The Root and Branch of Discovery: Lessons on Life from the Archaea

The domain of life Archaea represents a vast diversity of organisms, metabolic strategies, genomes, and habitats worldwide. Thanks to the collaborative efforts by the community of researchers attending the GRC on “Archaea: Ecology Metabolism and Molecular Biology” since the meeting’s inception in 1984, discoveries abound, enabling unprecedented insight and rapid advances in archaeal biology. Recently, such knowledge advances have been enabled by new cross-disciplinary methods and ideas including metagenomics, cell biology, live imaging and biophysics, phylogenomics, biogeochemistry, metabolism, environmental microbiology and ecology, molecular biology and genetics, biochemistry, development of novel genetic systems, and discovery of new lineages. Collaboration across these fields, brought together in one meeting, enables general principles of life to be revealed. The 2023 meeting will continue the strong tradition of exciting, high quality cutting-edge science, this time centering on the theme of archaeal roots and branches, seeking to reveal general principles and notable exceptions in life’s history, with an aim to predict its future. The archaeal research community in attendance at this meeting has a rich tradition of inclusiveness and diversity in every sense. Practically, such a commitment is realized through an emphasis on talks selected from abstracts submitted by students, postdocs, and early career researchers, our new tradition of the Gordon Research Seminar started in 2019, and gender balance among speakers and organizers. Recent additions of a diversity “power hour”, poster preview talks to highlight poster sessions and foster interaction, and social outings enhance the experience. Co-chairs Thorsten Allers and Amy Schmid, as well as co-vice-chairs Kira Makarova and Tessa Quax, invite you to come join us in 2023!

GRC Speaker Abstract Deadline: Although applications will be accepted until the date noted above, any applicants who wish to be considered for an oral presentation should submit their application by April 16, 2023.