: the IUPAB journal promoting biophysics on an international stage.

This editorial introduces the contents of Volume 16, Issue 6 of , the official journal of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). Highlights of the Issue include an invited review article by David Alsteens, the winner of the 2024 Michèle Auger Award for Young Scientists' Independent Research and a Special Issue Focus involving a series of articles based on topics addressed at the 7th Nanoengineering for Mechanobiology Symposium 2024. The broad scope of articles and the geographically widespread locations of the contributing authors of these and other reviews in the Issue mirror the goals of IUPAB, namely to organize worldwide advancements, co-operation, communication, and education in biophysics.

Structural characterization of two γδ TCR/CD3 complexes.

The T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex plays an essential role in the immune response and is a key player in cancer immunotherapies. There are two classes of TCR/CD3 complexes, defined by their TCR chain usage (αβ or γδ). Recently reported structures have revealed the organization of the αβ TCR/CD3 complex, but similar studies regarding the γδ TCR/CD3 complex have lagged behind.

Geometric variations in nucleosomal DNA dictate higher-order chromatin structure and enhancer-promoter communication.

The dynamic organization of chromatin plays an essential role in the regulation of genetic activity, interconverting between open and compact forms at the global level. The mechanisms underlying these large-scale changes remain a topic of widespread interest. The simulations of nucleosome-decorated DNA reported herein reveal profound effects of the nucleosome itself on overall chromatin properties.

Identification of potent HSV antivirals using 3D bioprinted human skin equivalents.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection has worldwide public health concerns and lifelong medical impacts. The standard therapy, acyclovir, has limited efficacy in preventing HSV subclinical virus shedding, and drug resistance occurs in immunocompromised patients, highlighting the need for novel therapeutics. HSV infection manifests in the skin epidermal layer, but current drug discovery utilizes Vero cells and fibroblasts monolayer cultures, capturing neither relevance nor tissue environment.

special issue for the 21st IUPAB congress and 62nd meeting of the Biophysical Society of Japan, Kyoto, Japan, 2024.

This Editorial for Volume 16 Issue 5 introduces the contents of the Special Issue featuring content from the 21st IUPAB Congress held jointly with the 62nd Biophysical Society of Japan Annual Meeting.