The theme of the 13th International Congress of Photosynthesis is "A fundamental knowledge of photosynthesis leading to improved plant productivity and a balanced global climate." Photosynthesis supplies most of the energy required for life on Earth and is the ultimate source of most of the energy used to power human civilization. As the key process in the global carbon cycle, photosynthesis has a critical impact on global CO2 levels. The new millennium has come with an acute international awareness of the effects of elevated CO2 on global climate, and the Montréal meeting will provide an important forum for top international researchers to discuss photosynthesis and climate change solutions. As steward of so much of the Earth's land mass and freshwater, Canada has a strong interest in global CO2 and is proud to be hosting this important meeting in Montréal.

Photosynthetic organisms have not been confronted with levels of CO2 as high as present day for over 10 million years. Their individual responses to the continued increase in CO2 are amazingly varied and just beginning to be understood. This issue is at the heart of photosynthesis research, and the ramifications are crucial to both the primary productivity of the biosphere and global climate. The opening morning session of the conference will be focused on a global perspective of photosynthesis with two public plenary talks dedicated to this theme. Symposia and discussion sessions on global carbon and climate change solutions will follow, and will be open to interested representatives from industry and government as well as all conference attendees.

The main work of the conference is, of course, the understanding of photosynthesis at all levels of inquiry. The scientific program will reflect the variety of interests of participating international photosynthesis researchers. Participants will find plenary lectures, symposia and discussion sessions focusing on a number of specific topics within each of the following broad areas:

1. Antenna and Reaction Centres
2. Electron and Proton Transport, ATPase
3. Carbon Assimilation and Biosynthesis
4. Stress, Adaptation and Regulation
5. Agriculture and Biotechnology
6. Ecology, Environment and Global Perspectives

The scientific program of the conference will be delivered over five full days, and includes many opportunities for interaction at different levels. Research ideas and data will be disseminated and discussed via plenary talks, symposia, discussion and poster sessions. There will be 12 plenary talks chosen to highlight key areas and covering a wide range of topics. During the conference, 32 symposia, in four concurrent sessions, will be delivered in both morning and afternoon sessions, each followed by its own discussion session and evening poster session. Each symposium session will feature a brief introduction by the chair and a talk from a key international researcher in the field. The remainder of the session will feature four talks by "selected speakers" who are chosen by the chair and discussion leader based on the originality, innovation and impact of their submitted poster abstracts. Discussion sessions will feature a "talk from your seat" format and will be facilitated by the chair and discussion leader. The discussion leader will stimulate exchanges by identifying controversial issues, asking for comments from specific participants and encouraging questions and debate. Further, more detailed, discussion of the research data will take place at the poster sessions.


Program and Abstract Web site



PLENARY SPEAKERS

• Jim Barber, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
• Carl Bauer, Indiana University, USA
• Gary Brudvig, Yale University, USA
• William Cramer, Purdue University, USA
• Chris Field, Carnegie Institution of Washington and Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, USA
• Petra Fromme, Arizona State University, USA
• Jean-David Rochaix, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
• Alison Smith, The John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
• Ayumi Tanaka, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
• Rienk Van Grondelle, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Susanne von Caemmerer, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

• Thijs J. Aartsma, Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Don Bryant, Penn State, USA
• Wenrui Chang, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China
• Nigel Crawford, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
• Holger Dau, Freie University, Berlin, Germany
• David Dennis, Queens University, Ontario, Canada
• Karl-Josef Dietz, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
• Les Dutton, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA
• Hideya Fukuzawa, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• John Heidelberg, The Institute for Genomic Research, Rockville, USA
• Ralph Henry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
• Dr. Wolfgang R. Hess, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Julian Hibberd, Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Stefan Jansson, Umea University, Umea, Sweden
• Michael Johnson, University of Georgia, USA
• Ralf Kaldenhoff, Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie und Biophysik, Universität Würzburg, Germany
• Jan Kern, Technical University, Berlin, Germany
• Bill Martin, Institut für Botanik III, Heinrich-Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
• Nathan Nelson, Dept. of Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Israel
• Chris Pickett, Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
• Fabrice Rappaport, Paris, France
• Fabrice Rébeillé, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
• Andre Remy, Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
• Alistair Rogers, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, USA
• Alexander Ruban, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
• Klaus Schulten, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
• Jen Sheen, Harvard University, Boston, USA
• Bill Smith, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
• Robert Spreitzer, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
• Dietmar Stehlik, Free University, Berlin, Germany
• Iwane Suzuki, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
• Alison Telfer, Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kindgom

Sunday, August 29
1:00 p.m.	Arrival, registration and poster hanging
6:00 p.m.	Mixer Buffet
Monday, August 30
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Plenary Lectures 1
10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.	Symposia: S1A Proton-coupled electron transport and ATPase S1B Photooxidative stress, photoinhibition S1C Photosynthate transport and transporters S1D Photosynthesis and global change
12:20 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D1A Proton-coupled electron transport and ATPase D1B Photooxidative stress, photoinhibition D1C Photosynthate transport and transporters D1D Photosynthesis and global change
2:40 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.	Symposia: S2A Type I reaction centres S2B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Light reactions S2C Carbon and nitrogen interactions S2D Marine photosynthesis and production
4:50 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D2A Type I reaction centres D2B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Light reactions D2C Carbon and nitrogen interactions D2D Marine photosynthesis and production
5:50 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.	Posters: P1A Proton coupled electron transport and ATPase P1B Photooxidative stress, photoinhibition P1C Photosynthate transport and transporters P1D Photosynthesis and global change P2A Type I reaction centres P2B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Light reactions P2C Carbon and nitrogen interactions P2D Marine photosynthesis and production
Tuesday, August 31
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Plenary Lectures 2
10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.	Symposia: S3A Bacteriochlorophyll based antenna systems S3B Photosynthetic acclimation: Ecophysiology, diverse environments S3C C3 and Rubisco S3D Genomic, proteomic and related technologies
12:20 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D3A Bacteriochlorophyll based antenna systems D3B Photosynthetic acclimation: Ecophysiology, diverse environments D3C C3 and Rubisco D3D Genomic, proteomic and related technologies
2:40 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.	Symposia: S4A-a Chlorophyll and bilin based antenna systems S4A-b Type II reaction centres: acceptor side S4B Sugar signalling: Photosynthesis, hormones and development S4C Controlling CO2. Stomates and carbon concentrating mechanisms
4:50 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D4A-a Chlorophyll and bilin based antenna systems D4A-b Type II reaction centres: acceptor side D4B Sugar signalling: photosynthesis, hormones and development D4C Controlling CO2. Stomates and carbon concentrating mechanisms
5:50 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.	Posters: P3A Bacteriochlorophyll based antenna systems P3B Photosynthetic acclimation: Ecophysiology, diverse environments P3C C3 and Rubisco P3D Genomic, proteomic and related technologies P4A-a Chlorophyll and bilin based antenna systems P4A-b Type II reaction centres: Acceptor side. P4B Sugar signalling: photosynthesis, hormones and development P4C Controlling CO2. Stomates and carbon concentrating mechanisms
7:30 p.m.	George Cheniae Memorial Blues Concert and smoked meat night
Wednesday, September 1
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Plenary Lectures 3
10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.	Symposia: S5A Type II reaction centres: Structure S5B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Dark reactions S5C Biosynthesis and assembly: Pigments S5D Emerging techniques and systems
12:20 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D5A Type II reaction centres: Structure D5B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Dark reactions D5C Biosynthesis and assembly: Pigments D5D Emerging techniques and systems
2:30 p.m.	Afternoon excursions and free time
Thursday, September 2
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Plenary Lectures 4
10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.	Symposia: S6A Type II reaction centres: Excited state dynamics and donor side S6B Photosynthetic acclimation: Mechanisms and gene expression S6C Photosynthesis, respiration alternative electron sinks S6D CCrop photosynthesis, agricultural biotechnology
12:20 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D6A Type II reaction centres: Excited state dynamics and donor side D6B Photosynthetic acclimation: Mechanisms and gene expression D6C Photosynthesis, respiration alternative electron sinks D6D Crop photosynthesis, agricultural biotechnology
2:40 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.	Symposia: S7A Mechanisms of water oxidation S7B Evolution of photosynthesis S7C Biosynthesis and assembly: Protein trafficking S7D Chloroplast factories and transformation
4:50 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D7A Mechanisms of water oxidation D7B Evolution of photosynthesis D7C Biosynthesis and assembly: Protein trafficking D7D Chloroplast factories and transformation
5:50 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.	Posters: P5A Type II reaction centres: Structure P5B Light, redox and metabolic regulation: Dark reactions P5C Biosynthesis and assembly: Pigments P5D Emerging techniques and systems P6A Type II reaction centres: Excited state dynamics and donor side P6B Photosynthetic acclimation: Mechanisms and gene expression P6C Photosynthesis, respiration alternative electron sinks P6D Crop photosynthesis, agricultural biotechnology
Friday, September 3
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.	Symposia: S8A Cytochrome b-c complexes S8B Supermolecular organization of the photosynthetic apparatus S8C C4 and CAM S8D Artificial Photosynthesis and Biological Hydrogen Production
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	Discussion Sessions: D8A Cytochrome b-c complexes D8B Supermolecular organization of the photosynthetic apparatus D8C C4 and CAM D8D Artificial Photosynthesis and Biological Hydrogen Production
12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.	Lunch
1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.	Posters P7A Mechanisms of water oxidation P7B Evolution of photosynthesis P7C Biosynthesis and assembly: Protein trafficking P7D Chloroplast factories and transformation P8A Cytochrome b-c complexes P8B Supermolecular organization of the photosynthetic apparatus P8C C4 and CAM P8D Artificial photosynthetic processes/biological hydrogen production
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Plenary Lectures 5
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.	Free time
6:00 p.m.	Closing Banquet