Six months from now
We've all seen a lot of changes in the past six months. And we can expect to see more in the months ahead. I believe these will be mostly changes for the better as more and more people are vaccinated and boostered against COVID-19 and we inch toward something resembling our pre-pandemic lives. The world might never be quite the same, but that's not entirely a bad thing. The past six months (and the 12 months before that) have taught us a lot about who we are both individually and as a society, about what we can do — and what's just not sustainable.
Six months from now, the 鶹ýɫƬ and 鶹ýɫƬ Biology will meet in person, along with four other scientific societies, for in Philadelphia. In addition to being the first in-person meeting since 2019, this will be the last combined EB. In 2023, the ASBMB and other participating societies will part ways to hold individual meetings.
So the 2022 annual meeting finds us at a hello–goodbye moment. It will be a one-of-a-kind event. And here at ASBMB central, we're getting excited.
In ASBMB Today, we got a bit of a head start in September with Bill Sullivan's essay, "How to write a killer abstract." (I sincerely hope you've started writing yours.) And we pull out all the stops with a terrific letter from the co-chairs of the ASBMB meeting, descriptions of our 10 themed symposia (see this example and scroll down for links to the others) and introductions to the society's 16 award winners. In coming months, we'll provide more details about events, programming, speakers and things to do in the host city.
And to celebrate the return of the annual meeting as an in-person event, we're holding a special essay contest. Here are the details:
Have you made a friendship or connection, forged a collaboration, gleaned insight or had another meaningful experience at a scientific meeting? If so, tell us about it. We invite you to write about your own meeting connection in 300–500 words. The deadline is Dec. 1. We'll publish the best stories in our March issue.
• First place: Free ASBMB membership, free registration to the 2022 ASBMB annual meeting and a $100 Amazon gift card.
• Second place: Free registration to the 2022 ASBMB annual meeting and a $50 Amazon gift card.
• Third place: $25 Amazon gift card.
Email your submission to ASBMB Today using the subject line "Meeting connections." Or use the at ASBMB Today.
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in Opinions
Opinions highlights or most popular articles
Where do we search for the fundamental stuff of life?
Recent books by Thomas Cech and Sara Imari Walker offer two perspectives on where to look for the basic properties that define living things.
Scientists around the world report millions of new discoveries every year
Science is a collaborative endeavor, and international teams have contributed to a huge rise in scientific output.
Who decides when a grad student graduates?
Ph.D. programs often don’t have a set timeline. Students continue with their research until their thesis is done, which is where variability comes into play.
Redefining ‘what’s possible’ at the annual meeting
The ASBMB Annual Meeting is “a high-impact event — a worthwhile investment for all who are dedicated to advancing the field of biochemistry and molecular biology and their careers.”
鶹ýɫƬ impressions of water as cuneiform cascade*
Inspired by "the most elegant depiction of H2O’s colligative features," Thomas Gorrell created a seven-tiered visual cascade of Sumerian characters beginning with the ancient sign for water.
Water rescues the enzyme
“Sometimes you must bend the rules to get what you want.” In the case of using water in the purification of calpain-2, it was worth the risk.