Guangming ‘Bright’ NMR Course: NMR-Based Integrative Structural Biology

(The Second Guangming ‘bright’ Biological NMR Workshop)

Date: August 2-8, 2026

Location: Shenzhen, China

Introduction

Building on recent methodological breakthroughs, structural biology is increasingly focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms and dynamics of biological systems and linking these insights to their functional context within living systems. NMR spectroscopy, a cornerstone of structural biology, provides atomic-resolution insights into structural motions, dynamic assemblies, transient interactions, and phase behaviors. These features are crucial for deciphering cellular processes and designing next-generation drugs. Recent advances in NMR have enabled the characterization of transmembrane transport and signaling, conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins, assemblies of proteins and nucleic acids, gene regulation and RNA processing, large protein machinery, in-situ conformations in living cells, and real-time monitoring of structural transitions underlying enzymatic catalysis.

In August 2024, we organized the first Guangming Biological NMR Workshop in Shenzhen. To continue, the course “NMR-Based Integrative Structural Biology” will provide comprehensive training in both fundamental and emerging concepts of biomolecular NMR, with aim to inspire the next generation of scientists to apply NMR and integrative structural biology approaches to unravel molecular mechanisms in biology. This course will place a strong emphasis on NMR theory and state-of-the-art experimental techniques, also cover advanced approaches for probing biologically relevant structural dynamics, in-cell NMR, and applications of NMR in drug discovery. The course promotes cutting-edge synergies between NMR and complementary methods such as cryogenic electron microscopy, single-molecule biophysics and AI-guided protein design. The biological NMR and biophysics communities of China and East Asia are vibrant and rapidly growing. We also hope this course will revitalize scientific exchange, strengthen international collaborations.

Topics

NMR theory and methods (incl. solid-state NMR) for structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules:

NMR basics, Pulse programming, Relaxation theory and experiments, MAS, DNP, RDCs,  PREs, PCSs, Selective labelling, ¹⁹F NMR, Structural determination, Non-uniform sampling, Data processing

In-cell NMR, Intrinsically disordered proteins, Liquid-liquid phase separations, RNA dynamics, Transmembrane proteins, Protein machinery and large protein assembly, Drug discovery  

Integrative structural biology: Cryo-EM, Artificial intelligence, Single molecule methods, Computational modelling

Instructors (*Organizing committee)

Haribabu Arthanari, Harvard University, Boston, USA

Lucia Banci*, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy

James Chou*, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

Jiayi Dou, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China

Isabella Felli, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy

Robert Griffin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA

Adam Lange*, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany

Maofu Liao*, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Yanqin Lin, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China  

Junxia Lu, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Sigrid Milles, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany

Michael Sattler*, Technical University Munich & Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany

Anne Schütz, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany  

Han Sun*, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany

Xun-cheng Su*, Nankai University, Tianjin, China

Chun Tang*, Peking University, Beijing, China  

Yi Xue*, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Lishan Yao, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China

Markus Zweckstetter, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences & German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany

Application and Registration

Complete the application form and submit it to Bay_NMR@outlook.com by May 15, 2026. All applications will be reviewed by the Organizing Committee. Acceptance notifications, along with payment instructions, will be sent by June 1, 2026.

Registration Fees

Academic: 2600 RMB / 320 EUR

Industry: 6000 RMB / 740 EUR

The registration fee covers course materials, all meals, the excursion, and other social events. On-site single and double rooms are available at 400 – 430 RMB / 50-53 EUR per day (incl. breakfast).

Venue and Transportation

The workshop will be held at SYSU Academic Villa, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. Shenzhen is a global hub for technology and innovation, located adjacent to Hong Kong. The Greater Bay Area, encompassing Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou, is well served by three major international airports (SZX, HKG, CAN) and an extensive transportation network, including city transit and intercity high-speed rail, ensuring convenient access for both international and domestic participants.

Flight  

A: Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX), 35 km

B: Hongkong International Airport (HKG), 75 km (Train transfer: HKG airport – West Kowloon Station –  Guangmingcheng Station)

C: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), 125 km

Railway    

Guangmingcheng Station (光明城站)

Shenzhen North Station (深圳北站)

Subway     

Shenzhen Metro Line 6 Branch (6号线支线) to Sun Yat-sen University Station (中山大學站)

Contacts and Enquiry

Guowei Yin (Sun Yat-sen University)               Lifeng Pan (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS)                 

Yujie Wu     (Shenzhen Bay Laboratory)          Shanyue Guan (Sun Yat-sen University)       

Bay_NMR@outlook.com