Topics

Biomacromolecular complexes and assemblies (protein-RNA/DNA complexes, e.g., viruses, ribosomes; quaternary protein structures; DNA, proteins, polyelectrolytes). The lecturers will describe related problems and discuss approaches to solutions, e.g.:

  • spectroscopies (NMR, EPR, FTIR, Raman, MS…)
  • microscopies (AFM, fluorescence techniques, tweezers…)
  • diffraction methods
  • computational solutions, modeling and simulations

Lecturers

  • Nenad Ban, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland: Protein structure& function; X-ray diffraction
    • Ribosomes and their functional complexes
    • Beyond the prokaryotic ribosome
  • Jasna Brujic, NYU, New York, USA: Soft matter, statistical physics; single molecule experiments-AFM
    • Emulsions and packing
    • Single-molecule AFM studies
  • Mario Cindrić, Ruđer Bošković Institute
    • Mass Spectrometry for protein sequencing
  • Yves Engelborghs, KU Leuven, Belgium: Fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy
    • Time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy of proteins
    • Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy : an elegant way to study molecular interactions.
  • Helmut Grubmueller (COST lecturer), MPI-BPC, Göttingen, Germany: Theoretical and Computational Biophysics
    • Forces and Conformational Dynamics in Biomolecular Nanomachines 1,2
  • Alexei Kedrov,  Gene Center LMU
    • Biophysical analysis on membrane protein targeting and assembly
  • Jané Kondev, Brandeis University, USA
    • Chromosome Folding in Cells
    • Transcriptional Regulation
  • Pierre-Emmanuel Milhiet, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Montpellier, France: High-performance AFM, membrane proteins imaging
    • Near field microscopies in structural biology
    • AFM imaging in the field of biological membranes
    • New developments in Bio-AFM imaging
  • Lennart Nilsson, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden: Molecular modeling, nucleic acids, peptides and their interactions
  • Chris Oostenbrink, UNRLF, Vienna, Austria: Structure and dynamics of biomolecules; modeling
    • Ensembles and sampling, leading to molecular dynamics simulations
    • Structure refinement using molecular dynamics simulations (NMR observables)
    • Calculation of free energies from molecular simulation
  • Frances Separovic, University of Melbourne, Australia: NMR and Structural Studies of Membrane-Active Peptides
    • Solid-state NMR of membrane-active peptides
    • Membrane interactions of antimicrobial and amyloid peptides
  • Ana-Sunčana Smith, Ruđer Bošković Institute & Uni Erlangen-Nürnberg Germany: Membranes and vesicles, cell adhesion
    • Membranes, from self assembly to rafts 1,2,3
  • Holger Stark, MPI-BPC, Göttingen, Germany: Protein structure& function; cryoEM
    • Introduction into single particle cryo-EM
    • High-resolution structure determination of macromolecular complexes by cryo-EM
  • Heinz-Jürgen Steinhoff (COST lecturer), University of Osnabrück, Germany: Macromolecular Structure, EPR
    • Principles of site-directed spin labeling EPR
    • Site-directed spin labeling EPR of biomacromolecules,  complexes and assemblies
  • Antonio Šiber, Institute of physics, Zagreb, Croatia: Physics of viruses
    • Physics of viruses: electrostatics, elasticity and DNA condensation in viruses 1,2,3
  • Iva Tolić, Ruđer Bošković Institute & MPI-CBG, Dresden, Germany & RBI, Zagreb: Physics of cells, fluorescence-microscopy
    • Microtubules and motor proteins 1, 2
  • Piotr Wardega, Nanotemper GmbH
    • Quantitative analysis of biomolecular interactions with Microscale Thermophoresis (MST)
  • Anthony Watts, Department of Biochemistry, Oxford, UK: Protein structure& function; solid state NMR
    • Principles of solid state NMR for the study of biomolecules
    • Solid state NMR for structural studies of large integral membrane proteins
    • Receptor dynamics and structure in membranes resolved using solid state NMR
  • Bojan Žagrović, MFPL, Vienna, Austria: Computational Biophysics of Macromolecules
    • More dynamic than we think?  On conformational averaging in structural biology 1, 2
    • Protein-RNA interactions and the origin of the genetic code

12th-International-School-of-Biophysics-Program_V9

In 2014 the Lecturers were from Germany (4), Croatia (4) and then Austria (2), USA (2), UK (2) and also from Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, France and Belgium. The Lecturers presented in total 50 lectures of about 45-60 minutes.

We had 74 students, 45 of them outside Croatia, 9 coming from Germany and also from Slovakia and Slovenia (4), Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, France (3), Italy and Spain (2), and Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Iran, Lithuania, Serbia, Sweden, the Netherlands and UK (1). Gender balance was well respected – more than a half were female students. According to the questionnaire that they filled, students were of rather diverse backgrounds, from molecular and structural biology, biochemistry, physical and computational chemistry to biophysics. Most (46) of the students presented a poster. Selected students (24 in total) presented their work also with a short, 10minute talk. University of Zagreb awarded 5 ECTS points to participants.

T. Vuletić, as the secretary of Croatian Biophysical Society Chaired the School. The rest of the organization team comes from the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Institute of physics, Zagreb and Phys.Dept. of the University of Zagreb.

The School took place at Hotel Zora, situated on a small peninsula just across the town of Primošten, lending spectacular views of the town and the sea.

Primošten

Primošten is a small town situated on an islet, only a stone’s throw from the mainland (to which it was connected in the 16th century).

The principal attraction is the town itself: stone houses, churches and narrow, tortuous Mediterranean streets. Located within the maize of Dalmatian coves, islands and peninsulas, Primošten is a town with a rich and tumultuous history, once renowned for agriculture and now for tourism.

Lacework in stone – Bucavac

Primošten vineyards are practically carved in stone, with miles of drystone walls representing a genuine ode to human labor and persistence. Grape cultivation in this region dates back to the 8th century B.C., when vineyards were planted by the Illyrians and Liburnians, followed by the Greeks and Romans. In the 7th century A.D., grape cultivation was taken over by the Croats just arriving in the region. A long tradition has resulted in a local sort, Babić, which is considered to be of very high quality.

Prof. V. Tadijević calculated that for a single stonemason or farm laborer, it would take 1,200 years to raise the interminable drystone walls forming this 50-hectare vineyard, working seven hours a day. This inspiring achievement by generations of local laborers is presented in a photograph of the vineyards displayed in the lobby of the UN Headquarters in New York.

Program Committee

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Co-organized by:
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