Reengineering Photosynthetic Organelles

The 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Chloroplast Biotechnology will present cutting-edge research by an international group of scientists interested in experimental approaches to probe chloroplast structure and function and to exploit plastome engineering for biotechnological applications. The meeting is particularly timely in bringing together a growing community of scientists, combining fundamental studies on chloroplast molecular biology with applications in agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and healthcare. The focus of the meeting will be on flowering plants and microalgae, but photosynthetic bacteria will also be covered as long as they provide a useful template for applications in crops.

Speakers will provide an update on all aspects of chloroplast gene expression. Emphasis will be on the role of nuclear-encoded, organelle-targeted RNA-binding proteins, the functions of which are largely unknown. Applications will include engineering plastid-encoded genes to improve plant productivity and boost biofuel production. Introduction of novel biosynthetic pathways in the plastid genome through engineering polycistronic operons will be examples for synthetic biology applications. We will also showcase engineering complex chloroplast-localized processes such as conversion of C3 to C4 photosynthesis and engineering nitrogen fixation into crops by engineering chloroplast and nuclear genes. Production of vaccines, industrial enzymes, and human therapeutic proteins in chloroplasts will also be discussed. Plastid engineering is routine in a handful of crops. Technical advances needed to extend the technology to new crops and development of new regulated expression systems will be part of the program.

The conference, because of its relatively small size, will provide an excellent opportunity for information exchange for researchers from public research institutions as well as the biotechnology industries. It is hoped that this interaction will spawn new ideas, research strategies, and ultimately commercial products.