2017 CO2 Assimilation in Plants from Genome to Biome Gordon Research Conference, Lucca, Italy

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Plants and algae use the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats through photosynthesis. This is arguably the most important process on the planet as the source, directly or indirectly, of all our food, most of our fuel and fibers, and the oxygen that we breathe. Global dietary trends and population growth mean that by 2050 the world will require 70% more food from crops, and ultimately from photosynthesis, than it is producing today. To avoid destroying more forest and other prime habitat while not stressing water and fertilizer resources, we need to produce this extra 70% on land currently in use for food production, such as the US Midwest. However, the techniques that gave us large yield increases during the Green Revolution are now reaching their biological limits, and new innovations are needed. Photosynthesis in today's crops achieves less than 20% of its theoretical efficiency in terms of use of solar energy, water, and nitrogen fertilizer, and there has been little improvement in crops over the last 100 years. Scientific understanding of the process has developed rapidly. In 2016, it became possible for the first time to move this understanding from the computer and laboratory to demonstrate productivity increases on farm fields. This meeting will bring together experts and young scientists inspired by these developments to discuss how these fundamental science advances are being and will be applied in crop production to the benefit of global food supply, the environment, and rural economies. Advancing and applying our understanding of CO2 assimilation in plants and algae has never been more important to society than it is today. The world faces the dual challenges of producing adequate food for mid-century sustainably and identifying new opportunities to generate renewable raw materials for biomanufacturing. This meeting will address these challenges from the gene level to the global level by discussing emerging advances in our understanding and their application. Topics include: engineering increased photosynthesis for food security and bioenergy; synthetic photosynthetic CO2 assimilatory pathways; phenomics in accelerating improvement in CO2 assimilation and yield; overcoming oxygenation at Rubisco; the evolution and development of the CO2 assimilation apparatus; inter-compartmental fluxes; kinetic modeling of CO2 assimilation; what is new in carbon concentrating mechanisms; prospects for modifying stomatal responses and mesophyll conductance; adapting to atmospheric change; quantification of global sinks for CO2; and engineering landscapes to offset climate change.