2026 SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting

2026 SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting

2026 SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting

The 2026 SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting took place last week in Brisbane (Australia) to discuss this rapidly growing field.

Thank you to all participants and congratulations to the organizing team, who brought to life a fantastic event!👏

@strphy.bsky.social

#StrPhy26

APSPM brought together researchers from around the world to explore protein evolution from different angles. Structural approaches are reshaping evolutionary inference and the community is growing. Huge thanks to participants and @official-smbe.bsky.social for making this meeting a success.
#StryPhy

APSPM2026 - What can we learn from ancient protein history?
@joannamasel.bsky.social will open with her research tracing how the genetic code first evolved and the surprising origin of tryptophan.

@official-smbe.bsky.social
#StrPhy26 #StrPhy

Thank you @fabianruperti.bsky.social for sharing your research with us today. It sparked timely and interesting conversations.

#StrPhy26

APSPM2026 #StrPhy26

APSPM2026 - Today's session starts with @claudiaalcar.bsky.social
Charting the protein universe: Deep evolutionary signals in sequence structure space (remote).
She'll present her work on exploring how protein folds emerged and diversified over billions of years.

#StrPhy26 #StrPhy

Biochemistry Alumni Lecture –APSPM 2026
Mon 16 Feb 14:30–15:30
Exploring the Protein Universe with Multimers, Motifs & Interfaces @martinsteinegger.bsky.social will present their fast computational methods to search and cluster across these structural layers. From structure to function to evolution.

Opening plenary APSPM 2026: Protein structure characters in the light of phylogenetic systematics by @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social A thought-provoking talk that revisits classic systematics concepts to address the question: are structural differences evolutionary signals or methodological artefacts?

We want to make APSPM 2026 a vibrant and supportive space to share ideas, spark collaborations, and a great experience for everyone attending (in-person or remotely). Feel free to reach out @strphy.bsky.social with any questions/concerns you may have.

See you in a few days!

Meet the APSPM 2026 organisers: Caroline, Jordan and Ashar. We're 3 ECRs based in Australia/NZ passionate about protein evolution and developing new approaches and applications to advance this exciting field.

biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/org...
@official-smbe.bsky.social

Only 3 days to go before APSPM 2026 starts! In-person attendees, we'd love for you to join us for drinks and nibbles by the riverside on Sunday, Feb 15 at 5.30pm at Southbank Beer Garden. See you there!

www.southbankbeergarden.com.au

The program is now live. An excellent global lineup of speakers - AUS, NZ, Korea, India, Laos, UK, Switzerland, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Uruguay, Mexico and USA. Browse abstracts. Just 3 weeks left. Super excited.

#StrPhy26 #Science #Evolution #StrPhy #StructuralPhylogenetics

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

The program for the SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting 2026 is now out! Abstract book coming soon.

@official-smbe.bsky.social @proteinmechanic.bsky.social

biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/pro...

One month to go until APSPM 2026!
Scientific program coming soon.

Structome-AlignViewer: On Confidence Assessment in Structure-Aware Alignments Abstract. Protein structure-based comparison provides a framework for uncovering deep evolutionary relationships that can escape conventional sequence-base

An interesting way to look at encoded structural characters to build alignments and trees downstream. This takes structural phylogenetics one step further in the post-AlphaFold era.

#Evolution #Science #StrPhy

On Confidence Assessment in Structure-Aware Alignments

doi.org/10.1093/gbe/...

We have reached full capacity for in-person attendance at #APSPM2026 and registration is now closed. Thanks to everyone who registered. Accepted talks and travel grants will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

We have had an amazing response to #APSPM2026 and only a few in person spots are still available.

Abstract submissions and travel grant applications close tomorrow November 28.
👉 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/reg...

Join the community that is transforming protein evolution research.

We look forward to discussing this question, the challenges ahead and how to overcome them. Exciting times!

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting

📄 Abstract submission deadline: Nov 28

Please submit your abstracts by Friday! Registration is free, but limited to 50 in-person attendees.

✈️ Travel grant applications deadline: Nov 28

🔗 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/str...

Registration for #APSPM2026 closes soon.

Everyone’s welcome! whether you study evolution, structure, or computational methods, join us in Brisbane (and online) Feb 16–18, 2026 to learn how protein structure meets phylogenetics.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26

@official-smbe.bsky.social

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

From AI to ancestral proteins, the #APSPM2026 speaker lineup brings protein evolution research together in one place. Check out the list of confirmed speakers here:
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...
Brisbane + online
Feb 2026
Free registration
@official-smbe.bsky.social

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

Meet the plenary speakers for #APSPM2026.

Joanna Masel @joannamasel.bsky.social
Nicholas Matzke @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social

Join us to discuss how protein structure is changing evolutionary theory, phylogenetics and molecular evolution.

biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...

Structure-informed phylogenetic inference with FoldTree outperforms sequence-only trees on divergent proteins, and untangles RRNPPA quorum-sensing receptors across Gram-positive bacteria & phages. Work led by David Moi (www.linkedin.com/in/david-moi) Paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Structural phylogenetics unravels the evolutionary diversification of communication systems in gram-positive bacteria and their viruses - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Using a new method called FoldTree, the authors compare proteins on the basis of their shape to construct more accurate family trees over long evolutionary timescales and capture distant relationships...

Viral protein sequences are highly variable, but structures are much more conserved.
In this paper, David Moi et al. present a highly accurate method to infer phylogenetic trees from 3D protein structures — opening new ways to explore viral evolution and protein function.

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

We have had some amazing abstracts submitted to the free
@official-smbe.bsky.social APSPM meeting. To help you make up your mind, here is a sneak peek. Join for what will be an amazing meeting. biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/sneakpeek/ . #StrPhy26 @strphy.bsky.social #Evolution #Science

February 2026 is shaping up to be the month for protein science down under!

Lorne (Feb 8–12) @lorneproteins.bsky.social

APSPM 2026, Brisbane (Feb 15–18)
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/str...

Two meetings and a summer of great science!

@strphy.bsky.social

@official-smbe.bsky.social

#APSPM2026 is open to anyone curious about combining protein structure and evolution. Learn where to start in our workshops and discover how structure meets phylogenetics.

Feb 15 - 18, 2026
Brisbane, Australia
Register here: biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/reg...
(in-person only)

We can’t wait to welcome you to sunny Brisbane. Home to world-class research and a vibrant scientific community. Join us at the University of Queensland for #APSPM2026 to discuss how protein structure and evolution come together #StrPhy26

APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.

Abstract submissions are open for #APSPM2026!
🗓️ Deadline: Nov 28, 2026
📍 Brisbane + online
🎓 Travel grants for students & ECRs
Join us to explore how protein structures and AI are reshaping evolutionary biology.

@official-smbe.bsky.social

#StrPhy26 #StrPhy

The conference will be held on the beautiful St Lucia campus of The University of Queensland. Plenary speakers are @joannamasel.bsky.social (University of Arizona, USA) and Nicholas Matzke (University of Auckland, NZ).

Registration is free, but spaces are limited to 50 in-person attendees.