Formerly entitled "CO₂ Fixation and Metabolism in Green Plants", this long-standing Gordon Research Conference dealing with photosynthetic carbon assimilation has been held on a triennial basis since 1976. In 1990 it was decided to alternate sites between the U.S. and Western Europe. In 2002 it was held at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, so the 2005 conference will move to Europe to the Centre Paul Langevin in Aussois, a charming resort village in the French Alps.

The 2005 conference covers basic plant research related to photosynthesis, and subsequent carbon and nitrogen assimilation and regulation, from the molecular level through to its ecological and environmental significance. As such, the meeting provides a rare opportunity for integration between molecular, cellular and ecological studies, and for researchers from different disciplines to interact. Emphasis is placed on the most recent developments, including the application of cutting-edge techniques, and rapidly emerging new topics. A special characteristic of this conference is its "intimacy" with approximately 100 conferees, ranging from beginning graduate students and postdoctoral associates to leading senior plant scientists, engaged in open and forward-thinking discussions in an informal, friendly setting. With extended time devoted to discussion, and the encouragement to challenge dogma, it is unlike other meetings in the U.S. or abroad. Other novel features of the conference are sessions devoted to the latest "hot off the press" findings, and the opportunity for early career scientists to present interesting new data and "test drive" hypotheses in a collegial atmosphere.