The 17th International Biophysics Congress (IBC) was held from October 30th to November 3rd, 2011 at the China National Convention Center, Beijing, under the auspices of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). IBC is the largest and most influential international meeting in the field of biophysics. This was the first time since its inception in 1961 that an IBC was held in China. The congress was sponsored by IUPAB and organized by the Biophysical Society of China (BSC) and the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBP, CAS).

Biophysics, as pointed out by CAS President Bai Chunli at the opening ceremony of the congress, is one of the most active fields and a leading frontier in life sciences research. The rapid development of biophysics has brought about radical change to many aspects of our society, creating new opportunities and making a tremendous contribution to human knowledge and the progress of civilization.

The five-day congress attracted 2500 participants from 41 countries across the world. More than 50% of the participants were from developing countries, representing the rapid development of biophysics in recent years in these regions. Many of the participants were internationally-renowned scientists, and included 3 Nobel laureates, and 40 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the British Royal Society.　

During the congress, Professor Zihe Rao, Chair of this congress, was elected as the President-elect of the IUPAB (2014-2017). This is the first time that a Chinese scientist has been elected as the IUPAB President. Professor Rao is a highly respected and accomplished biophysicist. He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the President of the Biophysical Society of China. He is an academic leader in his field and a faculty member of both the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tsinghua University.

The congress provided an excellent platform for communicating the latest progress in biophysics, exchanging ideas and sharing information, for envisioning future opportunities and directions for development, and for exploring and promoting international collaboration. Its 31 symposia, 3 satellite meetings, 2 workshops, and 1 forum, included more than 500 invited presentations covering almost all aspects of biophysics. It also offered awards to recognize and encourage the next generation of biophysicists. The congress has played an active role in promoting the development of biophysics.