Bert Vallee had planned that the 2010 Summer Meeting would take place in Iceland, but the location was quickly moved to Boston when it became clear that his health was deteriorating. In the end, he died just three months beforehand. He would have enjoyed the stimulating papers and lively discussion that revolved around the themes of the symposium: Protein Structure and Function, Molecular Medicine, Remembering Bert L Vallee, Preparing for the Next Generation of Scientists.