The European South Atlantic Biophysics Congress ESAB 2024 kicks off today at the Kursaal in Donostia/San Sebastian and will continue until June 7. For the first time the congress is being held as a joint effort by the Spanish (SBE), French (SFB) and Portuguese (SPBf) biophysical societies, and aims to provide the scientific community with a space to present their most interesting research work in the field of biophysics. CIC biomaGUNE is the main local organizer of the congress with the collaboration of the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), CIC bioGUNE, the Biofisika Institute and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
The opening ceremony of the congress takes place today at 14:30 hours, and will be attended by the Mayor of Donostia-San Sebastian Eneko Goia, the presidents of the three biophysical societies José María Valpuesta (SBE), Coralie Bompard (SFB), and Armindo Salvador (SPBf), and the Ikerbasque Research Professor Aitziber López Cortajarena, scientific director of CIC biomaGUNE and president of the Organizing and Scientific Committee of the Congress.
State-of-the-art research
The ESAB 2024 congress will be showcasing the most novel contributions developed in the field of biophysics, thus raising the profile of a wide range of cutting-edge experimental and theoretical research lines. As Professor Cortajarena explained, “Biophysics is the field in which physical theories and methods are applied to understand how biological systems work. This congress will bring together scientists from various fields, such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology and physics, who work together to conduct research at the frontier of knowledge, as well as translational research in the field of biophysics, with the aim of improving the understanding of biological processes and developing new applications in fields such as biomedicine.”
“We hope to present cutting-edge contributions in biophysical research to address solutions in emerging fields such as personalized health, energy and sustainability,” added CIC biomaGUNE’s scientific director. ESAB 2024 has a long list of first-class speakers in the field: they include Professor Eva Nogales (University of California Berkeley, USA), Professor Elizabeth Meiering (University of Waterloo, Canada) and Professor Álvaro Sanchez (Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, a joint center of the CSIC and the University of Salamanca). They will be focusing on topics such as biophysics and health, cell and tissue biophysics, bioimaging techniques, computational biophysics in health, etc. One example is “the presentation by Professor Eva Nogales, who is an international leader in the use of electron cryomicroscopy to see the components of cells at the atomic level”, said Cortajarena.
International showcase for innovation, science and technology generated in the Basque Autonomous Community
One of the missions of CIC biomaGUNE and its scientific director is “to create a suitable environment for the interaction and profile-raising of the research carried out in the Basque Autonomous Community”. The ESAB 2024 congress will be a wonderful opportunity to promote and raise the profile internationally of the innovation, science and technology generated in the Basque Autonomous Community at the centers participating in the Local Organizing Committee (comprising CIC biomaGUNE, the DIPC/UPV-EHU, CIC bioGUNE and the Biofisika Institute/UPV-EHU).
Professor Cortajarena conducts cutting-edge research in the field of applied biophysics, and is currently vice-president of the Spanish Biophysical Society (SBE), as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of European Biophysical Societies (EBSA). From these positions she works to strengthen collaboration between various international scientific societies, and promote the participation of young research personnel in the development of biophysics, and equality in science. As she is an active member of these societies, the running of this congress is another of the activities to promote biophysics.