Annual Meeting

Lipids, lipids everywhere!

A Discover BMB symposium: Lipid Dynamics and Signals in Membrane and Protein Structure
Michael Airola Robert V. Stahelin
By Michael Airola and Robert V. Stahelin
Sept. 27, 2022

Lipids not only taste delicious (at least in our opinion) but are the major components of biological membranes and play essential roles in most aspects of human biology. In fact, if we look closely at the lipids and membranes of eukaryotes and prokaryotes, we see they contribute to fundamental roles in compartmentalizing cells, stress responses, metabolism, gene regulation, inflammation, and activating both cell protective and cell destructive mechanisms.

As such, the study of lipids and membranes remains a critical and emerging area for cutting-edge research — one that has great potential to impact human health and the understanding and treatment of diseases.

Our symposia at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Seattle in March will bring together leading investigators in lipid metabolism and membrane function in replication of microorganisms and viruses, communicate novel protein structural information in lipid metabolism and transport, and promote the understanding of membrane structure and biophysics in cell physiology.

Keywords: Enzyme regulation, lipid droplets, lipid domains, membrane structure and tension, sphingolipids, infectious disease.

Who should attend: Lipid and membrane enthusiasts and anyone interested in learning more about lipid metabolism, lipid–protein interactions or membrane structure.

Theme song: “Insane in the Membrane” by Cypress Hill.

This session is powered by Hass avocados, rich in healthy fats.

Speakers

New roles for lipids in microorganisms and viruses
Michael Airola (chair), Stony Brook University
Robert V. StahelinPurdue University
Elizabeth JohnsonCornell University
Eric A. Klein, Rutgers University–Camden
Nihal Altan–BonnettNational Institutes of Health

Molecular insight into lipid metabolism and transport
Abdou Rachid Thiam (chair), Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris
Michael AirolaStony Brook University
Angeline LyonPurdue University
Eric OrtlundEmory University School of Medicine
Saskia NeherUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Membrane structure and dynamics
Robert Stahelin (chair), Purdue University
Abdou Rachid ThiamCentre national de la recherche scientifique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris
Sarah KellerUniversity of Washington
Suzanne ScarlataWorcester Polytechnic Institute
Ilya LeventhalUniversity of Virginia

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Michael Airola
Michael Airola

Michael Airola is an assistant professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Stony Brook University.

Robert V. Stahelin

Robert V. Stahelin is the Retter professor of pharmacy and a professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Purdue University.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Science

Science highlights or most popular articles

The dual role of asprosin in chronic fatty liver disease
Journal News

The dual role of asprosin in chronic fatty liver disease

April 8, 2026

Researchers uncover a hormone called asprosin that may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of chronic fatty liver disease and monitoring disease progression.

Novel inhibitor targets RAS-driven cancers
Journal News

Novel inhibitor targets RAS-driven cancers

April 7, 2026

Researchers in Louisville identify a small-molecule drug that blocks RALGEF signaling downstream of mutant RAS. The compound suppresses tumor growth with low toxicity, revealing a new therapeutic strategy for RAS-driven malignancies.

Catching tau in the act
Journal News

Catching tau in the act

April 2, 2026

Using a new proximity-labeling approach, researchers reveal how tangles of the brain-associated protein tau may disrupt RNA biology long before neurons die.

How copper delivery fuels bacterial respiration
Journal News

How copper delivery fuels bacterial respiration

April 1, 2026

Researchers identify the roles of several proteins in copper homeostasis in the aerobic bacterium Caulobacter vibrioides.

Revealing the glycoproteome of a cancer subtype
Journal News

Revealing the glycoproteome of a cancer subtype

March 31, 2026

Researchers mapped the glycoproteome of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and compared it to intrahepatic tumors. Differences in sugar modifications and immune cell content suggest new biomarkers and guide development of targeted immunotherapies.

Uncovering the mechanisms of a glycosylation disorder
Journal News

Uncovering the mechanisms of a glycosylation disorder

March 27, 2026

Mutations in OGT, an enzyme that adds sugars to proteins, cause a rare neurological disorder. Using proteomics, researchers reveal how OGT interactions with TET proteins may trigger epigenetic changes and early neural defects.