91ÁÔÆæ

The relationship between protein structure, dynamics, and function is fundamental to biology. Proteins are inherently dynamic, adopting multiple conformations that enable folding, catalysis, molecular recognition, and signal transduction. However, capturing these processes across timescales ranging from femtoseconds to hours remains a major challenge.

Time-resolved spectroscopy has transformed our understanding of protein function by probing excited states and tracking the kinetic evolution of intermediates generated upon activation. Time-resolved X-ray methods, like crystallography and solution scattering can provide atomic-resolution snapshots of structural changes and information on the conformational dynamics, respectively. Because no single experimental technique can fully capture the complexity of biomolecular dynamics, theoretical approaches such as molecular dynamics simulations and quantum-mechanical calculations are essential for interpreting and integrating the experimental findings.

The 91ÁÔÆæ Workshop ‘Time-resolved spectroscopy meets time-resolved crystallography: Advances and challenges’ aims to bring together researchers working in the fields of time-resolved spectroscopy and time-resolved X-ray diffraction and scattering techniques as well as computational methods to present recent advances, discuss current challenges, and strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations. A particular emphasis will be placed on emerging triggering strategies beyond light, including ligand mixing, photocage release, microfluidics, and chemically triggered reactions, expanding time-resolved studies to biological systems that are intrinsically light-sensitive. The workshop will also highlight state-of-the-art instrumentation and methodologies developed at large-scale research facilities.

The following topics will be addressed:

• time-resolved spectroscopy
• time-resolved serial crystallography at synchrotrons and XFELs
• time-resolved X-ray solution scattering
• time-resolved cryo EM
• sensory photoreceptors of optogenetic interest, membrane proteins, photosynthetic systems, UV-damage, heme proteins, flavoproteins
• various triggering strategies including chromophore excitation, photo-uncaging, mixing and diffusion, temperature-jumps, electric field stimulation, etc.
• computational biology (MD simulations, DFT, QM/MM)
• software development for time-resolved spectroscopy and time-resolved serial crystallography

This third edition builds on the successful meetings held in and (see also this ) and broadens its scope by encompassing research on biological systems that are not naturally light-sensitive, while keeps fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across the above-mentioned scientific communities.

The website for this course is under construction. Read this  for more information from the co-organizers.

(Image credit to the course organizers, with help from AI.)

Organizers: Sofia M. Kapetanaki, Sofia Jaho, Martin Appleby, Nicoletta Liguori

The 91ÁÔÆæ Practical & Lecture Course ‘Advanced Lipidomics Technologies to Study Lipid Biology’ will take place from 24–28 May 2027 in Dresden, Germany, and will be hosted by the Center for Membrane Biology and Lipid Research at Technical University Dresden.

Lipidomics is one of the fastest-growing omics disciplines, with applications spanning bioanalytical chemistry, lipid biochemistry, cell biology, biomedical research, and clinical translation. The rapid expansion of the field is reflected in the increasing number of research projects that rely on mass spectrometry (MS)-based lipidomics as a core technology for enabling fundamental biological discoveries and providing clinically relevant insights into human disease. However, lipidomics remains a technically demanding discipline that requires specialized training to ensure accurate, reproducible, and robust data generation and interpretation.

This course will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of current strategies for lipidome analysis, data processing, and integrative data interpretation. It is designed as an advanced educational and training platform for biochemists, cell biologists, clinicians, analytical chemists, and computational scientists working in lipid research and MS-based lipidomics.

Participants will be guided through all major steps of the modern lipidomics workflow, from experimental design and sample preparation to the selection of appropriate MS acquisition strategies, data processing, statistical analysis, and biological interpretation. The course will highlight recent methodological advances, including structural lipidomics and mass spectrometry imaging, providing both a solid theoretical foundation and hands-on training in state-of-the-art lipidomics technologies.

A central objective of the course is to promote interdisciplinary exchange and networking among early-career researchers, advanced PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and leading international experts in lipidomics. The program combines lectures, focused tutorials, interactive question-and-answer sessions, and hands-on laboratory training to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of advanced lipidomics technologies and their broad applications in modern lipid research.

The website for this course is under construction. Read this for more information from the co-organizers.

Organizers: Maria Fedorova, Valerie O'Donnell, Rosario Domingues

The 91ÁÔÆæ Workshop ‘Transcription mechanisms across evolution’ will take place 31 May – 4 June 2027 in Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain, at the Hotel Eden Roc. This meeting builds on the successful .

This workshop will encompass transcription as a key biological mechanism shaped by evolutionary selection. It is designed to break down disciplinary and phylogenetic barriers by bringing together researchers studying transcription and genome regulation across the tree of life. By presenting transcriptional mechanisms from bacteriophages, bacteria, archaea, and diverse model and non-model eukaryotic systems and approaches side-by-side, the workshop aims to provide a unique opportunity to discuss unifying principles and evolutionary innovations, and to facilitate new ways of thinking about how transcriptional mechanisms have been shaped and reshaped through evolution. Key themes include the evolution of transcriptional machinery, regulation of transcription initiation, elongation, and termination, transcription in chromatin context, dynamic control of gene expression, stress responses, genome instability, and transcription in pathogenesis and disease. The workshop will incorporate recent advances in imaging, single-molecule and single-cell approaches, structural biology, genomics, and computational and machine-learning methods.

The meeting will also include an optional tutorial session to introduce participants to computational and comparative approaches for studying genome evolution, transcriptional regulation, and the evolutionary conservation and diversification of gene regulatory mechanisms, thereby complementing the scientific themes of the workshop and strengthening its training component.

A central objective is to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue, engage early career scientist, and promote discussion. The programme is carefully balanced with invited speakers, selected presentations from abstracts, flash-talks, poster sessions and networking opportunities to facilitate interactions among researchers at all career levels.

The website for this course is under construction. We invite you to read a .

Organizers: Julie Soutourina, Mo Motamedi, Folkert van Werven, Kristina Zumer

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the most urgent threats to global public health, silently undermining decades of progress in infectious disease control. The 91ÁÔÆæ Advanced Lecture Course ‘Monitoring, Management and Combating AMR’ is specifically designed for early-stage researchers from both industry and academia and represents a comprehensive exploration to deepen the multidisciplinary aspects of AMR, spanning from monitoring/surveillance and molecular mechanisms up to the design and development of innovative targeted strategies.

The program opens by framing the scale of the crisis, translating surveillance data into strategic health priorities, quantifying the global burden of bacterial resistance with modern AMR monitoring tools. Building on this foundation, a substantial portion of the course addresses the biological underpinnings of resistance and persistence, covering biomaterial-associated infections, biofilm formation on microplastics, bacterial stress response systems, and signaling pathways governing survival in opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Novel molecular targets are also explored, including bacterial G-quadruplexes as emerging drug targets and bioisostere-based approaches to antimicrobial design.

The course further highlights next-generation therapeutic strategies designed to circumvent traditional resistance mechanisms: light-activated porphyrin-based photosensitizers, smart nanosystems for targeted antimicrobial delivery, adjuvant therapy platforms for high-throughput screening, immunotherapies against bacterial infections. and the implementation of magisterial phage therapy as a clinical alternative to conventional antibiotics.

Complementing on these innovations, sessions on host–pathogen interactions, from advanced infection modeling platforms to pathogen–immune dynamics in pediatric populations, provide mechanistic insights essential for informed drug discovery.  Together, these topics illustrate the shift from reactive antibiotic use toward proactive, mechanism-informed, and technologically advanced approaches to combating AMR.

Participants will gain an integrated understanding of how surveillance data, molecular biology, and translational innovation converge to shape future strategies for infection control and antimicrobial stewardship, equipping them to engage critically with one of medicine’s most urgent contemporary challenges.

The website for this course is under construction. 

Organizers: Younes Smani, Carole Seguin-Devaux, Mattia Mori