Abstract

The 2021 Carotenoid Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is a multidisciplinary meeting that addresses the biology of carotenoids and their derivatives apocarotenoids, in microorganisms, plants and mammals, including humans. Carotenoids are synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and some non-photosynthetic microbes. Besides their vital role in photoprotection and light-harvesting, carotenoids are precursors of established and novel apocarotenoid hormones and regulatory metabolites involved in many aspects of plant-s life, including development and intra-specific communications. Unable to synthesize carotenoids, mammals, including humans, obtain these pigments through the diet and convert them into retinoids (vitamin A and its derivatives). Indeed, biofortification of staple crops with carotenoids remains a major strategy to prevent the overwhelming public health issue of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). In addition, carotenoids are used by mammals as antioxidants and for pigmentation (as in macular pigment of the human fovea). Overall, dietary carotenoids and apocarotenoids provide a plethora of health benefits to humans, modulating vision, cognitive functions, embryonic development and growth, as well as preveting onset and development of chronic diseases.