Dr Morag Mansley
University of St Andrews, Scotland

Professor Mike Althaus
Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University, Germany

Dr Stephen Keely
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

We are delighted to announce a two-day themed meeting entitled “Membrane Transport 2023: Recent Research into Ion Channels, Transporters and Epithelial Physiology”, which will be held at the beautiful and historic University of St Andrews, Scotland on 24 – 25 August 2023. Since the discovery of cell membranes more than 500 years ago, scientists have been trying to understand how solutes traverse these structures to and from the cell, enabling them to survive and perform their distinctive functions. Through their efforts we now know, of course, that transport is mediated by specialised proteins embedded into the cell membrane, which function to facilitate the translocation of a myriad of substances, including electrolytes, nutrients, and metabolites, and that dysregulation of these proteins is a key factor in driving the pathogenesis of many disease states.

With the development of new and more refined techniques for studying membrane transport, along with the arrival of multiomics technologies, recent years have seen massive advances in our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate membrane transport and how we can potentially target these processes for therapeutic purposes. Against this background, Membrane Transport 2023 aims to bring together scientists from multiple disciplines to discuss the most recent developments in this broad and exciting field of study, including sessions on “Recent developments in epithelial transport physiology”, “New insights into structure and function of ion channels and transporters”, and “Dysfunction of ion channels and transporters in disease”. There will also be a special session entitled “The transport physiologist’s toolbox in 2023”, which will be dedicated to highlighting state-of-the-art approaches for the study of membrane transport in health and disease.

A key feature of this two-day meeting is that it aims to provide a platform for early career researchers to showcase their work in both oral and poster sessions and to give ample opportunities to network with more senior researchers in the field. The Taste of Scotland evening will undoubtedly be a highlight for this purpose! With speakers from across the UK, Ireland, Europe, and the US, discussing the latest advances in membrane transport across a wide range of organs and tissues, this meeting will be a truly international and interdisciplinary affair. We look forward to seeing you soon in St Andrews!

physoc.org/events/membrane-transport-2023-recent-research-into-ion-channels-transporters-and-epithelial-physiology/