Renowned international membrane scientists’ meeting at the University of Debrecen | University of Debrecen

The congress is a regular biannual meeting of European membrane scientists. This year, two colleagues from the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Biology of the University of Debrecen, Péter Nagy and György Vámosi, were invited to organise the conference, which was attended by about 90 participants, most of them from foreign countries. In addition to the plenary lectures given by three eminent internationally renowned researchers - John Seddon, Douglas Kell, Amitabha Chattopadhyay - the latest results of theoretical and experimental aspects of membrane research were presented in seven lecture sessions and two poster sessions.
- Biological membranes act as barriers and connectors between the cell and the cellular compartment, and between the organelles inside the cell and the rest of the cell, and through thees they are involved in vital processes such as regulating cell division and survival, or cell energy production. The fundamental importance of this phenomenon is underlined by the fact that the cell membrane is the target of more than half of all drugs," Péter Nagy, professor at the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of General Medicine, DE, told hirek.unideb.hu.

The Institute of Biophysics and Cell Biology, which is organising the congress, has also achieved numerous  results in the field of membrane research, for example, its staff have contributed significantly to the concept that the interaction of membrane proteins is essential for cellular function. 
- We are delighted that the strong biophysics school that is based in Debrecen is recognised by the world and Europe, including by the fact that we were able to organise this year's conference. The meeting provided an opportunity for foreign participants to familiarize themselves with the infrastructure of the university, to build collaborations with Hungarian working groups and thus to strengthen the position of the University of Debrecen in European membrane research. It was also an important event for young people, as it offered an excellent opportunity to establish professional contacts," said László Mátyus, Dean of the DE Faculty of Medicine.