Welcome Address

Understanding the complexity of molecular interactions within living organism is a key goal of cellular biology and biochemistry. Both disciplines aim at providing a rationale for the details of cell (miss)functioning and human diseases. Unravelling the whole connectivity between biomolecules within an organism and its relation to cell fate and physiological state is the major aim of Biointeractomics. This supra-disciplinary field is a fusion of biology, informatics and engineering, in which experimental and computational approaches used for the discovery of novel biomolecular interactions entangle biophysical techniques, providing a tool for the assessment of the functionality of such interactions.

Beyond the biophysical description of the binding phenomena, the analysis of specific interactions needs to be integrated in the context of cell functionality. The novel proteomic methodologies allow detecting many fresh biomolecular interactions. Their high-throughput and the accumulation of biophysical and biochemical data constitute a challenge for their holistic interpretation. For science aiming at cell reprogramming and synthetic life, non-negligible target before long is to link knowledge on proteomics, molecular interactions and metabonomics. Such an effort will be fruitful as all these disciplines are integrated in a robust theoretical framework.

In this workshop, we tackle the challenge of favouring crosstalk between biophysical and cell biology approaches to Biointeractomics and Systems Biology. This workshop provides an opportunity for young researchers to listen to leaders in a wide collection of cutting-edge disciplines, ranging from structural biology to systems biology. Keen involvement of attendees will be fostered by Round Tables and Discussion Sessions, to provide an effective environment for the trade of knowledge and ideas.