecular Biophysics program is excited for all of the different science and different people at the Annual Meeting – seeing who is doing what and where. Living in Baltimore has given Jeremy purple fever, and he’s sure the Ravens are on their way to a Super Bowl ring. Read about his adventures on long distance bicycle trips – the latest a 950 mile trek from Wisconsin to Nashville, Tennessee – on his personal blog: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Tennessee2011. Helen Cooper is a Post-doctoral fellow at Åbo Akademi University in Finland, studying cell biology, mitochondria, nucleoids, protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions, and imaging. You can check out her poster, “LIPID BEHAVIOR IN INTEGRIN α2 CLUSTERING,” Board B222, on Tuesday February 5, 1:45 -3:45 PM. At the Meeting, Helen is looking forward to meeting and learning from experts in membrane biochemistry & biophysics, new fields of research for her, and learning what’s new in biological imaging. She’s never had a Philly cheese steak, but her colleagues have done their homework on where to eat and drink in Philadelphia (maybe she’ll blog about it!), so hopefully she’ll get the chance. Want to catch up with Helen after the Meeting? Follow her personal blog: http://thislifeinscience.blogspot.com. Rasmus Herlo will be heading to Philadelphia from the University of Copenhagen, where he is working on his PhD in the Molecular NeuroPharmacology Lab. He’s excited to present his poster, “PHOSPHORYLATION OF THE AMPHIPATHIC HELIX CHANGES THE LIPID BINDING CAPACITIES OF PICK1,” Board B219, on Wednesday, February 9, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. If you’re looking for a cheese steak analysis, check back – Rasmus and his fellow labmates (who will be contributing notes to Rasmus’ blogs) plan to test and evaluate the difference between Pat’s (http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/) and Geno’s (http://www.genosteaks.com/). Don’t look to find him anywhere but in front of a TV on Sunday night – he’s a San Francisco 49er’s fan and will be glued to the game! Tuan (Patrick) Hoang is looking forward to networking his way to a postdoctoral placement during the Annual Meeting. He is currently working on his PhD, studying membrane proteins, at the Biophysics Interdepartmental Group at the University of Guelph. Stop by poster B434, “On the role of positively charged residues of TM2 domain in the chloride transport of human UCP2,” on February 4, 1:45 -3:45 PM, to meet Patrick! A fan of travel and food, he’s excited to explore the culture and history of Philly, including getting a taste of the Philly favorite, the cheese steak! He and Rasmus might not want to watch the Super Bowl together, since Patrick will be rooting for the Baltimore Ravens. Keep in touch with Patrick after the Meeting on his lab blog (which he created): http://biophysicallab.wordpress.com/ or his personal blog: http://biophysicallab.wordpress.com/lab-members/tuan-patrick-hoang/. Yalda Javadi, a protein assembly postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge is looking forward to the New & Notable Symposium, the biosensing and imaging sessions, single molecule sessions, protein conformation session, the micro and nanotechnology sessions, and enjoying another Philly cheese steak. Check out her poster, “GENERATING NOVEL REPEAT-PROTEIN NANOMATERIALS AND BIOSWITCHES,” board LB61 on Wednesday, February 6, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. In her free time, Yalda is the editor of Ionic Magazine, a new online science and art magazine, and is training for the Marathon de Paris in April 2013. Vinod Jyothikumar, a research scientist at the University of Virginia, is the imaging scientist of the Keck Center for Cellular Imaging, where he is an expert in sample preparation, advanced microscopy techniques, and microbiology & biological safety. He’s looking forward to meeting and brainstorming with fellow young researchers and distinguished scientists, and is excited to learn about protein visualization in live cells, live cell imaging, and advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Catch his poster presentation on February 6, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Board B606, “Label FREE Fluorescence Lifetime FRET Imaging.” As a vegetarian, Vinod may sample a Philly cheese steak minus the steak (meat substitute?), just to be part of the legacy! Recently introduced to American football, he is hoping for a winning Baltimore team on Super Bowl Sunday. Read about his adventures as a volunteer with the UVA Health System Emergency Clinic and Thomas Jefferson Medical Reserve Corps on his personal blog: http://bactespy.wordpress.com/. Michelle Turco heads east from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she is working on her PhD and studying bacterial pathogenic proteins with X-ray crystallography. She’s looking forward to meeting new people, discussing cool science, and learning about opportunities for scientists outside of traditional academic positions. Stick around ‘till Wednesday to see Michelle’s platform presentation, “STRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW ZINCIN PROTEASE, NLEC, AN ENTEROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEM EFFECTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEAVING NFκB SUBUNIT RELA,” February 6, during the Protein Structure platform at 2:30 PM in room 204AB of the Convention Center. Michelle might be the cheese steak expert of the guest bloggers, hoping to have a cheese steak for every meal – with mushrooms, onions and Cheese Whiz, of course! She may even sample a vegetarian or vegan cheese steak just to mix it up. If the BPS guest bloggers could decide the winner of the Super Bowl, it seems the Ravens would have one more vote! Read about Michelle’s other interests – graphic design, food, travel, and fermentation, to name a few – on her personal blog: georgieandco.blogspot.com. Matthew Webber, a first year graduate student in microscopy at The Ohio State University, is looking forward to reconnecting with his friends and colleagues, and trying an authentic Philly cheese steak. Looking for Matthew? Find a chess table or a court, and it might be him – he’s a ranked chess player who enjoys tennis and racquetball. He’s not presenting a poster this year, but you can follow his first year grad student experiences on his personal blog once the Meeting’s over: mjwebber14.wordpress.com. David Weston joins us in Philadelphia from across the pond, where he is a PhD student in molecular neuroscience/ion channels at the University of Cambridge. He’s excited to meet people from all corners of the globe and learn about many areas of biophysics during the Meeting. Meet David at his poster presentation, “CHARACTERISING THE ION SELECTIVITY AND CALCIUM PERMEABILITY OF THE ERWINIA LIGAND-GATED ION CHANNEL,” on Wednesday, February 6, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, poster B422. You may also be able to find David with several of his fellow bloggers cheering on the Baltimore Ravens during the Super Bowl. Read about his science and life outside of science (reading, singing and running) on his personal blog www.thewayyouwearyourhead.blogspot.com. Siddartha (Sid) Yerramilli, a third year biophysics PhD student in Suzanne Scarlata’s lab at Stony Brook University is excited to attend this year’s Annual Meeting, as it will be his first-ever major conference! He is looking forward to learning more about the current research in biophysics, emphasis on the physics. Stop by his poster presentation (another first for Sid!), “CHARACTERIZING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN γ-SYNUCLEIN AND PLCβ2 IN BREAST CANCER CELLS,” board number B31, on Sunday, February 3, 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM. Sid will also be participating in the Student Research Achievement Award (SRAA) Poster Competition on Sunday evening, 6:00 – 9:00 PM – stop by and view all of the great student research in the contest! Not a red meat eater, Sid plans on finding the great cuisine Philly has to offer outside of the cheese steak universe – particularly in Chinatown.