THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE (GRC) AND GORDON RESEARCH SEMINAR (GRS) ON PHOTOSENSORY RECEPTORS AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION (MARCH 2ND - 8TH, 2024). THE GRS, WHICH IS PRIMARILY ATTENDED BY JUNIOR SCIENTISTS, AND THE GRC, WHICH FEATURES ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS BY LEADING RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD, AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE FACILITATED DISCUSSION SESSIONS, WILL BRING TOGETHER INVESTIGATORS FROM BROAD RANGING DISCIPLINES TO DISCUSS AND ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PHOTOSENSORY SYSTEMS IN BIOLOGY. LIGHT PROVIDES ONE OF THE PRIMARY ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI ON OUR PLANET AND NATURE HAS EVOLVED A REMARKABLE REPERTOIRE OF CHROMOPHORE-CONTAINING MACROMOLECULES TO ALLOW VARIED AND EXTENSIVE RESPONSES TO SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS AND INTENSITIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION. THE CHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE RICH, COMPLEX AND BEARS ON OUR ABILITY TO IMPROVE METHODS TO HARVEST ENERGY AND CONTROL BIOLOGY WITH LIGHT. INDEED, UNDERSTANDING HOW LIGHT SIGNALS ARE TRANSMITTED AND PROCESSED HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PLANT GROWTH AND INCREASE CROP YIELDS THROUGH OPTIMIZED PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND DEVELOPMENT. LIGHT IS ALSO A KEY FACTOR IN PLANT HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS AND THEREBY RELATES TO DISEASE PREVENTION. ALGAL PHOTORECEPTION IS A CRITICAL FEATURE OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION. COUPLED LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE PERCEPTION BY PLANTS AND ALGAE MEDIATE RESPONSES TO WEATHER PATTERNS AND CLIMATE CHANGE. UNDERSTANDING AND ADAPTING TO THESE WIDE-RANGING AND COMPLEX ISSUES REQUIRES INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES. THE THEMES OF THE GRC AND GRS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO EMPHASIZE THE MOST IMPORTANT, UNIVERSAL QUESTIONS SURROUNDING PHOTORECEPTION AND TO STIMULATE THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AMONG DIVERSE RESEARCHERS TO SOLVE THEM.