Wednesday, 11th February 51st Lorne Proteins Conference 2026

• Structure, function, and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors - Arun Shukla
• Structural basis of the membrane-assembled Retromer – Rab7 complex: A molecular timer for vacuolar cargo retrieval - Kai-En Chen
• RHS proteins possess YD repeat cages that underlies their functional diversity - Yu Shang Low
• Cryo-EM single particle analysis meets cryo-ET at the sperm tail - Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai

International Day of Women and Girls in Science Special Session

• Molecular Chaperones in Health and Disease - What We Can Learn by NMR - Rina Rosenzweig
• Capturing liquid-liquid phase separation-specific interactions in tau - Hannah Osterholz
• JAM-1 nanobody induces barrier weakening and enhanced drug permeability in an in vitro blood-brain barrier-like model - Liyu Chen
• Amino acid variants at the P94 position in Staphylococcus aureus class A sortase modulate substrate access and activity - Jeanine Amacher

Speaker: Vicki Sifniotis - Field Applications Scientist from Solve Scientific

Membrane proteins are the starting point for many drug discovery insights, they account for 60 % of drug targets. Yet, producing them with traditional cell-based expression and detergent solubilisation methods often enter a cycle of repetitive trial-and-error failures. Preliminary attempts can result in misfolded or aggregated protein and, ultimately, low yields. To achieve a workable amount of protein that not only expresses well, but also purifies well with high soluble yield, activity and stability, often requires extensive optimisation, which inevitably delays structural and functional studies. Why struggle when you can just start? In this workshop, Vicki will introduce you to Nuclera’s innovative technology which combines customisable cell-free expression with digital microfluidics to deliver automated, multiplex protein screening. Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery platform rapidly identifies the optimal conditions to express functional, soluble membrane proteins - so you know exactly where to start. You can assess for the best conditions to then scale up the reaction on your own bench, empowering you to produce the exact amount of protein you need for your studies. From GPCRs to ion channels, the unique needs for successful membrane protein expression can efficiently be assessed to deliver high-yield, purified, assay-ready proteins.

A light lunch will be available to pre-booked attendees.

Presented by:

The initial 1.5-hour lesson encompasses ocean awareness, safety, board control, wave catching, and standing techniques and is tailored for all ages and skill levels in shallow waters, providing all necessary gear including soft surfboards, wetsuits, rash vests and sunscreen.

Please ensure you submit your enrolment form.

Not all beaches have changing facilities. Please ensure that you are changed into your swimwear before you arrive.

What to Bring:

• Swimwear
• Towel

• Novel Proteins for Novel Functions - Michael Hecht
• Looking inside AlphaFold's black box - Lauren Porter
• Bad breath: detecting volatile organic compounds with nanopore technology - Hagan Bayley