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 monthly and the digital edition weekly.

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

How bacteria inhibit gene expression
Journal News

How bacteria inhibit gene expression

Dec. 5, 2023

Researchers show how altering activity of the transcription factor CarD can cause downregulation and upregulation of some genes.

Where the heck did all those structures inside complex cells come from?
Feature

Where the heck did all those structures inside complex cells come from?

Dec. 3, 2023

Scientists agree that eons ago, a bacterium took up residence inside another cell and became its powerhouse, the mitochondrion. But there are competing theories about the birth of other organelles such as the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum.

Untangling the genetics that underlie our facial features
Feature

Untangling the genetics that underlie our facial features

Dec. 2, 2023

After turning up hundreds of genes with hard-to-predict effects, some scientists are now probing the grander developmental processes that shape face geometry.

From the journals: JLR
Journal News

From the journals: JLR

Dec. 1, 2023

A safer combination therapy for liver disease. A mechanistic pathway of the pathophysiology of NASH. A novel therapeutic target for heart failure. Read about recent papers on these topics.

Insulin injections could one day be replaced with rock music
News

Insulin injections could one day be replaced with rock music

Nov. 26, 2023

Using mice, researchers engineered cells to release insulin in response to specific sound waves: the music of the band Queen.

From the journals: JBC
Journal News

From the journals: JBC

Nov. 24, 2023

Protein cleavage in polycystic kidney disease. Expanding tools to study ion channels. Mechanisms of 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity and chemoresistance. Read about papers on these topics.