The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia will host the first Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting (APSPM 2026), a regional meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE), on February 15 to 18, 2026.
This four-day event will focus on how protein structure and AI driven modelling are transforming the field of molecular evolution. As computational methods advance, structural phylogenetics, the integration of three-dimensional protein data into evolutionary analysis, is redefining how we understand protein diversity, function, and history.
Since the explosion of AI protein structure prediction, we now have a wealth of data that evolutionary biology has not fully tapped into yet. This meeting will bridge that gap by connecting structural biologists, evolutionary theorists, and computational modelers.
APSPM 2026 is open to anyone, regardless of discipline or background. Whether you work in evolutionary biology, computational science, or biochemistry, you will find ways to apply these methods in your own research. This is about building a community for the next decades of molecular evolution research. Australasia is taking the lead in connecting structure and evolution, and that makes this a very exciting moment for the field.
Confirmed plenary speakers include Professor Joanna Masel (University of Arizona) and Senior Lecturer Nicholas Matzke (University of Auckland), along with invited researchers from South Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and across Australasia.
Participants will explore topics ranging from structural homology detection and phylogenetic inference from protein structure to the use of protein language model embeddings in evolutionary research. Three interactive workshops will give attendees practical experience with tools such as Foldseek and IQ TREE.
Registration is free, and travel grants are available for students and early career researchers, particularly those from underrepresented regions.
Event Details
Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting (APSPM 2026)
Venue: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Dates: February 15 to 18, 2026
Format: Hybrid (in-person and virtual)
Registration: free
Abstract and travel grant deadline: November 28, 2025