1st Satellite Meeting on the Evolution of Photosynthesis
Friday 31 July – Sunday 2 August
Location: Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Campus, Fogg Building
https://what3words.com/struck.villa.bowls
Lead organisers: Tanai Cardona (QMUL) and Conrad Mullineaux (QMUL)
Registration Fee: £200, including dinner party and lunches
We expect around 60 attendees, including well-known experts and emerging voices in the field, with a balanced mix of senior, mid-career, and early-career researchers. Our goal is to discuss the current state of the art in photosynthesis evolution, the remaining questions and controversies, and the key work still needed, within a welcoming, friendly space.
Confirmed Speakers
- Stefan Lalonde, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, CNRS
Archean rock record / Geochemistry
- Judith Klatt, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Cyanobacteria geobiology / Early Earth analogues
- Yusuke Tsukatani, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Evolution of photosystem and chlorophyll synthesis / Early evolution
- Anthony Burnetty, Georgia Institute of Technology
Priority effects and dual origin of phototrophy / Computational modelling
- Joanne Boden, University of Bristol
Cyanobacteria origin and diversification / Molecular clocks
- Luc Cornet, University of Liège (ULiège)
Origin and evolution of thylakoids / Thylakoid-less cyanobacteria
- Ming-Yang Ho, National Taiwan University,
Thylakoid-less cyanobacteria structural biology / Microbiology and biochemistry
- Sergio Muñoz-Gómez, Purdue University
Purple bacteria endosymbiosis / Photosynthetic eukaryotes
- Laura Antonaru, Freie Universität Berlin
Evolution of the far-red light photoacclimation response / Cyanobacteria
- David Lea-Smith, University of East Anglia
Cyanobacteria early adaptions to terrestrial environments
- Fabien Burki, Uppsala University
Origin of photosynthetic eukaryotes / Plastid origins
- Bojian Zhong, Nanjing Normal University
Evolution Light harvesting complexes / Photosynthetic eukaryotes
- Georg Hochberg, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Evolution of molecular complexes / Rubisco evolution
- James Barret, University of York
Evolution of carbon concentrating mechanisms / Carboxysome and pyrenoids
- Tianshu Sun, University of Cambridge
Evolution of C4 photosynthesis
- Chris Duffy, Queen Mary University of London
Astrobiology perspectives / Computational modelling
- Nancy Kiang, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Astrobiology perspectives / Extraterrestrial photosynthesis / Detection
Meeting Topics
1. Deep-time and early earth, including geochemistry, geobiology, microfossils, and astrobiological perspectives and considerations
2. The origin and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, including the evolution of anoxygenic photosynthesis, cyanobacteria and non-photosynthetic relatives.
a. Option 1: hosting a debate on controversial topics regarding the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis
b. Option 2: a session on the evolution of aerobic respiration, oxygen-using enzymes, and/or rhodopsin-based phototrophy, within the context of informing the origin and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis
3. Pigment evolution, and evolution of light-harvesting systems and photoprotective mechanisms. Can include evolution of tetrapyrrole, carotenoid, phycobilin synthesis, as well as the evolution of the diversity of light harvesting complexes, and their role in protection.
4. Evolution of carbon fixation pathways and carbon concentrating mechanisms. It does not necessarily need to be solely focused on CBB pathway and rubisco but could include other pathways as well such as Wood–Ljungdahl pathway.
5. The origin and diversification of photosynthetic eukaryotes, including the origin and diversification of primary, secondary, and tertiary plastids, diversification and evolutionary adaptation of algae and land plants within the context of photosynthesis
6. A short session with considerations on the future of the evolution and adaptations of photosynthesis to a changing planet
Abstract Submission
Abstract submission for this satellite meeting is via the regular ICPR26 page.
You have the opportunity to submit a abstract for only this meeting or for this meeting and the ICPR26 main meeting.
If you would like to submit different abstracts for this and the main meeting then you must make two abstract submissions.