4th International Symposium on Diffraction Structural Biology 2013
(ISDSB2013)
The 169th Committee on Structural Biology using Diffraction Techniques
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
1. Overview
discuss the integration of all kinds of structure
The 169th Committee on Structural Biology using
determination methods so as to understand more
Diffraction Techniques, Japan Society for the
systematically
Promotion of Science held the 4th International
Symposium on Diffraction Structural Biology
2013 (ISDSB2013).
-Date: May 26 (Sun.) -29 (Wed.), 2013
-Venue: Nagoya Trade & Industry Center,
Nagoya
-Presentations: 115 (35 oral and 80 poster
the
biological
function
of
macromolecules, and which are closely related to
medical care or drug discoveries. The concept of
this Symposium is to "bring structural biologists
using diffraction and the scientists using a wide
range of other advanced technologies closer
together as well as interlace where possible basic
research with industrial applications ". The
symposium program featured presentations by
presentations; 2 Nobel lectures, 3 plenary
two
lectures and 30 invited lectures 35 invited
researchers from relevant fields invited from
speakers ,18 from Japan and 17 from overseas.)
Japan and abroad, as well as poster presentations
-Participants: 207 (168 from Japan and 39 from
submitted by general participants. Also product-
overseas, 17 student including 3 students from
and-advertisement exhibitions by 10 companies
overseas; 168 from Japan, 10 from the United
and
States, 6 from the United Kingdom, 4 from
international symposium were presented. In
South
from
order to encourage and foster overseas students,
Switzerland, 3 from Germany, 2 from Taiwan, 2
we set up the “Financial Support for Overseas
from France, 1 from India, 1 from Australia, 1
Students” and awarded the fellowship to three
from Canada, 1 from Sweden, I from Nigeria
students from USA, Singapore and Korea..
and 1 from Poland. From 14 countries)
The symposium: (i) accelerated the research and
-Total
Korea,
budget:
3
from
Singapore.
16,217,841
yen,
3
Nobel
4
Prize
laureates,
organizations
which
33
renowned
supported
this
including
development for industrial uses on the basis of
1,400,000 yen in financial support from the
novel methods or techniques which foster the
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
development of new fields of structural biology,
such as, scattering, tomography, imaging and
2. The program, results and publication
dynamics;
The 169th Committee plays an active role in drug
understanding
discovery on the basis of the structure analysis of
researchers working on structural biology in
molecular
life
Japan and abroad, and the formation of their
phenomena. Of particular note are the arrival of
international network; (iii) promoted the mutual
the 'ultimate storage ring' synchrotron radiation
understanding
sources, the results from the first X-ray Free
through interaction between Japanese
and
Electron Lasers and the newer, more intense,
foreign
the
spallation neutron sources. We planned again to
recognition and understanding about Nagoya City
machineries
which
dominate
(ii)
contributed
and
and
scientists;
to
mutual
communication
international
(iv)
among
friendship
contributed
to
by participants.
macromolecular complexes”, “Protein structure
We will try as possible to publish and publicize
and dynamics” were held by 30 invited renowned
the results on the symposium through the
researchers (13 from overseas). The sessions
publication of news-letters, the proceeding as s
covered three major diffraction methods by X-ray,
special issue of an international journal, Journal
electron beam and neutron in detail.
of Synchrotron Radiation.
(c) Other events
The
program
for
the
first
day
included
3. Presentations, sessions and events
registration and a "Welcome Party". During the
This international symposium was composed of
period,
Nobel
lectures,
Plenary
product-and-advertisement
Invited
exhibitions were performed by relevant 10
presentations, Poster sessions and other events
companies and 4 organizations at the floor near
including
and
the main venue. On the second day a sponsored
Below is a summary of
lunch seminar was delivered and the up-to-date
Sponsored
lectures,
the
lunch
Corporate exhibitions.
seminar
the events.
information on laboratory diffraction experiments
(a) Nobel and Plenary lectures
was presented. On the third day a meeting was
The following two Nobel Prize winning scientists
organized
gave Nobel lectures:
Committee members and debated about the
1). Thomas Steitz (Yale University, USA): “From
future holding of this international symposium. A
the structure and function of the ribosome to
banquet took place on the third evening where all
new antibiotics”
the participants deepen good fellowship with
2). Brian Kobilka (Stanford University, USA):
by
the
International
Advisory
Nobel laureates, plenary lectures and other
“Structural insights into G protein coupled
invited scientists..
receptor activation”
(d) Poster sessions
The following three internationally renowned
A total of 80 papers submitted by general
researchers gave plenary lectures:
participants
1).Yoshinori
Fujiyoshi
(Nagoya
University):
“Structural physiology of channels”
were
presented
in
two
poster
sessions. These sessions were held at the same
floor as exhibitions and breaks. Participants
2). Paul Langan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
enjoyed active discussion with a cup of coffee in
USA): “Seeing the chemistry in biology with
hand.
neutrons ”
Another thing to note is that a special issue of
3). Ian Wilson (Scripps Research Institute, USA):
“Structure-based vaccine design”
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation (Vol. 20, No. 6,
819-1009, 2013) featuring papers by the invited
Each of them touched on the world’s most
speakers was published to commemorate this
advanced research efforts and provided highly
symposium.
suggestive information and technical issues on
structure
analysis,
concerning
the
future
4. Problems and future challenges
orientation on our drug design.
There may have been a room for improvement in
(b) Invited presentations
the allocation of responsibilities within the
Nine sessions, “Synchrotron radiation and free
organizing committee in order to be held in
electron lasers”, “New methodology and
instrumentation”， “Drug Design 1” “Drug Design
Nagoya. In the organization of the symposium,
2”, “Electron microscopy”, “Tomography and
symposium guide on the homepage was rather
Imaging”, “Neutron diffraction and hydration
slow.
structure”,
In spite of the enhancement of the scientific
“Membrane
proteins
and
the announcement of the program and the
program, the total number of participants dipped
from abroad.
from our original plan. Participants of student
On the next occasion, we will focus on creating a
were less than expected and increasing them is a
more effective organization to prevent any delays
challenge for the future.
in preparation as well as publicity. To announce
The financial support from the Japan Society for
the
the Promotion of Science, the Naito Foundation,
participants we will work with the publicity
etc. enabled the symposium to succeed, by
officials of Universities near venue. We also
allowing it to invite many renowned speakers
intend to award young scientists.
symposium
worldwide
Group photo of symposium participants (not all)
(Main Hall, Nagoya Trade & Industry Center, May 28, 2013)
and
increase