Until recently, eukaryotic organelles were thought to act largely autonomously, to create optimized environments for chemical reactions in defined cellular locations. With the advent of high-resolution (live-) imaging and novel molecular techniques, the picture emerging is one of physical interactions between organelles being required to coordinate essential physiological processes. Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are found between virtually all compartments of the cell. MCS formation and abundance is linked to several diseases, and research in an increasing number of laboratories is focused on MCSs to further understand their architecture and their function in immune responses, apoptosis, organelle dynamics, calcium- and lipid homeostasis. The molecular and functional bases of contact sites are therefore topic of the EMBO Workshop, which will take place 15-18 September 2016, in beautiful Chia, Italy. Our scientific program comprises high profile international speakers and two keynote speakers, who will discuss the topic from various angles, including associations to diseases.

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