Conference: "22nd Western Photosynthesis Conference: From Engineering to the Environment?"; January 3-6, 2013; Asilomar, CA

Carnegie Institution Of Washington, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit: Photosynthesis is the most dominant energy conversion process on the planet. Understanding how photosynthesis functions at the mechanistic and regulatory levels will allow man to exploit energy capture and storage performed by photoautotrophic organisms by redirecting energy flow into high density fuels and/or electrical current. Designing scientific platforms that capture photosynthetic energy will require the skills of biologists who understand physiological and biochemical processes, molecular biologists and bioengineers, who can modify those processes in specific ways, biophysicists who can help predict the consequences of some of the potential modifications and provide the analytical tools to assay those consequences, and electrical and mechanical engineers who can help build systems that interface with or mimic the biological systems. It is with this diverse view of photosynthetic processes that the 22nd Western Photosynthesis Conference will be convened in Asilomar California on Jan 3-6, 2013. This meeting will present a broad landscape of photosynthesis, providing the attendees with the most up-to-date view of photosynthetic processes ranging from photosynthetic electron transport and energy conversion, to the fixation of carbon in cultured organisms and ecological systems, to a new understanding of the dynamics of the oxygen evolving complex. Included in the program are two Plenary Speakers, Dr. Thomas Jaramillo, a young faculty member (Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University) investigating water splitting and hydrogen evolution on surfaces coated with inorganic catalysts, and Dr. Stephen Palumbi (Director of the Hopkins Marine Station), who has developed a project exploring the health of the coral reefs and the role of photosynthesis in the biology of the reefs in a changing environment. There will also be six symposium sessions which are: An Engineers View of Photosynthesis, chaired by Dr. Thomas Moore (Arizona State University), The Diversity of Photosynthetic and Related Metabolic Processes in the Oceanic Environment, chaired by Dr. Jonathan Zehr (UC Santa Cruz), Photosynthetic Structure and Function, chaired by Dr. Petra Fromme and Dr. Rebekka Wachter (Arizona State University), Genomics and the Use of High-Throughput Technologies, chaired by Dr. Martin Jonikas (Carnegie Institution for Science), The Biophysics and Biochemistry of the Light Reactions, chaired by Dr. Junko Yano and Dr. Bruno Robert, and The Use of Inorganic Carbon and Potential Production of Fuels, chaired by Dr. Donald Ort, Chair. Overall, this meeting will bring together open-minded researchers with a diversity of technical expertise and different ways of thinking about systems and processes that will lead to a deeper understanding of photosynthetic processes and rational ways to tailor the process to help create more robust systems for sustaining the growing population on the planet. Broader Impact: This meeting will have over 100 attendees with approximately 65 students and postdoctoral research associates and over 35 senior scientists (Professors and staff at research institutes). It is a meeting in which, traditionally, strong interactions occur among scientists at all career levels, often leading to fruitful collaborations. Furthermore, usually nearly half of the attending students and postdoctoral research associates are expected to give oral presentations and most of the remainder will present posters. The meeting provides an excellent venue for the younger scientists to develop their communication skills. This year the students will be provided with novel orientations toward understanding photosynthetic processes, including "Photosynthesis in the Environment" (an environment which is rapidly changing), and the "The Eye of the Engineer on Photosynthetic Energy Capture" (the use of engineering principles to understand and exploit photosynthetic processes). In the view of the organizers, it is critical that the students who will help shape the scientific future of the planet understand the complexity of photosynthetic processes, how cross-disciplinary approaches result in a more realistic and precise view of photosynthesis in the natural environment, and also help develop potential paths that will ameliorate the energy crisis looming in the future.