A Note from the Program Chairs

Philadelphia has a special claim on the history of biophysics. As recounted in a 2013 article in Biophysical Journal, Benjamin Franklin was among the first scientists to investigate the physical properties of lipid monolayers at the air-water interface, planting seeds that eventually grew into the lipid bilayer model of the cell membrane. BPS2027 returns to Franklin's city with that same spirit of curiosity driving every session. 

This year's program, developed in large part from member proposals, spans 20 symposia, which includes 4 Subgroup symposia, and 4 workshops that traverse the full landscape of the field: the evolutionary origins and adaptive logic of proteins; the machinery of proteostasis; the ensemble nature of molecular conformations; the structural and functional richness of membrane proteins, channels, and GPCRs; the exotic chemistry of lipids and membrane surfaces; the mechanics of sarcomeres and cytoskeletal motors; the conformational dynamics of RNA; mitochondrial biology in health and disease; next-generation optical probes for neuroscience; and the biophysical roots of life itself. Two new frontier symposia spotlight genome engineering and the molecular underpinnings of disease, reflecting the expanding reach of our discipline. 

Workshops offer deep dives into best practices in molecular dynamics simulations, artificial intelligence in biophysics, and deep mutational scanning, equipping attendees with tools that are reshaping how we interrogate and engineer biological systems. 

As in prior years, the program balances foundational rigor with high-risk innovation, spotlighting established luminaries alongside emerging leaders and discoveries selected from abstract submissions. Flash Talks and Symp/Workshop Select continue to give every attendee a direct stake in the science on offer. 

We look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia.