Uncovering Physical Principles of Life with Single Molecule Approaches

This Gordon Research Conference on Single Molecule Approaches to Biology will provide an interdisciplinary forum for researchers who develop single-molecule methodologies and apply them to solve outstanding problems in biology. In the last two decades, single-molecule approaches have changed the way we think about life processes. These approaches eliminate the need to average over ensembles of molecules, which provides unprecedented insights into the mechanisms of biomolecular movements, the path that molecules take to cross energy barriers to react or change conformation, and the way cellular structures are formed and disassembled. While early efforts were focused on deciphering the behavior of biomolecules in isolation, the field is now also addressing the biomolecular behavior in a cellular or cell-like context. The 2022 Gordon Conference will feature all these aspects of single-molecule biophysics, with the keynote talks highlighting the remarkable progress made by the field so far as well as addressing future directions and challenges ahead. Sessions are organized based on the underlying physical principles that unify the diversity of life's mechanisms. Talks in each session will feature diverse biological systems and different experimental/theoretical techniques while being linked together through a unifying physical principle. The conference will be preceded by a two-day Gordon Research Seminar to provide young scientists an additional opportunity to network and learn about the fascinating interdisciplinary research conducted in the field.