European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00249-021-01558-w 13th EBSA congress July 24–28, 2021, Vienna, Austria This supplement was not sponsored by outside commercial interests. It was funded entirely by the publisher. S2 European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 Acknowledgements Silver sponsors: • Bruker Nano Surfaces Division • Beckman Coulter Bronze sponsors: • Boehringer Ingelheim • Elements Exhibitors: • Fida Biosystems • PicoQuant • Teledyne Photometrics • Olympus - Life Science Solutions • REDSHIFT Bio Other Sponsors: • Austrian Physical Society • Hamamatsu Photonics • Nanion Technologies • Lumicks • Springer Nature • Biophysical Society • MDPI / Biomolecules • Carl Zeiss DFG -- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft • • MDPI / Membranes European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 S3 13th EBSA European Biophysics Congress Vienna (Austria), July 24–28, 2021 Organized by Biophysics Austria CONFERENCE CHAIR Elena E. POHL Institute of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vice President of Biophysics Austria Vice President of EBSA LOCAL ORGANIZING & SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Klaus GROSCHNER, Institute of Biophysics, Medical University Graz Carl-Philipp HEISENBERG, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg Peter HINTERDORFER, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz Andreas HORNER, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz Thomas A. KLAR, Institute for Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz Robert KONRAT, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna Georg PABST, Insitute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz Birgit PLOCHBERGER, University of Applied Sciences, Linz Elena E. POHL, Institute of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Peter POHL, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz Ruth PRASSL, Institute of Biophysics, Medical University Graz Erik REIMHULT, Institute for Biologically inspired materials, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Gerhard SCHUTZ,¨ Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien Thomas STOCKNER, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Jos´e Luis TOCA-HERRERA, Institute of Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Bojan ZAGROVIC, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna 123 S4 European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 EBSA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jacqueline CHERFILS, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France Mauro DALLA SERRA, National Research Council of Italy, Italy Robert GILBERT, University of Oxford, UK Helmut GRUBMULLER,¨ Max-Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Germany Sarah KOSTER,¨ Georg-August-University G¨ottingen, Germany Andr´eMATAGNE,UniversityofLi`ege, Belgium L´aszl´oMATYUS,´ University of Debrecen, Hungary Pierre-Emmanuel MILHIET, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier University, France Jes´us PEREZ-GIL,´ Universidad Complutense, Spain Elena E. POHL, University for Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria Nuno C. SANTOS, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal John M. SEDDON, Imperial College London, UK Ilpo VATTULAINEN, University of Helsinki, Finland Anthony WATTS, University of Oxford, UK Anthony J. WILKINSON, University of York, UK Dejan ZIKIˇ C,´ University of Belgrade, Serbia INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Maria T ALONSO, Valladolid, Spain Oleg BATISHCHEV, Moscow, Russia Peter JONSSON,¨ Lund, Sweden Sarah KOSTER,¨ G¨ottingen, Germany Adriana MIELE, Lyon, France Ludo RENAULT, Leiden, Netherlands Nuno CORREIA SANTOS, Lisbon, Portugal John SEDDON, London, United Kingdom Petra SCHWILLE, Martinsried, Germany Mauro DALLA SARRA, Rome, Italy Ilpo VATTULAINEN, Helsinki, Finland Viktorie VLACHOVA,´ Prague, Czech Republic 123 European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 S5 Welcome to 13th EBSA Biophysics Congress in Vienna 2021. Dear colleagues, Dear friends, On behalf of the Austrian Biophysical Society (Biophysics Austria) and the European Biophysical Societies Association (EBSA), I should like to extend a warm welcome to all of you at the 13th EBSA meeting in beautiful Vienna. EBSA2021 is one of the first scientific meetings to be held on-site after the lengthy period of virtual congresses. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, we all became acutely aware of how much we miss the excitement of catching up with colleagues and friends, of motivating discussions, of arranging new cooperations, of being exposed to new ideas and different perspectives and, not least, of discovering new cultures, cities and countries – everything that the meeting in Vienna offers us. For the first time in the history of biophysical congresses, the 13th EBSA meeting will take place in hybrid form, both on-site and online, allowing every interested biophysicist worldwide – independent of the travel situation – to join and contribute to this event. This combination will open up a new era in congress organization and we are confident that it will become the main modus for future congresses. The 2021 meeting is unique in many ways. In 2021, the Austrian Biophysical Society celebrates its 60th birthday. Austria has a long-standing tradition in biophysics. Biophysics Austria was founded in 1961 and is among the oldest biophysical societies in Europe. In 1971, 50 years ago, with the“collaboration of sister societies and under the co-sponsorship of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB)” Biophysics Austria hosted the first European Biophysics Meeting in Biophysics in Baden near Vienna. The opening lecture was given by Max F. Perutz, who won the 1962 Nobel Prize for his work on the structures of haemoglobin and myoglobin. The diverse program of the first congress included 19 symposia that covered among others, Biophysics of Transport Processes, Reg- ulation of Virus Protein Synthesis, The Cardiac Electric Field, Water in the Function of Biological Systems, Bioenergetics, Radiation, and Environmental Biophysics, and Origin of Life. Many of these topics are still acutely relevant today. 123 S6 European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 Unfortunately, 26 years elapsed before the second congress has taken place in Orl´eans, France (1997). Since 2003 the EBSA Congress is a biennial event and has developed into one of the two most essential biophysicist gatherings in the world. This years’ congress will feature 90 invited speakers, who will share their latest exciting discoveries. There will be more than 90 slots reserved for junior researchers to present their results in short talks. EBSA2021 also features cross-disciplinary plenary lectures to foster discussions at the frontiers of current biophysical research, including single-molecule biophysics; high resolution optical and force microscopy; ion channels and transporters; lipids and membranes; structural biology; theoretical biophysics; cell mechanics and many other subjects. Basic research has paved the way for the successful fight against the current pandemic, specifically for the development of mRNA vaccines (such as those from Biontech Pfizer and Moderna). The battle against Covid-19 will also be a major topic at the EBSA 2021 Congress. At the time of writing this welcome, participants from 39 countries have submitted 563 abstracts. Session chairs, members of the scientific committee, and the EBSA Executive Committee members have performed excellent work in assembling the scientific program and EBSA member societies have contributed by suggesting speakers. For the first time, a public lecture open to all interested in science will start the congress. Nobel laureate Ada Yonath will honour the contribution of Erwin Schr¨odinger to life sci- ences by outlining her view on the age-old question of “What is life?”. Her talk is partic- ularly apt as Schr¨odinger’s book of the same title also addressed the lay reader. In 2021 we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Austrian physicist and Nobel Prize winner Erwin Schr¨odinger. EBSA is continuing the collaboration with the sister societies that started 60 years ago. Austrian Physics Society is sponsoring Ada Yonath’s lecture, while the Biophysical Society of America and the IUPAB are supporting the lectures of Karolin Luger and Francisco Bezanilla. The Biophysical Society of America will also present twelve awards of US $500. We are grateful to all plenary and invited speakers who have volunteered to travel to Vienna despite the pandemics-mediated uncertainties caused by the pandemic during the months leading up the meeting. We are looking forward to their brilliant talks and their equally important, encouraging contributions to the discussion of short talks and posters. EBSA is awarding bursaries to facilitate the participation of 60 talented young colleagues and Biophysics Austria is providing prizes for the best three virtual posters. Many devoted scientists have contributed to the preparation of the event. We have received substantial input from the session chairs, from the editor of the European Biophysics Journal, Rob Gilbert, and from members of EBSA’s executive committee. Special thanks 123 European Biophysics Journal (2021) 50 (Suppl 1):S1–S226 S7 go to Anthony Watts, Jes´us P´erez-Gil, John Seddon, Tony Wilkinson, Andr´e Matagne and Eric´ Quiniou. We also thank the professional congress organizers from RAM/Columbus, headed by Re- nate Androsch-Holzer, and acknowledge the continuing support of the Vienna Convention Office and the Austria Center Vienna. EBSA2021 has also profited