2020 annual meeting thematic sessions

Outside-in biology and disease

In a track titled “Glycosylation and Extracellular Matrix in Development and Disease,” organizers Jamey David Marth and Joanne Murphy–Ullrich plan to emphasize emerging links with cancer, immunity, inflammation and metabolism, including infectious and neurological diseases.

Understanding the inner workings of biological machines

In a track titled “Molecular Motors — Structure and Function,” organizers Nathan Alder and Jochen Zimmer plan to cover a range of experimental and technical approaches, such as advances in structural biology, single molecule biophysics and super-resolution imaging, as well as novel conceptual advances.

Decisions and fates: Insights into the rules of life

In a track titled “Understanding the Rules of Life, organizer Suzanne Barbour will focus on molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease, with speakers using computational, modeling, biochemistry and molecular biology approaches to capture dynamic data, analyze changes over time and make predictions.

These walls are worth the cost

In a track titled “Biochemistry of Lipids and Membranes,” organizers Steve Claypool and Teresa Dunn–Giroux aim to showcase the multitude of hats worn in both health and disease by the various lipid membranes that separate cells and encapsulate collections of organelles.

This ain’t your grandfather’s STEM

In a track titled “Re-imagining STEM: Who We Are and What We Do,” organizers Daniel Dries and Nathan L. Vanderford plan to challenge the ways in which we teach, mentor and carry out our work within the scientific research and academic culture.

Breakthroughs in sending the message

In a track titled “Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Signaling,” organizers Wendy Gordon and Adrian Salic plan to focus on how cell-surface receptors interpret mechanical stimuli, how signaling molecules are controlled by less-well-understood posttranslational modifications and how signaling polarizes cells and tissues.

Mitochondria and metabolites in action

In a track titled “New Developments in Metabolism,” organizers Marcia Haigis and Anne Murphy are planning updates on the role of mitochondria beyond energy production in metabolism, ion homeostasis, and determination of the fate of cells and tissues by metabolites and their transporters.

Disease discoveries in three realms of the RNA world

In a track titled “RNA and Disease,” organizers Anita Hopper and Takahiro Ito will focus on discoveries in humans and model systems related to transfer RNAs, tRNA fragments and Piwi-interacting RNAs — their biogenesis, functions and roles in development and disease.