Conference Description
The Biointerface Science GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
The study of interfaces between biological systems and synthetic materials is central for a wide variety of areas that spans from biosensors and separations, to tissue engineering, immunotherapy, and also in understanding fundamental design principles in cell biology and biomedical engineering. A focus will be on measuring and manipulating the boundary between living systems (macrophages, stromal cells and bacterial pathogens) and synthetic materials.
In the 2024 GRC, we will specifically address new emerging topics that will include:
(1) DNA nanostructures at biointerfaces;
(2) mechanical signaling at interfaces;
(3) nanoscale machines and robotics at biointerfaces;
(4) immune receptor signaling at engineered interfaces;
(5) translational biointerfaces;
and (6) emerging tools and concepts in biointerfaces.
Each session of the GRC on Biointerface Science will be introduced by an expert Discussion Leader who will provide a general overview to integrate the research communities and stimulate conceptual discussions. Speakers with international recognition in the field will join young investigators and scientists gaining important experience by attending this conference. Shorter talks will be selected from abstracts to highlight emerging topics, especially from early-career researchers.
Our goal is to offer a platform to evoke productive collaborations and long-term partnerships. We will identify new scientific and technological opportunities associated with the Biointerface Science field and provide an open forum for debate and discussion.
The topics, speakers, and discussion leaders for the conference sessions are displayed below. The conference chair is currently developing their detailed program, which will include the complete meeting schedule, as well as the talk titles for all speakers. The detailed program will be available by February 17, 2024. Please check back for updates.
Keynote Session: Concepts at the Biointerface/ Translational Biointerfaces
Discussion Leaders
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Matthew Paszek (Cornell University, United States)
Speakers
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Viola Vogel (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
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Chad Mirkin (Northwestern University, United States)
DNA Nano-Structures at Biointerfaces
Discussion Leaders
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Simone Schuerle (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
Speakers
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Hanadi Sleiman (McGill University, Canada)
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Kerstin Göpfrich (Heidelberg University, Germany)
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Maartje Bastings (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)
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Amelie Heuer-Jungemann (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany)
Techniques for the Characterization of Biointerfaces
Discussion Leaders
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Cornelia Palivan (University of Basel, Switzerland)
Speakers
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E. Ada Cavalcanti-Adam (University of Bayreuth, Germany)
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Pere Roca-Cusachs (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain)
Nanorobotic and Molecular Robotics at Interfaces (Synthetic Cells)
Discussion Leaders
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Erik Winfree (Caltech, United States)
Speakers
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Jwa-Min Nam (Seoul National University, South Korea)
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Lulu Qian (California Institute of Technology, United States)
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Stephen Mann (University of Bristol, United Kingdom)
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Simone Schuerle (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
Data Driven Biointerfaces Discoveries
Discussion Leaders
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Morgan Alexander (University of Nottingham, United Kingdom)
Speakers
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Jan de Boer (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands)
Immune Receptors at Interfaces
Discussion Leaders
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Jay Groves (UC Berkeley, IDMxS NTU, United States)
Speakers
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Morgan Huse (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States)
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Omer Dushek (University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
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Li Tang (EPFL, Switzerland)
Translational Biointerfaces Towards Diagnostics
Discussion Leaders
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Ashutosh Chilkoti (Duke University, United States)
Speakers
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Suzie Pun (University of Washington, United States)
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Fredrik Hook (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden)
Mechanobiology at the Cell Surface
Discussion Leaders
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Joachim Raedler (Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Germany)
Speakers
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Taekjip Ha (Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, United States)
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Aranzazu Del Campo (INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Germany)
Keynote Session: Translational Biointerfaces Towards Therapeutics
Discussion Leaders
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Laura De Laporte (DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Germany)
Speakers
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David Mooney (Harvard University, United States)
The GRC Power Hourâ„¢
Organizers
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Kerstin Göpfrich (Heidelberg University, Germany)