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Photosynthesis

Gordon Research Conference

June 22 - 27, 2008
Chair Wim Vermaas
Vice Chair Doug Bruce
Mount Holyoke College
50 College Street
South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

Photosynthesis is the most prevalent, natural way to convert solar energy to chemical energy in living systems, and is a major mechanism to ameliorate rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere and to contribute to sustainable biofuels production. Photosynthesis is a particularly interdisciplinary field of research, with contributions from plant and microbial physiology, biochemistry, spectroscopy, etc. The Photosynthesis GRC is a venue by which scientists with expertise in complementary approaches such as solar energy conversion, molecular mechanisms of electron transfer, and “systems biology” (molecular physiology) of photosynthetic organisms come together to exchange data and ideas and to forge new collaborations. The 2008 Photosynthesis GRC will focus on important new findings related to, for example:

  • function, structure, assembly, degradation, motility and regulation of photosynthetic complexes
  • energy and electron transfer in photosynthetic systems; regulation and rate limitations
  • synthesis, degradation and regulation of cofactors (pigments, etc.)
  • functional, structural and regulatory interactions between photosynthesis and the physiology of the organism
  • organisms with unusual photosynthetic properties, and insights from metagenomics and evolution
  • bioenergy strategies involving solar energy conversion, and practical applications for photosynthetic organisms

This Conference will be immediately preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar on Photosynthesis (June 21-22, 2008, at the same location). This GRS prior to the Conference is designed for and organized by graduate students and postdocs, and is a mechanism to further encourage active participation by younger scientists interested in photosynthesis and its applications.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Photosynthesis" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

SUNDAY
2:00 pm - 11:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm Perspectives on Bioenergy and Photosynthesis I
Discussion Leader: Daniel Nocera (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
7:40 pm - 8:30 pmAlexander M. Cruickshank Lecture: Daniel Nocera (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
"Make like a leaf - A roadmap to addressing the global energy challenge"
8:30 pm - 8:45 pm Discussion
8:45 pm - 9:05 pmMatthew Posewitz (Colorado School of Mines and National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
"Hydrogen production in water-oxidizing, phototrophic organisms: examination of the metabolic pathways"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm General Discussion
MONDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
8:45 amGroup Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm Energy Transfer and Quenching
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Krishna Niyogi (University of California - Berkeley)
"Introductory remarks"
9:15 am - 9:35 amRoberto Bassi (University of Verona)
"Dynamics of Lhcb proteins during excess light dissipation"
9:35 am - 9:45 am Discussion
9:45 am - 10:05 amAlexander Ruban (Queen Mary, University of London)
"Molecular events leading to the efficient and flexible energy dissipation in the photosystem II antenna"
10:05 am - 10:15 am Discussion
10:15 am Coffee Break
10:45 am - 11:05 amDiana Kirilovsky (CEA-Saclay)
"A photoactive carotenoid protein essential for photoprotection in cyanobacteria"
11:05 am - 11:15 am Discussion
11:15 am - 11:35 amLeszek Fiedor (Jagellonian University)
"Molecular determinants of assembly and functioning of photosynthetic antenna complexes"
11:35 am - 11:45 am Discussion
11:45 am - 12:05 pm Petra Fromme (Arizona State University)
"Photosystem I and its supercomplexes"
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm New Organisms and Evolutionary Considerations
7:30 pm - 7:45 pmDiscussion Leader: Robert Blankenship (Washington University)
"Introductory remarks"
7:45 pm - 8:05 pmDonald Bryant (Pennsylvania State University)
"Phishing for phototrophs in Yellowstone: metagenomics and the discovery of a sixth bacterial phylum with chlorophototrophs"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:35 pmRachael Morgan-Kiss (Miami University)
"Balancing the energy budget in the enigmatic photopsychrophile, Chlamydomonas raudensis UWO241"
8:35 pm - 8:45 pm Discussion
8:45 pm - 9:05 pmChris Howe (University of Cambridge)
"Evolution the tinkerer - the story of cytochrome c6A"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
TUESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm Supermolecular Structures and Assembly
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Beverley Green (University of British Columbia)
"Introductory remarks"
9:15 am - 9:35 amConrad Mullineaux (Queen Mary, University of London)
"Dynamics of supermolecular photosynthetic structures in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts"
9:35 am - 9:45 am Discussion
9:45 am - 10:05 amZiv Reich (Weizmann Institute)
"Architecture and plasticity of thylakoid membrane networks"
10:05 am - 10:15 am Discussion
10:15 am Coffee Break
10:45 am - 11:05 amEgbert Boekema (University of Groningen)
"Electron microscopic investigations of photosystem I and photosystem II supercomplexes"
11:05 am - 11:15 am Discussion
11:15 am - 11:35 amHelmut Kirchhoff (University of Muenster)
"Photosynthesis at the supramolecular level: Implications of macromolecular crowding for membrane functions"
11:35 am - 11:45 am Discussion
11:45 am - 12:05 pmCongming Lu (Chinese Academy of Science)
"Identification of a multiprotein complex required for photosystem II assembly in Arabidopsis thaliana"
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Photosynthesis in the Oceans
7:30 pm - 7:45 pmDiscussion Leader: Paul Falkowski (Rutgers University)
"Introductory remarks"
7:45 pm - 8:05 pmChris Bowler (Ecole Normale Superieure)
"Genome-enabled studies of photosynthesis in marine diatoms"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:35 pmShaun Bailey (Carnegie Institution of Washington)
"Alternative electron pathways in marine cyanobacteria"
8:35 pm - 8:45 pm Discussion
8:45 pm - 9:05 pm Felisa Wolfe-Simon (Harvard University)
"The geobiochemical evolution of the photosynthetic metalloproteome"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
WEDNESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm Photosynthesis and Regulatory Interactions
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Neil Hunter (University of Sheffield)
"Introductory remarks"
9:15 am - 9:35 amAnja Krieger-Liszkay (CEA-Saclay)
"Photosynthetic electron flow and H2O2 signaling in Chlamydomonas"
9:35 am - 9:45 am Discussion
9:45 am - 10:05 amAnnegret Wilde (Humboldt University)
"The potential of cyanobacterial non-coding RNAs in regulation of photosynthetic processes"
10:05 am - 10:15 am Discussion
10:15 am Coffee Break
10:45 am - 11:05 amRoman Sobotka (Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Microbiology)
"The role of ferrochelatase in the regulation of the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway in Synechocystis 6803"
11:05 am - 11:15 am Discussion
11:15 am - 11:35 amMasahiko Ikeuchi (University of Tokyo)
"Chromatic regulatory system of phycobilisome in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: A new green light receptor and unusual phycobilisome"
11:35 am - 11:45 am Discussion
11:45 am - 12:05 pmMarion Eisenhut (University of Rostock)
"New insights into cyanobacterial photorespiratory metabolism"
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pmBusiness Meeting
(Nominations for the next Vice Chair; Fill out Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss future Site & Scheduling preferences; Election of the next Vice Chair)
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Energy Conversion Factors and Limits
7:30 pm - 7:45 pmDiscussion Leader: Thomas Moore (Arizona State University)
"Introductory remarks"
7:45 pm - 8:05 pmRon Milo (Harvard University)
"What governs the reaction center excitation wavelength of photosystems I and II"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:35 pmDavid Kramer (Washington State University)
"Why is photosynthesis so inefficient, and what (if anything) can we do about it?"
8:35 pm - 8:45 pm Discussion
8:45 pm - 9:05 pmJohn Golbeck (Pennsylvania State University)
"Synthesis of a hybrid Photosystem I/molecular wire/hydrogenase bioconjugate for the photocatalytic production of H2"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
THURSDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm Photosynthetic Electron Flow
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: William Rutherford (CEA-Saclay)
"Introductory remarks"
9:15 am - 9:35 amEva-Mari Aro (University of Turku)
"Auxiliary proteins involved in regulation, maintenance and repair of PSII"
9:35 am - 9:45 am Discussion
9:45 am - 10:05 am William Cramer (Purdue University)
"Properties of the prosthetic groups unique to the cytochrome b6f complex"
10:05 am - 10:15 am Discussion
10:15 am Coffee Break
10:45 am - 11:05 amKevin Redding (Arizona State University)
"Disassembly and degradation of Photosystem I by a multi-protein complex"
11:05 am - 11:15 am Discussion
11:15 am - 11:35 am Giovanni Finazzi (Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique)
"Fate of electrons leaving Photosystem I"
11:35 am - 11:45 am Discussion
11:45 am - 12:05 pmMark Schoettler (Max-Planck-Institute, Golm)
"Metabolic control of photosynthetic electron transport"
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm Discussion
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm General Discussion (Including Posters)
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm Recognition of Young Investigators
8:30 pm - 9:30 pm Perspectives on Bioenergy and Photosynthesis II
8:30 pm - 8:40 pmDiscussion Leader: Daniel Nocera (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
"Introductory remarks"
8:40 pm - 9:20 pmYusuf Chisti (Massey University)
"Energy from microalgae"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
FRIDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDeparture

Contributors

Conference Links

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