Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The topic of this conference is highly relevant to the USDA as the focus of this conference is engineering of chloroplast for industrially important biomolecules. Generally recognized benefits of plastid engineering (as compared to engineering of the nuclear genome) are the ability of high-level protein expression from plastid transgenes, expression of multiple genes in operons, and transgene containment in crops in which only the maternal parent inherits plastids, thereby preventing transgene flow via pollen. This conference will present and stimulate novel research relevant to engineering of chloroplasts to improve agricultural performance and/or produce novel biomolecules at industrial scale for health, food or biofuel. This conference will foster collaboration and innovations in chloroplast (plastid) engineering between junior and senior researchers.This conference will bring to together expertise in all key technologies as well as expertise in the fundamental biology of chloroplasts. This will greatly stimulate and accelerate advancement of chloroplast biotechnology and its impact of agriculture and human health and catalyze collaboration between researchers in the public and private sectors.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
This conference will present and stimulate novel research relevant to engineering of chloroplasts to improve agricultural performance and/or produce novel biomolecules at industrial scale for health, food or biofuel.The specific obejectives are to generate a high quality conference that will foster collaboration and innovations in chloroplast (plastid) engineering between junior and senior researchers.
Project Methods
This GRC has the time-tested template of 3.5-hr morning and 2.5-hr evening sessions, separated by a break providing ample opportunity for informal one-on-one interaction. In addition, daily 2-hr poster sessions will be additional catalysts for interaction. This GRC is divided in nine sessions: i) Organellar Genome Diversity and Evolution, ii) Engineering Organellar Genomes, iii) Controlling Plastid Transcription & RNA metabolism, iv) Controlling Plastid Translation & Protein Stability, v) Engineering Chloroplasts for Plant Resilience & Productivity, vi) Engineering of Carbon Fixation, vii) Specialized Plastids and Engineered Functions , viii) Plastid Metabolic Engineering & Cellular Integration, ix) SynBio of Photosynthetic Organisms & Artificial Photosynthesis. Applications will be discussed in four areas: (1) DNA editing of plastid genomes; (2) engineering photosynthesis and the plastid genome to improve plant productivity; (3) engineering novel pathways into chloroplasts; (4) engineering novel agronomic traits into chloroplasts with transgene containment. The GRC will again be accompanied by a Gordon Research Seminar, allowing graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to make oral presentations and network with other junior investigators. The interactive, informal environment will allow interactions between senior experts from the US and abroad, trainees and young investigators.