Botany conferences

Investigate how carotenoids and their metabolites support photosynthesis, photoprotection, signalling and organismal health. Research presentations connect pigment biosynthesis and molecular function with retinoids, plant stress responses, animal coloration and human nutrition. The programme examines new metabolic pathways, crop biofortification, disease prevention and practical applications, with extensive discussion and poster sessions. 10–15 January: check-in begins Sunday at 14:00 and scientific introductions at 19:30; departure is Friday at 09:00. Times: America/Los_Angeles (PST, UTC−08:00). Apply by 13 December through a myGRC account; acceptance is selective and capacity limited. Undergraduates and applicants without a science/engineering bachelor’s degree or accepted equivalent are ineligible. Fees: US$1,890 single room, US$1,525 shared room or US$1,015 off-site. The earlier oral-presentation/fee-waiver deadline has passed. The associated GRS requires a separate application.

The meeting explores how diverse molecular architectures and regulatory mechanisms allow plants, algae and bacteria to photosynthesize under different light, temperature, water and nutrient conditions. Sessions address light harvesting, photoprotection, electron transport and the organization of photosynthetic complexes in living cells. Genetics, structural methods, multidimensional spectroscopy and computational models will connect molecular variation with physiological function. Natural diversity is examined as a source of mechanistic insight and potential strategies for improving crop and algal resilience. Attendance applications are reviewed and capacity may fill before the application deadline.