Nanobiotechnology for Cell Interfaces

Recent years have seen exciting advances in engineering on the micro- and nanoscale to create surfaces that simulate specific physico-chemical features from natural cellular microenvironments. Lithography, DNA nanotechnology and other nano-enabled techniques have been exploited for probing and manipulating cells at the micro- and nanometer scale - the scale at which key cellular functions and molecular processes take place. Integrated with super-resolution microscopy techniques, these fabrication and structuring techniques are capable of providing previously unattainable insight into the functions of cells and specific biomolecular interactions. Nanobiointerfaces not only hold promise for future breakthrough discoveries that further our understanding of cellular processes, but also for application in drug discovery, diagnostics and therapeutics. The creation and application of these interfaces is, by nature, highly interdisciplinary. It involves close collaboration between scientists and engineers from fields ranging from physics and electrical engineering to materials science and chemical engineering to biochemistry, biotechnology and cell biology. With this virtual seminar we aim to create a “melting pot” to enhance and strengthen the cross-disciplinary connections that constitute the lifeline of the field, as well as to expand the language for reaching across discipline boundaries. Currently, as scientific exchange has often been reduced to established collaborations, our seminar aims to provide a forum for networking where exposure to new techniques and challenges inspires new ideas, and where the foundation for future collaborations is laid.

The conference language will be English.

Although this is a virtual seminar, we will use an online platform that is designed to emulate a “real” scientific conference as closely as possible. It allows not only for plenary sessions but also for poster sessions, and particularly encourages personal interactions during the seminar. Please note that the number of attendees is limited. The organizers invite all interested researchers to apply and to contribute in form of a short talk or a poster.

We are especially encouraging junior researchers, PhD students and postdocs, to apply. We believe that this is also financially very attractive since there is no registration fee.