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Arguably, life on this planet began in earnest with the appearance of lipid-like molecules that could encapsulate and concentrate the critical biochemical reactions that formed a primordial cell. This property of lipids to self-associate into the membranes that compartmentalize a cell and its organelles is indeed essential, but it’s just one aspect of the many and varied roles played by these versatile molecules. In addition to structural roles, lipids are integrated into signaling pathways that control such activities as cell survival, differentiation, motility and immune responses.

The eclectic functions of lipids are due to their structural diversity built into a common framework, resulting in hundreds of distinct species. It is the metabolism of lipids, their biosynthesis and degradation, that ultimately creates this diversity. 

Our symposium at Discover BMB will highlight recent advances in lipid metabolism by exploring where and how lipids are made in cells, their contributions to cell survival and the impact of lipid diversity on cell and membrane function.  

Keywords: Ferroptosis, lipid droplets, lipidomics, mitochondria, nucleus, plasma membrane.

Who should attend: The session will be attractive to those wanting an initiation to the field of lipid metabolism as well as those with a focused interest in specific topics.

Theme song: by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in appreciation of greasy molecules everywhere.

The session is powered by the seemingly endless and unexpected biological functions of lipids.

Lipid metabolism

Cellular topology of lipid metabolism

Neale Ridgway, Dalhousie University

Miriam Greenburg, Wayne State University

Greg Fairn, Dalhousie University

Shirin Bahmanyar, Yale University

Lipid quality control in cell survival and death

James Olzmann, University of California, Berkeley

G. Ekin Atilla–Gokcumen, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York

Toni Petan, Jozef Stefan Institute

Maria Fedorova, Technical University Dresden

Spatial lipidomics — tracing lipids in cells at the molecular level

Theodore Alexandrov, European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Kandice Levental, University of Virginia

Arun Radhakrishnan, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center