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3d model of calprotectin protein

Inaugural symposium explores how NMR illuminates biology

Calprotectin protein

The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is proud to host the inaugural symposium on biological Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) August 4, 2017, at OSU’s NMR Facility in the Linus Pauling Science Center. More than 100 participants across the Pacific Northwest—from OSU, the University of Oregon, Portland State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Washington—are scheduled to attend.

The BioNMR Symposium is a one-day event focussing on how NMR illuminates biology. The event features internationally recognized NMR scientists, a poster session and research talks by students and postdocs. A special session on careers in BioNMR includes a broad spectrum of panelists from national labs, academia and industry.

To foster networking opportunities and community, all attendees are invited to a complimentary dinner at Tyee Wine Cellars in Corvallis. The event is sponsored by ISOTEC, the world's largest producer of enriched stable isotopes.

The conference is organized by Elisar Barbar, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at OSU. She led the university's efforts to secure funding for the 800 MHz spectrometer, the highest field NMR in Oregon and one of only 50 nationwide. The new instrument is housed in the OSU NMR Facility, a campus-wide core facility dedicated to providing state-of-the-art NMR spectroscopy resources to the research and education community at OSU and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

"The goal of this event is to showcase NMR to the community and the cool biological insights it gives us," explains Barbar. "The event is the first of its kind in Oregon and highlights OSU as a center of excellence for biological NMR. We have an impressive line-up of internationally recognized speakers, who are excited to come here. This is such a unique experience for our students to network with leaders in the field and a great opportunity for researchers to establish collaborations with others across Oregon."

NMR ribbon cutting with Ed Ray, Elisar Barbar, Sastry Pantula and Ron Adams

Dedication of the 800 MHz NMR instrument in 2016. (OSU President Ed Ray, Elisar Barbar, Dean Sastry Pantula and then OSU Provost Ron Adams)

The symposium kicks off at 8 a.m. and concludes at 10 p.m. August 4, but attendees are encouraged to attend a pre-conference workshop on Metabolomics and Protein Dynamics on August 3 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. There is no additional cost for this workshop.

"The speakers are not only excited to be here to give talks, but also to present technical workshops and to participate in career sessions that really offer a stellar training opportunity for our students," adds Barbar.

Registration fees are $30 for students/postdocs and $50 for staff scientists/research PIs. Fees include all coffee breaks, lunch and the concluding dinner at Tyee Wine Cellars.

Register today. The deadline is July 21.

The keynote speaker is David Wemmer, the Joel Hildebrand Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Berkeley as well as chair of the Department of Chemistry, who will discuss Disordered proteins, aggregation and disease. Dr. Wemmer is considered one of the fathers of NMR in biology.

Other invited speakers include:

Students and Postdocs are encouraged to submit abstracts for the poster session. Visit the website for helpful guidelines, upcoming deadlines and awards.

For registration and lodging information visit the OSU NMR Facility website. Limited travel stipends are available; the deadline to apply is July 14, 2017.

This symposium is generously supported by Norell, New Era, Bruker, ISOTEC and Cambridge Isotope Laboratories.

For more information or questions, please contact OSU NMR Facility Director Patrick Reardon at reardonp@oregonstate.edu, or Elisar Barbar at BarbarE@science.oregonstate.edu.