Description
The objective of this workshop is to bring together experimentalists and theorists who are actively involved in better understanding molecular mechanisms at the nano/bio interface.
On the experimental side, we plan to invite a number of leading researchers in the area of nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, including those who develop and apply cutting-edge non-linear spectroscopies (e.g., sum frequency and second harmonic scattering) and imaging techniques (e.g., super resolution fluorescence imaging) that provide molecular level information at complex interfaces. We will also invite speakers who analyze the impact of nanoparticles on both model (e.g., supported lipid bilayers) and realistic biological systems. Although the primary focus of the workshop is to understand mechanism at a molecular level, we will also include a number of researchers who characterize the impact of nanoparticles at the whole organism levels (e.g., gene transcription, protein expression, and small molecule secretion) to help put the molecular level investigations into the proper context.
On the theory/computation side, we will invite researchers who develop techniques that bridge scales from electronic through atomistic to coarse-grained levels. Although many techniques at these three scales have been well developed, how to integrate information at these scales in a robust and smooth fashion is not trivial, as discussed in the last subsection. Most importantly, we will encourage discussions among experimentalists and theorists to identify the pressing challenges and opportunities for better understanding processes at the nano/bio interface. We hope to stimulate new collaborations between two or more research groups that help answer key mechanistic questions that will impact the design of the next generation of nanomaterials. In the organization of our workshop, we have tried to balance researchers at different stages of their career and from different geographic regions (Europe, the US and Asia).
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