The Membrane Transport Subgroup fosters the study and communication of molecular mechanisms of permeation and transport through cellular membranes. Membership in the Subgroup is open to all members of the Society. The Subgroup holds a meeting organized by the Subgroup Chair each year, which takes place prior to the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting.

Dinner Pricing Chart

The Membrane Transport Subgroup fosters the study of communication about the biophysical mechanisms of permeation and transport of small molecules and biopolymers through cell membranes. Membership in the subgroup is open to all members of the Society. Annually, the subgroup holds a meeting organized by the subgroup Chair, which takes place prior to the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting.

The mission of the Motility and Cytoskeleton Subgroup is to understand the basic mechanisms that underlie motility and contractility of biological systems. These processes are ultimately the result of molecular motors or contractile filaments that convert chemical energy stored in ATP/GTP into mechanical energy that drives, for example, cell motility, cytokinesis and muscle contraction. The structure and function of the motor families myosin, kinesin and dynein and the cytoskeletal filaments F-actin and microtubules are frequent topics of the annual meetings of the Subgroup. Areas of focus also include the regulatory proteins that control the activity of motors and the cytoskeleton. The Subgroup also annually presents the Motility & Cytoskeleton Early Career Award to reward excellence in the field in early career professionals.

The mission of the Motility and Cytoskeleton Subgroup is to understand the basic mechanisms that underlie motility and contractility of biological systems. These processes are ultimately the result of molecular motors or contractile filaments that convert chemical energy stored in ATP/GTP into mechanical energy that drives, for example, cell motility, cytokinesis and muscle contraction. The structure and function of the motor families myosin, kinesin and dynein and the cytoskeletal filaments F-actin and microtubules are frequent topics of the annual meetings of the Subgroup. Areas of focus also include the regulatory proteins that control the activity of motors and the cytoskeleton. The Subgroup also annually presents the Motility & Cytoskeleton Early Career Award to reward excellence in the field in early career professionals.

The Multiscale Genome Organization (MGO) Subgroup was founded in 2020 by Tom Connor Bishop of Louisiana Tech University and Tamar Schlick of New York University. The first MGO Subgroup Symposium was in 2021.
The focus of the Multiscale Genome Organization (MGO) Subgroup is the study of genome organization, dynamics and function on multiple temporal and spatial scales ranging from individial nucleic acids to whole chromosomes using a broad range of integrative experimental, theoretical and computational techniques with the goal of deciphering how genomic and epigenomic information drives basic life processes.

The Multiscale Genome Organization (MGO) Subgroup was founded in 2020 by Tom Connor Bishop of Louisiana Tech University and Tamar Schlick of New York University. The first MGO Subgroup Symposium was in 2021.
The focus of the Multiscale Genome Organization (MGO) Subgroup is the study of genome organization, dynamics and function on multiple temporal and spatial scales ranging from individial nucleic acids to whole chromosomes using a broad range of integrative experimental, theoretical and computational techniques with the goal of deciphering how genomic and epigenomic information drives basic life processes.

The Nanoscale Approaches to Biology Subgroup (formerly Nanoscale Biophysics Subgroup) has been covering single-molecule biophysics, super-resolution imaging, nanoparticles and nanodevices since 2010, with a focus on the development of new biophysical methods and instrumentation, and their application to current biophysical questions. The Subgroup aims to advance the field of nanoscale biophysics through the exchange of information, ideas, and innovative techniques operating at the scale of nanometers to tens of nanometers, and by uniting participants at the interface of scientific disciplines from biophysics to physics, chemistry, and beyond. We promise that you will return home with at least one new idea! Each year, the Subgroup sponsors a symposium highlighting exciting advances in biophysics on the nanometer scale. The symposium is followed by a networking event: cocktails and a light dinner.

The Nanoscale Approaches to Biology Subgroup (formerly Nanoscale Biophysics Subgroup) has been covering single-molecule biophysics, super-resolution imaging, nanoparticles and nanodevices since 2010, with a focus on the development of new biophysical methods and instrumentation, and their application to current biophysical questions. The Subgroup aims to advance the field of nanoscale biophysics through the exchange of information, ideas, and innovative techniques operating at the scale of nanometers to tens of nanometers, and by uniting participants at the interface of scientific disciplines from biophysics to physics, chemistry, and beyond. We promise that you will return home with at least one new idea! Each year, the Subgroup sponsors a symposium highlighting exciting advances in biophysics on the nanometer scale. The symposium is followed by a networking event: cocktails and a light dinner.

The Physical Cell Biology Subgroup (formerly Cell Biophysics Subgroup) aims to bring biophysical studies into cells to probe structures, functions, dynamics, and interactions of macromolecules in their own physiological context. A living cell is a complex entity; the heterogeneous cellular environment is drastically different from the homogenous, well-mixed situation in vitro. Recent technical advances have made it possible to probe the inner working of cells with unprecedented resolution, sensitivity, and specificity; new experimental and computational studies have provided invaluable, quantitative understandings of cellular processes. The Subgroup will provide a much-needed platform for researchers to share scientific ideas, discuss research results, forge new collaborations, and together, to push the frontiers of knowledge in cell biophysics. The Subgroup will also sponsor the Early Career Award and the Student Award in Physical Cell Biology annually, for excellence in the field at these two career stages.

The Physical Cell Biology Subgroup (formerly Cell Biophysics Subgroup) aims to bring biophysical studies into cells to probe structures, functions, dynamics, and interactions of macromolecules in their own physiological context. A living cell is a complex entity; the heterogeneous cellular environment is drastically different from the homogenous, well-mixed situation in vitro. Recent technical advances have made it possible to probe the inner working of cells with unprecedented resolution, sensitivity, and specificity; new experimental and computational studies have provided invaluable, quantitative understandings of cellular processes. The Subgroup will provide a much-needed platform for researchers to share scientific ideas, discuss research results, forge new collaborations, and together, to push the frontiers of knowledge in cell biophysics. The Subgroup will also sponsor the Early Career Award and the Student Award in Physical Cell Biology annually, for excellence in the field at these two career stages.

The Single Molecule Forces, Manipulation, & Visualization Subgroup focuses on the detailed mechanistic research of biomolecular processes using single-molecule tools that apply forces, manipulate objects, and/or acquire images or other optical signals.

The Subgroup is open to researchers that address biological questions at the molecular scale using force and/or single-molecule fluorescence (e.g. DNA/RNA-protein interactions, protein folding, protein droplets, molecular motors, etc.). The Subgroup aims to advance the field of single-molecule biophysics through the presentation of novel findings, and exchange of advances in innovative methods, tools, and assays to tackle all possible steps from experimental design to data analysis. We invite participants from all scientific disciplines, from biophysics and structural biology, to biochemistry, molecular biology, and beyond.

The Single Molecule Forces, Manipulation, & Visualization Subgroup focuses on the detailed mechanistic research of biomolecular processes using single-molecule tools that apply forces, manipulate objects, and/or acquire images or other optical signals.

The Subgroup is open to researchers that address biological questions at the molecular scale using force and/or single-molecule fluorescence (e.g. DNA/RNA-protein interactions, protein folding, protein droplets, molecular motors, etc.). The Subgroup aims to advance the field of single-molecule biophysics through the presentation of novel findings, and exchange of advances in innovative methods, tools, and assays to tackle all possible steps from experimental design to data analysis. We invite participants from all scientific disciplines, from biophysics and structural biology, to biochemistry, molecular biology, and beyond.

Dinner Pricing Chart

The Single Molecule Forces, Manipulation, & Visualization Subgroup focuses on the detailed mechanistic research of biomolecular processes using single-molecule tools that apply forces, manipulate objects, and/or acquire images or other optical signals.

The Subgroup is open to researchers that address biological questions at the molecular scale using force and/or single-molecule fluorescence (e.g. DNA/RNA-protein interactions, protein folding, protein droplets, molecular motors, etc.). The Subgroup aims to advance the field of single-molecule biophysics through the presentation of novel findings, and exchange of advances in innovative methods, tools, and assays to tackle all possible steps from experimental design to data analysis. We invite participants from all scientific disciplines, from biophysics and structural biology, to biochemistry, molecular biology, and beyond.

The purpose of the Theory and Computation Subgroup is to better highlight and network biophysicists who are interested in theoretical and computational aspects of biophysical systems, to provide a scientific forum for mini-symposia before Biophysical Society (BPS) meetings, to elevate the visibility and importance of theory and simulation within BPS overall, and to attract new members to BPS in this area.

The role of theory and computation in biophysical research has grown enormously over the past 50 years. Much of this growth has occurred in the area of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Likewise, the role of physics-based analytical theory continues to be central to our understanding of biophysical systems. In recent years there has been dramatic growth in related and new computational areas, such as free energy sampling, coarse-graining, QM/MM, ligand docking, multiscale modeling, knowledge and data driven computational biology, and most recently in the explosive growth of machine learning methods that may well fundamentally influence significant segments of biophysical science. Indeed, we have reached a point in time where the strongest papers and grant proposals have both experimental and theoretical/computational elements to them.

We welcome all theoretical and computational approaches for the study of biophysical systems, including (but not limited to) analytical theory and those computational methods mentioned above – all with a strong connection to experimental biophysical research to the extent possible. The Theory & Computation Subgroup also offers the Early Career Award and the Mid-Career Award annually, for excellence in the field at these different career stages.

The purpose of the Theory and Computation Subgroup is to better highlight and network biophysicists who are interested in theoretical and computational aspects of biophysical systems, to provide a scientific forum for mini-symposia before Biophysical Society (BPS) meetings, to elevate the visibility and importance of theory and simulation within BPS overall, and to attract new members to BPS in this area.

The role of theory and computation in biophysical research has grown enormously over the past 50 years. Much of this growth has occurred in the area of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Likewise, the role of physics-based analytical theory continues to be central to our understanding of biophysical systems. In recent years there has been dramatic growth in related and new computational areas, such as free energy sampling, coarse-graining, QM/MM, ligand docking, multiscale modeling, knowledge and data driven computational biology, and most recently in the explosive growth of machine learning methods that may well fundamentally influence significant segments of biophysical science. Indeed, we have reached a point in time where the strongest papers and grant proposals have both experimental and theoretical/computational elements to them.

We welcome all theoretical and computational approaches for the study of biophysical systems, including (but not limited to) analytical theory and those computational methods mentioned above – all with a strong connection to experimental biophysical research to the extent possible. The Theory & Computation Subgroup also offers the Early Career Award and the Mid-Career Award annually, for excellence in the field at these different career stages.