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22nd International Conference on Oxygen Binding and Sensing Proteins (O2BiP)

We are pleased to invite you to the O2BiP 2025 conference, the 22nd edition of the series of meetings that have been organised on the topic of oxygen-binding and sensing proteins (O2BiP).

Following the spirit of previous O2BiP editions, the meeting aims to focus on recent advances on the relationships between structure, dynamics, and function of globins, and gas binding and sensing related heme-proteins, covering all levels of organisation from molecular to cellular to systemic and "in vivo" models. 


Download the programme (.docx) Download the booklet (.PDF)

The meeting will bring together researchers at all stages of their careers actively working in the fields of biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, physiology, genetics, and evolutionary biology. Accordingly, our aim is to provide a forum for the presentation of recent advances and progresses in these fields, to bring together complementary research areas, and to catalyse existing and new scientific cooperation among teams with distinct expertise.

Dates and times

  • 26 August 2025: 4pm - 9pm
  • 27 - 29 August 2025: 9am - 5.30pm

Book here to register your place

Preliminary Programme

View the programme below or download the Word document.

Tuesday 26 August 2025

Time Event Location
15:00 - 17:00 Registration TBC
17:00 - 19:00 Welcome BBQ Silberrad Centre Plazza

Wednesday 27 August 2025

Rooms: EBS 2.2, 2.65 & 2.66

Time Event Location Speakers
08:00 - 17:00 Registration Essex Business School  
08:40 - 09:10 Tea and coffee available EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
09:10 - 09:20 Welcome EBS 2.2 Dr Brandon Reeder
09:20 - 13:00 Session 1: Heme-based sensors and oxygen/nitric oxide/H2S metabolism EBS 2.2 Chairpersons: Angelo Fago, Dimitri Svistunenko
09:20 - 09:45 Anaerobic and aerobic sulfide binding to human neuroglobin: sulfheme derivatives EBS 2.2 Federico Sebastiani, University of Florence
09:45 - 10:10 Dissecting the conformational complexity of a prokaryotic heme transporter EBS 2.2 Schara Safarian, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics
10:10 - 10:35 From antibacterial strategy to modulation of hemoglobin oxygen affinity: the unexpected dual role of C35 EBS 2.2 Serena Faggiano, University of Parma
10:35 - 11:00 Anaerobic heme catabolism in three bacterial pathogens
 EBS 2.2 Kirsten Wolthers, The University of British Columbia
11:00 - 11:30 Morning refreshments and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
11:30 - 11:55 The high diversity of oxygen reactivity in bacterial terminal oxidases EBS 2.2 Petra Hellwig, University of Strasbourg
11:55 - 12:20 Targeting aerobic respiratory chains to combat bacterial pathogens
 EBS 2.2 Mark Shepherd, University of Kent
12:20 - 12:50 Abstract selected speakers:    
12:20 - 12:35 The bd-type Cyanide Insensitive Oxidase from the multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa: interaction with gaseous ligands EBS 2.2 Elena Forte, Sapienza University of Rome
12:35 - 12:50 Targeting cytochrome bd oxidases from Acinetobacter baumannii with steroid drugs EBS 2.2  Guy Joiner, University of Kent
12:50 - 14:00 Lunch and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
14:00 - 17:20 Session 2: Evolution of oxygen binding proteins EBS 2.2 Chairperson: Michael Berenbrink
14:00 - 14:25 Conformational analysis of human and crocodilian Hb by cryo-electron microscopy EBS 2.2 Jeremy Tame, Yokohama City University
14:25 - 14:50 Ngb function in Zebrafish – lessons learned from a knockout model EBS 2.2 Andrej Fabrizius, University of Hamburg
14:50 - 15:15 Convergent reductions in hemoglobin buffering power in lineages of small, high-metabolic rate birds and mammals: implications for O2 delivery EBS 2.2 Kevin Campbell, University of Iowa
15:15 - 15:40 Convergent evolution of Hb/Mb function in diving/high metabolic rate birds and mammals EBS 2.2 Michael Berenbrink, University of Liverpool
15:40 - 16:10 Afternoon refreshments and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
16:10 - 17:20 Abstract selected speakers:    
16:10 - 16:25 Characterization of bryophyte hemoglobins provides insight into ancestral functions EBS 2.2 Ryan Sturms, Drake University
16:25 - 16:40 The Role of Globin Proteins in the Transition from Water to Land EBS 2.2 Soraya Safavi, University of Hamburg
16:40 - 16:55 Resurrecting lost ancient myoglobins to elucidate mechanisms of diving adaptation in mammals EBS 2.2 Hiroshi Imamura, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
18:00 - 19:30 Evening excursion to Colchester Castle    

Thursday 28 August 2025

Rooms: EBS 2.2, 2.65 & 2.66

Time Event  Location Speakers
09:00 - 09:20 Tea and coffee EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
09:20 - 13:00 Session 3: Structure, function and dynamics EBS 2.2 Chairpersons: Mark Shepherd, Luca Ronda, Ben Luisi
09:20 - 09:45 Phytoglobins - some new insights into their structure and biological function EBS 2.2 Leif Bulow, Lund University
09:45 - 10:10 Heme-based dioxygenases: Structure, function and dynamics EBS 2.2 Syun-Ru Yeh, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
10:10 - 10:35 Structural insights into the functional properties of cytochrome c oxidase EBS 2.2 Denis Rousseau, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
10:35 - 11:00 Cytochrome b5 reductase 4 efficiently reduces Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin EBS 2.2 Jesús Tejero, University of Pittsburgh
11:00 - 11:30 Morning refreshments and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
11:30 - 11:55 Role of haemoglobin in mixed biofilm formation EBS 2.2 Campbell Gourlay, University of Kent
11:55 - 12:55 Abstract selected speakers:    
11:55 - 12:10 The multiplicity of the Caenorhabditis elegans globin family EBS 2.2 Bart Braeckman, Ghent University
12:10 - 12:25 The enhanced hemoglobin function can be explained by additional tertiary structural changes exerted by changes in hydrophobicity in the α1β1 interface EBS 2.2 Antonio Tsuneshige, Hosei University
12:25 - 12:40 Characterization of globin Y in vertebrates EBS 2.2 Cäcilia Plate, University of Hamburg
12:40 - 12:55 Hemoglobin haem capture by staphylococcal receptor IsdB: a complex process unveiled by time-resolved X-ray solution scattering EBS 2.2 Marialaura Marchetti, University of Hamburg
12:55 - 13:50 Lunch and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
13:50 - 17:20 Session 4: Heme-proteins in health and diseases EBS 2.2 Chairpersons: David Hoogewijs, Brandon Reeder
13:50 - 14:15 Cytoglobin in Hepatic Stellate Cells Plays an Anti-fibrotic Role in Chronic Liver Injury EBS 2.2 Norifumi Kawada, Osaka Metropolitan University
14:15 - 14:40 Targeting Nitric Oxide-Driven Cancer Progression: Hemin Derivatives Suppress Migration and Angiogenesis via Redox Pathway Modulation EBS 2.2 Amir Abdo, University of Galway
14:40 - 15:05 Polymerised bovine Hb used as a perfusion fluid for organ preservation EBS 2.2 Stefano Bruno, University of Parma
15:05 - 15:30 Androglobin in basal metazoans: ancient functional association with cilia EBS 2.2 Carina Osterhof, University of Fribourg
15:30 - 16:00 Afternoon refreshments and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
16:00 - 16:25 Cytoglobin as a mediator of non-canonical redox signaling EBS 2.2 Jian Cui
16:25 - 16:50 Cytoglobin controls cardiac morphogenesis by regulating NO-sGC signaling EBS 2.2 Paola Corti, University of Maryland
16:50 - 17:35 Abstract selected speakers:    
16:50 - 17:05 Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin – Investigation of Functional role in the retina EBS 2.2 Ranjan Rajendram, University College London
17:05 - 17:20 Cytoglobin: A potential respiratory regulator in retinal cells EBS 2.2 Alex Binderup Sort Jensen, Aarhus University
17:20 - 17:35 Heme Modulation of p53 and p63: Structural and Functional Insights EBS 2.2 Artur Sergunin, Charles University
19:30 - 21:30 Dinner at Wivenhoe House Wivenhoe House Hotel  

Friday 29 August 2025

Rooms: EBS 2.2, 2.65 & 2.66

Time Event Location Speakers
09:00 - 09:20 Tea and coffee EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
09:20 - 13:00 Session 5: Emerging topics in oxygen binding/sensing proteins EBS 2.2 Chairperson: Stefano Bruno
09:20 - 09:45 Illuminating Heme Loss from Hemoglobin: New Fluorescent Tools to Track Heme-Iron Flow During Infection EBS 2.2 Robert Clubb, University of California
09:45 - 10:10 Engineering heme stability in recombinant hemoglobin for the development of a prototype for stable hemoglobin based oxygen carrier EBS 2.2 Suman Kundu, University of Delhi
10:10 - 10:35 Reengineering hemoglobin for safer synthetic oxygen therapeutics EBS 2.2 Brandon Reeder, University of Essex
10:35 - 11:00 Molecular oxygen activation in the cofactor-less formyl glycine generating enzyme investigated using dose-resolved X-ray crystallography EBS 2.2 Marina Lucic, University of Essex
11:00 - 11:30 Morning refreshments and poster session EBS 2.65 & 2.66  
11:30 - 11:50 Remembering Professor Andrea Mozzarelli: A Life in Structure, Dynamics, and Function of Protein EBS 2.2 Luca Ronda, University of Parma
11:50 - 12:50 Abstract selected speakers:    
11:50 - 12:05 CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockouts of globins 1, 2 and 3 in Drosophila melanogaster EBS 2.2 Ruben Petry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
12:05 - 12:20 Mapping myoglobin expression in epithelial tissues using a cross-tissue single-cell atlas EBS 2.2 Michelle Hagmaier, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
12:20 - 12:35 Multi-Omics Analysis of Myoglobin Knockout Zebrafish Metabolism EBS 2.2 Ciska Bakkeren, Aarhus University
12:35 - 13:30 Closing remarks and poster/oral presentation prizes EBS 2.2  
13:30 Conference closes    
14:00 - 16:00 Practical workshop: Biophysical Methods for Studying Oxygen-Binding Heme Proteins (Limited numbers, sign-up sheet at registration desk or EBS 2.65)    

Registration Information

The registration fees include the following:

  • access to all scientific sessions
  • poster sessions
  • refreshments during coffee/tea breaks and lunches.

Please note that the registration will only be valid AFTER receiving the registration form and copy of the bank transfer. The registration fees are non-refundable.

Type of attendee Early Bird (Until July 25th) Online Registration (GBP)
Senior £350 £500
Post-Doc £250 £400
PhD Student  £180 £320
Registered Accompanying Person(s) £110 £110
1-Day only £150 £150
Social dinner  £60 £75
Social dinner (not registered) £75  N/A

PhD students and Post-Doc

Please send by email your student PhD card or other formal identification as proof of your student/PhD status or Post-Doc status

Registered Accompanying Persons(s)*

Registered accompanying persons may not be co-author of any oral or poster presentation, they have access to all symposia, oral and poster sessions, refreshments during coffee/tea breaks but will not receive an attendance certificate.

Please note: Only “Registered accompanying persons” will be allowed to accompany the speaker into the conference building/session.

Registration 1-Day only

For a limited number of people only, it is now available a flat 1-day only registration fee of £150.00. This is NOT valid for presenting authors.

This registration will allow you, for one day only (one date only), to attend both scientific and social events, including refreshments during coffee/tea breaks and excluding the Social Dinner.

Registration Form

Please complete the Registration Form to book your place for the conference. 

Organising and Scientific Committee

Explore the committees

Call for Abstracts

Call for Abstracts

How to get to Colchester Campus

Travel directions and parking

Accommodation info

Our Available Accommodation

Sponsors & Supporters

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Get in touch
Dr Brandon Reeder Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
School of Life Sciences
Telephone: +44 (0)1206 872119
School of Life Sciences University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Telephone: +44 (0)1206 873250
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