Engineering Plastids for a Sustainable Bio-economy

The Chloroplast Biotechnology GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes an array of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field. The conference will present cutting-edge research in all areas relevant to molecular studies of plastids and their engineering to improve existing functions or introduce new functions. The meeting will bring together a growing community of scientists who combine fundamental studies on the biology and diversity of plastids and related organelles with new engineering biology tools to manipulate their genomes, proteomes or metabolomes; ultimately leading to a wide range of new applications in agriculture, industrial biotechnology (IB) or the pharmaceutical sector. Chloroplasts are key biosynthetic organelles and improving their photosynthetic efficiency through radical redesigns in energy transduction and carbon assimilation is a key goal in developing future crops and light-driven IB platforms. In parallel, designer plastids hold great promise for the synthesis of high-value recombinant products such as therapeutic proteins and bioactive metabolites. The genetic engineering of the plastid genome (plastome) is now routine in many plants and algae, so the technology is now moving to synthetic biology solutions based on expression of multiple genes under sophisticated control circuits. Indeed, the relatively simple genetic system of the plastid is now a prime target for ambitious projects aimed at the creation of totally synthetic plastomes with enhanced traits. The basic science underpinning these advances (genome structure and replication, control of gene expression, protein synthesis and import, assembly of protein complexes, protein quality control and turnover, plastid metabolism, metabolite transport) will be covered where relevant to these biotechnological applications. Similarly, the application of advanced modelling, analytical and imaging technologies in the exploration and re-design of the plastid will be covered. This conference is designed to attract attendees from both academia and the biotechnology industry and is intended to catalyse discussion and collaboration between researchers in the public and private sectors.