Abstract

Photosynthesis forms the energetic basis for the Earth’s biosphere, food production, and is responsible for the abundance of oxygen in the atmosphere. It also is the major mechanism to mitigate rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere and provide biofuel and biomimetic solutions for sustainable energy production. Despite its importance, many aspects of the natural photosynthetic mechanism still await discovery ranging from advanced biophysical techniques to new approaches in artificial photosynthesis and bioenergy conversion. The conference will bridge multiple disciplines to unravel the dynamics, structure and function of photosynthetic processes and discuss their biosolar energy applications. The Photosynthesis GRC represents a unique opportunity to facilitate intense and productive communication between researchers from multiple disciplines, all sharing a common interest in photosynthesis. Given the interdisciplinary nature of photosynthesis research, the invited speakers will represent a diverse array of scientific approaches aimed understanding key aspects of photosynthesis. Graduate students and postdocs will have the opportunity to present their latest research findings and discuss their results with leaders in the field during highly interactive poster sessions schedule throughout the conference. The keynote session will be focused on advanced biophysical approaches for resolving molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis. A special session of the Conference will be devoted to short talks by junior scientists that have been selected for their exciting results given in the poster session. Overall, the diversity of topics and technical approaches will provide an extremely stimulating multidisciplinary environment for junior and senior scientists alike.