The cellular machinery is a remarkable system that is able to regulate myriad life processes with exquisite specificity by responding to a variety of environmental cues. This essential regulation is achieved through a network of highly dynamic signaling molecules that are regulated both spatially and temporally.

Inspired by natures fluorescent proteins and photosensors, biochemists have made tremendous advances toward developing new classes of genetically encoded protein tools to detect and control signaling activities with high spatiotemporal precision. With these new tools, new kinds of biochemistry, biology and cell biology are being discovered on a regular basis.

For the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting, Discover BMB, in Seattle in March, we have assembled symposia featuring some of the top experts in these diverse fields who will discuss new tools for manipulating and visualizing the activity of enzymes and other classes of protein activity in living cells across a range of settings. As an example of the impact of these tools, we will highlight the emerging field of liquidliquid phase separation as an organizing principle of cell signaling uniquely identified by advances in our ability to probe and control biomolecules in vitro and in cells.

Keywords: Optogenetics, fluorescent biosensors, protein engineering, phase separation.

Who should attend: Biochemists, cell biologists and protein engineers interested in novel protein-based tools to observe and control cellular behavior as well as new concepts in cellular organization that have emerged from use of these reagents.

Theme song: Blinding Lights by The Weeknd.

This session is powered by high-quality photons from the UV to the infrared.

Toolkit for native biochemistry: Sensors, actuators and computational toolsKevin H. Gardner (chair),City University of New York Advanced Science Research CenterKlaus Hahn,University of North Carolina at Chapel HillSabrina Spencer,University of Colorado BoulderDavid van Valen,California Institute of Technology

Spatiotemporal control of cellular signalingJin Zhang (chair),University of California, San DiegoMark von Zastrow,University of California, San FranciscoLukasz Bugaj,University of PennsylvaniaAnton Bennett,Yale University

Liquidliquid phase separation as a signaling paradigmChristine Mayr (chair),Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterZhijian "James" Chen,University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterSarah Veatch,University of MichiganShana ElbaumGarfinkle,City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center

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Shining lights on the cell - ASBMB Today