Cell adhesion means many different things to different people. For biologists, the term encompasses questions of how cells physically interact with their environment under force; the molecular mechanisms responsible for those interactions; and understanding how those molecular systems influence development and tissue homeostasis. In contrast, soft matter physicists focus on understanding the rheological properties of adhesive contact interfaces and how these may fracture. Biologists inevitably deal with active systems and soft matter scientists have focused on passive adhesives. The BPS Thematic Meeting, “Biology and Physics Confront Cell-Cell Adhesion” sought to bring these two communities together in Aussois, at the Centre Paul Langevin, amidst the bucolic surroundings of the French Alps in autumn.
The goal of the meeting was to encourage dialogue across disciplines, between biologists and physicists, experimentalists, and theoreticians. The meeting featured 21 invited talks and 20 talks chosen from abstracts, the latter ranging from junior PhD students to established investigators. Each session was designed for diversity, rather than focusing on any single topic. On the first morning, for example, presentations on the cellular mechanisms of cadherins were juxtaposed with talks on hybrid active matter and the stickiness of soft matter. The posters were available throughout the meeting and, in addition, two round-table discussions were conducted in the afternoons to explore questions raised in the talks and posters. Importantly, the discussion was lively throughout the meeting, especially at the posters and round tables. Indeed, discussions begun in the formal sessions continued at the meals and in the evening bar. Energy did not flag, even though the first two days were filled with material. However, all attendees enjoyed the opportunity to have a full afternoon off on the third day and many grabbed a pack lunch to go hiking.
All participants were housed in the Centre itself or a nearby building, and shared meals at the Centre, the latter featuring local produce from the region. The Centre was especially distinguished by the warm hospitality of all the staff, who were only too happy to accommodate the needs of the group.
The conference exceeded the hopes of the organizers (Virgile Viasnoff, Mechanobiology Institute of Singapore and CNRS; Sandrine Etienne-Manneville, Institut Pasteur; Jean-Leon Maître, Institut Curie; and Alpha Yap, University of Queensland). It was a risk to initiate a meeting that did not have an established community. Thankfully, the participants engaged rather than phase-separating. Indeed, there was enthusiasm to bring this new community together on a regular basis and discussions have begun for a future meeting in two years time. Our thanks go to the Biophysical Society for providing the context for the conference and to our sponsors (CNRS, Fluigent and MDPI) for their financial support.