Upcoming opportunities

May 12: Oral abstract and early registration deadline for ASBMB's O-GlcNAc meeting

"O-GlcNAcylation in health and disease," which will be held July 10–13 in Durham, N.C., will cover O-GlcNAc cycling enzymes and the O-GlcNAc modification in modulating protein function in basic biological processes as well as in disease states, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases. Graduate students and postdocs will be selected for oral talks and discuss their work at poster sessions. Learn more and submit an abstract.

May 14: Oral abstract and early registration deadline for ASBMB's meeting on gene expression

"Evolution and core processes in gene expression," which will be held at Stowers Institute in Kansas City, Mo. from June 26–29, will showcase the most recent insights into the cis-regulatory code; how cis-regulatory information is read out by transcription factors, signaling pathways and other proteins; how cellular diversity is created during development; and how we can study this problem using cutting-edge genomics technology and computational methods. Learn more and submit an abstract by May 14.

May 14: ASBMB Breakthroughs webinar on biosynthesis and regulation of plant phenolic compounds

The ASBMB Breakthroughs webinar series offers a window into the cutting-edge biochemistry and molecular biology research driving discovery. Each month, this series highlights groundbreaking research, pioneering methodologies, and emerging trends redefining the boundaries of science.

The next webinar will be at 12:15 p.m. EDT on May 14. Erich Grotewold, a professor of plant biology at Michigan State University, will focus on the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids (two phenolic compound classes) in maize and other plants. Grotewold will explore how natural variation in metabolite accumulation drives pathway discovery and discuss gene regulatory mechanisms linked to variations in metabolite levels. Finally, he will highlight unexpected biological activities of flavonoid pathway intermediates, offering new insights into their roles beyond the conventional functions of the resulting flavonoid pigments. Learn more and register.

Recordings of past webinars are available on-demand. Here are the presentations available to-date:

• Jan. 2025: "Lipidomics, shotgun lipidomics and functional lipidomics for Alzheimer’s research"
  • Xianlin Han of the University of Texas Health Science Center presents his research on the use of shotgun lipidomics in biological and biomedical contexts. Watch the recording.
• Feb. 2025: "Modulating kinase signaling in disease: Translating basic science into clinical testing"
  • Paul Shapiro of the University of Maryland presents his research into mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), their regulation of substrates, and approaches to modulate MAPK functions in disease. Watch the recording.
• March 2025: "Evolution of metallo-β-lactamases: A journey from the test tube to the bacterial periplasm"
  • Alejandro Vila of the University of Rosario presents his research on the evolutionary traits of clinical MBL variants under conditions that mimic their natural bacterial environment. Watch the recording.

May 20: Early registration and abstract submission deadline for ASBMB's meeting on transforming undergraduate education in the molecular life sciences

Join us at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., from July 24–27, for a small interactive, education-focused ASBMB meeting to re-examine existing practices and develop new engaging approaches to supporting student success in biochemistry and molecular biology. Reconnect with peers, meet new colleagues and increase your network of education-minded professionals while exploring the Twin Cities.

Talks and panel discussions will include sessions on the skills, competencies and key concepts we teach through biochemistry and molecular biology content, as well as on the pedagogical approaches that lead to student achievement. Each day will begin with a keynote talk on topics such as culturally-responsive pedagogy, an indigenized chemistry curriculum, alternative grading practices and fidelity of implementation. Keynotes will be followed by panel discussions and break-out sessions, with opportunities to learn about several education-focused NSF-funded projects, including CUREs, assessment, case-based learning and biomolecular visualization. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet with program directors to learn about funding opportunities for education projects. Anyone interested in biochemistry and molecular biology education — from experienced practitioners to postdocs and graduate students considering careers involving teaching — is encouraged to attend. Register early and submit an abstract by May 20.

May 21: Deadline to submit an abstract for ASBMB's symposium on proteomics

This five-day symposium, held at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. from Aug. 17–21, will be an international forum for discussion of the remarkable advances in cell and human protein biology revealed by ever-more-innovative and powerful proteomics technologies. The symposium will juxtapose sessions about methodological advances with sessions about the roles those advances play in solving problems and seizing opportunities to understand the composition, dynamics and function of cellular machinery in numerous biological contexts. It will also articulate urgent, unmet needs and unsolved problems that will drive the field in the future. In addition to talks by invited plenary and session speakers, short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts. Learn more and submit an abstract by May 21.

ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series presentation on membrane lipids

The ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series features free, monthly presentations from young researchers highlighting their recent work in the field of lipids. The next seminar, "Membrane lipids fine-tune cellular signaling," will be at 12 p.m. Eastern on May 21. Presentations include:

• "Role of PIPs and other membrane lipids in regulating the termination of signaling from G protein-coupled receptors using structural and functional studies" by Yasmin Aydin, Indiana University School of Medicine.
• "PIP2 is required for fast desensitization of GPCRs using BRET and fluorescence microscopy" by Gergo Gulyas, National Institutes of Health. ​

June 20–21: Save the date for ASBMB's virtual meeting on nucleophilic proteases

There are more than 600 proteases in the human genome making it the second largest family of proteins in humans. These proteolytic enzymes are tightly regulated and function by performing post-translational protein modifications through hydrolysis of peptide bonds which results in activation or deactivation of biological pathways in an enormous array of physiological processes. Dysregulated proteolysis is also implicated in a large, diverse set of diseases including those relating to cardiovascular, immunological and cancer. Furthermore, the pathogenesis of many infectious diseases is mediated by proteases, either from the microbe, the host or both. These enzymes are classified by their catalytic mechanism into five types: serine, threonine, cysteine, aspartic and metalloproteases.

This year, we expand upon past meetings by highlighting the most significant recent studies not only on serine, but also on the other classes of nucleophilic threonine and cysteine proteases. The talks organized present aspects of protease biochemistry and biophysics such as structural biology, as well as drug discovery and inhibitor development. Cross-disciplinary topics include cancer, infectious disease (viruses, bacteria, other pathogens), inflammation and immunology, cardiovascular system, and others. Stay tuned for more information.
 

Do you have a great idea for a scientific event?

We are now accepting proposals for scientific events to be held in 2024 and 2025. You pick the topic, the sessions and the speakers, and we’ll do the rest.

That’s right! We’ll manage registration, market the event to tens of thousands of scientists, and handle all the logistics so that you can focus on the science.  

The top areas of research interest among ASBMB members include the following, but we’ll consider all proposals:  

• Protein structure and folding 
• Molecular bases of disease 
• Gene regulation 
• Signal transduction 
• Metabolism 

What molecule, method or research question needs more attention? We’re here to help you realize your vision and deliver cutting-edge science to the BMB community. 

Propose an event.