Energy-Transducing Organelles at the Nexus of Evolutionary Biology and Synthetic Engineering

The Gordon Research Conference on Mitochondria and Chloroplasts is an international meeting that brings together researchers studying the biology of these organelles across diverse eukaryotic systems. The 2026 conference will maintain its interdisciplinary focus, encouraging interactions among scientists working in many eukaryotic organisms including animal, fungal, and plant systems. This cross-system perspective supports the exchange of ideas beyond the boundaries typically defined by experimental models.The five-day conference is held in a remote setting to foster informal interactions, scientific exchange, and collaboration. The program focuses on presentations of unpublished research, with dedicated time for discussion following each talk. Poster sessions and shared meals offer additional opportunities for networking among participants at all career stages.Mitochondria and chloroplasts are distinguished by their endosymbiotic origin, their semiautonomous genomes, and their essential roles in energy conversion and metabolism. The 2026 meeting will highlight advances in a broad range of topics, including organelle evolution, gene expression systems, protein import and complex assembly, metabolic pathways, proteostasis, responses to fluctuating environments, non-canonical and novel endosymbiotically-acquired organelles, and synthetic or high-throughput approaches to organelle biology. By emphasizing basic science and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue, the conference aims to advance understanding of organelle function and dynamics across eukaryotic life.