Vision of the meeting:
The field of Structural Neuroscience is undergoing vast changes, as the gulf between structural biology and more 'macroscopic' cell and tissue biology has narrowed due to the development of new methods and technology. Important questions can now be addressed using an integrative approach, where molecular level techniques, such as structural biology and many other biophysical techniques, are combined with studies at the "super-resolution", cellular and tissue levels. New structural knowledge of e.g. axon guidance cue systems, adhesion molecules, neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, voltage-gated ion channels, and primary ion and lipid transporters in the nervous system have led to a revolution in understanding these processes. Despite the enormous potential for synergy and collaboration between structural biologists and 'functional' neurobiologists, there are still relatively few meetings that bring these communities together effectively. Structural biologists are typically underrepresented at the FENS Forums, hampering progress in promoting collaboration between these groups in Europe. This sattellite meeting provides a new European platform for structural neurobiologists and aims to (i) increase cohesion and collaboration within this rapidly growing community and (ii) bring this normally poorly represented field to the FENS Forum.
