Nanofluidics in Biological Systems

13-15 September 2017
Durham University, Rochester Building, Physics dept.
Workshop Chair: Kislon Voitchovsky

This meeting is part of a series of Focused Workshops delivered through the EPSRC NetworkPlus in ‘Understanding the Physics of Life 2’.

Workshop overview:
Nanofluidics is a central theme in biological systems, from the flow of water, ions and small solutes through protein pores and channels, to biomolecules folding, and molecular processes taking place at the interface with biological membranes.
Despite this ubiquity, our understanding of nanofluidics in biology is still significantly limited, first by the difficulty to investigate biological systems on the nanoscale and in relevant conditions. Second, at that scale, the traditional boundaries between fields tend to blur and most problems become inherently interdisciplinary: measuring, understanding and modelling nanofluidics in soft systems is central theme in biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering. This is exemplified by the question of water flow through Aquaporins, found to overcome the diffusion limit by orders of magnitudes. Elements of answer came from physics, biology, and chemistry, and important technological parallels could be found with carbon nanotubes.

Purpose

This workshop aims to bring together scientists across Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering and Materials Sciences to present their work and discuss challenges and opportunities in the field, from fundamental scientific questions to developments investigation techniques. Speakers include highly recognised international scientists as well as young researchers. Emphasis will be placed on discussions and questions.

Who should attend?

We invite participation by academic, industrial and clinical scientists in the UK who are interested in the central goal of generating new collaborative research interactions at the physical/life sciences interface focussed on this subject area. 

Programme

The meeting is organized over 3 full days and features many world-renowned scientists across all relevant disciplines.

• Invited talks will constitute the backbone of the workshop, there will also be allocations for shorter contributions from postgraduate students and postdocs, and a poster session.
• There will be ample time for discussion and networking with 2 dedicated discussion sessions to identifying the open challenges and opportunities in the field and identify key questions for the immediate future. The goal will be to set the basis for new collaboration/funding applications.
  

Participant Abstract Submission

• Participants wishing to be considered for a talk should submit a max 500 words abstract along with talk title and affiliation information.
• Posters for this event are welcomed, please submit the title during registration.
• All submissions can be completed within the registration section of this page.
• Closing date: 1st September.

Provisional Programme
Day 1 - 13 September

 Registration, talks and refreshment breaks to take place in PH30, Rochester Building, Physics, Durham University. Lunches and poster sessions will take place in the Bransden room.

10.00	Registration and Coffee
10.40	Kislon Voitchovsky (Durham): Directional nanoscale mapping of liquid dynamics at biointerfaces
11.20	Amir F Payam (Durham) Vortex Dissipation microscopy for nanoscale mapping of interfacial liquid dynamics
11.40	Roy Quinlan (Durham) AQP0 and eye lens function show the importance of water channels in membranes
12.20	Lunch
13.20	Jamie Hobbs (Sheffield): Seeing molecular organisation in complex systems
14.00	Pavan Challa (Cambridge) 2-photon lithography for microscopic lab-on-chip devices
14.20	Clodomiro Cafolla (Durham); Water in confined nanogaps: influence of single ions and pH on the viscoelatic properties
14.40	Alex Schlaich (TU Berlin); The transition from hydrodynamic via interfacial to dry friction for sheared surfaces in water
15.20	Refreshment break
15.40	Mervyn Miles (Bristol); The role of water at the nanoscale in force microscopy
16.00	Jonathan Moffat (Asylum research); Capturing life science events using video rate scanning AFM
16.20	Poster session and drink reception
17.30	Day 1 close

Day 2 - 14 September

9.00	Barrt Hoogenboom (UCL) Polymer clumps in biological nanopores
09.40	Takayuki Uchihashi (Nagoya) High speed atomic force microscopy for a tool to visualise dynamic events on biological systems from single molecules to living cells
10.20	Christian Lorenz (KC London); Investigating the role of interfacial water on the beginnings of material-driven fibronectin fibrillogenesis with molecular dynamics simulations
10.40	Refreshment break
11.00	Sushma Grellscheid (Durham) Modelling stress granule assembly
11.40	Alex Conner (Birmingham): Human aquaporins and the problem with working with biologists
12.20	Lunch (Bransden Room)
13.20	Ulrich Keyser (Cambridge) Threading DNA through nanofluidic channel for single molecule detection
14.00	William Trewby (Durham); Alkali Cations Modify the Stiffness of Biomembranes by Forming Slowly Evolving Interfacial Networks
14.20	Luca Piantanida (Durham); The nanoscale dynamics of the water-bilayer interface is specifically modulated by ions
14.40	Massimo Antagnozzi
15.20	Refreshment break
15.40	Simon Connell (Leeds)
16.00	Guided discussions and breakouts
17.00	End of day 2
19.30	Dinner Cellar Door, 41 Saddler Street, Durham (invited speakers)

Day 3 - 15 September

9.00	Teuta Pilizota (Edinburgh) Competition between solute and water fluxes through mechanosensitive channels allows passive control of E. Coli's osmotic pressure
09.40	Fernando Bresme (Imperial) Molecular simulations of ion interactions with biological molecules
10.20	Ethan Miller (Durham); Depletion of cholesterol from supported lipid bilayer due to hydrophobic/hydrophilic nano-patterning of the substrate surface
10.40	Refreshment break
11.00	Heather Findlay (King's College London) Biological self assembly: natural and artificial membranes
11.40	Tuomas Knowles (Cambridge) Probing proteins in small volumes
12.20	Lunch (Bransden Room)
13.20	General Discussion
14.00	Discussion in breakouts
14.40	Reporting and Conclusions
15.20	End of Workshop

Registration

Registration for this event is free. To register, please fill out the online registration form below. Registration deadline: 6th September. Registration is now closed.

Accommodation for this event should be arranged separately. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at Grey College, Durham University, at a rate £37.50 per night (bed and breakfast).

Directions

 The meeting will take place in PH30, Department of Physics, Durham University. Maps and directions.