The 23rd annual GEM conference will be held in Nausicaà (Boulogne-sur-mer, France), the largest aquarium in Europe. It will takes place from April 1st to 4th, 2025. The conference involves scientists from all over the world.  

GEM meetings focus on the importance of cellular membranes in biological functions and pathology spanning from bacterial and plant membranes to animal systems. The conference brings together researchers in biology, biochemistry, biophysics, physics, and chemistry with the aim to delve into the structure, dynamics, and overall function of membranes.

Organizers

The conference is organized by the GEM membranes study group of the French Biophysical Society and specifically by researchers from Amiens and Liège University (UPJV). It involves scientists working in the field of membrane biophysics from all over the world. Local organizers:

• Nicola D’AMELIO, Catherine SARAZIN, Francisco RAMOS-MARTIN and Benjamin BOUVIER (Université de Picardie Jules Verne)
• Magali DELEU (FNRS, Gembloux, Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège)
• Frank LAFONT (CNRS, Institut Pasteur de Lille)

Conference Topics

• Plant and Microbial Photosynthetic Membranes
• Interactions between hosts and pathogens (disease-causing organisms)
• New Frontiers in NMR of membranes
• Computational methods for studying membranes
• Protein-Lipid Communication
• New Tools for Understanding Membrane Function
• Regulation of Cellular Lipid Transport

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

• Yohann Boutté, University of Bordeaux, France.
• Syma Khalid, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
• Mei Hong, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
• Aurélien Roux, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
• Marité Cárdenas, Malmö University, Sweden.
• Markus Weingarth, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
• Heiko Heerklotz, University of Freiburg, Germany.
• Alenka Čopič, University of Montpellier, France.

Scientific board

Isabelle Alves, CNRS Research Director, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux;
Marc Baaden, CNRS Research Director, University of Paris Cité, Paris;
Burkhard Bechinger, Professor, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg;
Valérie Biou, CNRS Researcher, IBPC, Paris;
Nienke Buddelmeijer, Team Leader, Institut Pasteur, Paris;
Nicola D'Amelio, Professor, University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens;
Bruno Demé, Researcher, ILL, Grenoble;
Nicolas Destainville, Professor, LPT, University of Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse;
Guillaume Drin, Team Leader, IPMC-CNRS, University Côte-d'Azur, Valbonne;
Grégory Durand, Associate Professor, University of Avignon, Avignon;
Cyril Favard, CNRS HC Research Engineer, IRIM, Montpellier;
Tsai Feng-Ching, CNRS Researcher, Institut Curie, Paris;
Frédéric Gloaguen, CNRS Research Director, CEMCA, Brest;
Christine Grauby-Heywang, Professor, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux;
Andrey Klymchenko, CNRS Research Director, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg;
Frank Lafont, CNRS Research Director, Lille;
Guillaume Lenoir, Associate Professor, I2BC, University of Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette;
Yonghua Li-Beisson, CEA Research Director, CEA Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance;
Luca Monticelli, CNRS Research Director, MMSB, Lyon;
Christophe Moreau, CNRS Research Director, IBS, Grenoble;
Cédric Orelle, CNRS Research Director, MMSB, Lyon;
James Sturgis, Professor, IMM-CNRS, Marseille;
Dror Warschawski, CNRS Researcher, Sorbonne University, Paris;
Anne-Marie Wehenkel, Team Leader, Institut Pasteur, Paris.

The conference location

The conference will be held at Nausicaá, the National Sea Centre and the largest aquarium in Europe, located in Boulogne-sur-Mer in the heart of the French Opal Coast. The center offers a spectacular view on what the Ocean has to offer: with 58,000 animals representing 1,600 different species in an exhibition area of 10,000 m². Boulogne was the main Roman port for trade and communication with its Province of Britain. The city's 12th-century belfry is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Transports

Boulogne-sur-Mer can be easily reached from Paris (gare du nord) by several daily connections of about 2 hours as well as from Charles de Gaulle airport or from Lille (1 hour).

Important Deadlines

• Submit your research summary (abstract) by February 3rd, 2025 to be considered for a presentation. Later submissions will be posters only.
• Early bird registration and payment are due by February 3rd, 2025.
• Late registration and payment are due by March 16th, 2025.

Membership Benefits

GEM is a group within the French Biophysics Society (SFB). Becoming a member of both SFB and GEM is highly encouraged for conference attendees. SFB and GEM offer significant financial support, including thesis and poster prizes, to their members.

• Follow this link to become a member for 2025: https://sfbiophys.org/produit/adhesion-principale/
• Choose "plein tarif + GEM" for €50 (SFB: €40, GEM: €10).
• Students can join for free in 2025, but still need to sign up and choose the "0€" option.

Opportunity to participate to the conference special issue of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes

Participants will be cordially invited to submit a contribution to the special issue of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes that we are guest-editing in occasion of the GEM 2025 conference. This special issue will delve into the pivotal role of cellular membranes in biological processes, spanning from bacteria to animals. We encourage submissions from a broad range of disciplines, including biochemistry, biophysics, physics, bioinformatics, and chemistry, to foster a comprehensive understanding of membrane structure, dynamics, and function.

Event Sponsors

Thank you to the sponsors who support this event! For more information on sponsorship, visit the "Sponsors" tab on the left-hand side of the website.

A special thanks to our Platinum sponsors (image below)

Contact 

XXIIIgem2025@gmail.com