Plant and Microbe Engineering for Sustainability
May 02–05, 2027 | Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Scientific Organizers:
Daniel F Voytas, Ralph Bock, and Jennifer Pett-Ridge
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May 02–05, 2027 | Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Scientific Organizers: Daniel F Voytas, Ralph Bock, and Jennifer Pett-Ridge
Daniel F Voytas, PhD
University of Minnesota
Daniel F. Voytas, Ph.D., is the McKnight Presidential Endowed Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development and Director of the Center for Precision Plant Genomics at the University of Minnesota. A pioneer in plant genome engineering, his laboratory developed Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), which were recognized by Science magazine as one of the top ten scientific breakthroughs of 2012. Since then, his lab has advanced CRISPR-based and virus-mediated approaches for efficient, targeted genome modification across a broad range of plant species. His work has broad applications in both basic plant biology and the development of improved crop varieties. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ralph Bock, PhD
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Ralph Bock, Ph.D., is a Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam-Golm and a Professor at the University of Potsdam. At the Max Planck Institute, he heads the Department of Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology. His research focuses on the biology of plant cell organelles, including chloroplast gene expression, plastid transformation, and metabolic and genetic interactions between organelles and other cellular compartments, with applications in plant biotechnology and synthetic biology. He is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Jennifer Pett-Ridge
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff and Director of the Carbon Initiative at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Merced. Trained in soil microbial ecology and biogeochemistry, her research uses isotope tracing, NanoSIMS single-cell imaging, and systems biology approaches to understand how carbon, nitrogen, and other elements are cycled by microbial communities in soils and the rhizosphere, with a focus on carbon persistence and sequestration. She is the lead scientist for the DOE-funded Microbes Persist Soil Microbiome Science Focus Area and the Terraforming Soil Energy Earthshot Research Center, and is a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Available Formats:
Supported by:
Livestream
In Person
On Demand
***Meeting program subject to change.
Available Formats: = Livestream = In Person = On DemandMerchandise Options
Registration Options
Sunday, May 2, 2027
Fundraising
Booking Function
Registration
4:00–8:00 PM
British/Columbia Foyer
Welcome Mixer
6:00–8:00 PM
British/Columbia Foyer
Monday, May 3, 2027
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Welcome Remarks
8:30–8:40 AM
Columbia Ballroom
Keynote Address
8:40–9:30 AM
Columbia Ballroom
Sarah O’Connor, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Exploring and Exploiting Plant Specialized Metabolism
Exploring and Exploiting Plant Specialized Metabolism
Programming Plants to Sense-and-Respond
9:30–11:45 AM
Columbia Ballroom
Jenn Brophy, Stanford University
Synthetic Biology Tools for Engineering Plants for Stress Resilience
Synthetic Biology Tools for Engineering Plants for Stress Resilience
Francesco Licausi, University of Oxford
Synthetic Signal Transduction for Enhanced Flooding Responses in Plants
Synthetic Signal Transduction for Enhanced Flooding Responses in Plants
Markus Schwarzländer, University of Münster
Sensors and Controllers for and from Plants
Sensors and Controllers for and from Plants
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
10:00–10:20 AM
British/Columbia Foyer
Panel Discussion: Transition of Emerging Technologies from the Laboratory to Real-World Agricultural Applications
11:55–12:55 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Poster Setup
12:30–1:00 PM
Vancouver Island Room
On Own for Lunch
12:55–2:30 PM
Poster Viewing
1:00–10:00 PM
Vancouver Island Room
Symposia Spotlight 1
2:30–4:30 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
British/Columbia Foyer
Engineering Microbial-Plant Interactions
5:00–7:00 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Maria J. Harrison, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research
Mechanisms of Nutrient Exchange in Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Symbioses
Mechanisms of Nutrient Exchange in Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Symbioses
Jean-Michel Ane, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Plant-Microbe Symbioses to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Bioenergy Production
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Plant-Microbe Symbioses to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Bioenergy Production
Uta Paszkowski, University of Cambridge
Molecular Mechanisms of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses
Molecular Mechanisms of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Poster Session 1
7:30–10:00 PM
Vancouver Island Room
Tuesday, May 4, 2027
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Poster Setup
8:00–8:30 AM
Vancouver Island Room
Poster Viewing
8:15–5:00 PM
Vancouver Island Room
Engineering the Rhizosphere for Agricultural Sustainability
8:30–11:30 AM
Columbia Ballroom
Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Soil Microbial Communities and Climate Change
Soil Microbial Communities and Climate Change
Christine Hawkes, North Carolina State University
Leveraging Ecology to Improve Agricultural Microbiome Engineering
Leveraging Ecology to Improve Agricultural Microbiome Engineering
Travis Frey, Pivot Bio
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Gozde S Demirer, Caltech
Nanobiotechnology Tools for Rhizosphere Bioengineering
Nanobiotechnology Tools for Rhizosphere Bioengineering
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
British/Columbia Foyer
Lunch
11:30–12:30 PM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Poster Session 2
12:00–2:30 PM
Vancouver Island Room
Career Roundtable (Joint)
3:00–4:30 PM
British Ballroom
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
British/Columbia Foyer
Advanced Insect Control and Biocontainment
5:00–7:00 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Michael Smanski, University of Minnesota
Engineering Genetic Incompatibility for Pest Control and Biocontainment
Engineering Genetic Incompatibility for Pest Control and Biocontainment
Jiang Zhang, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
RNAi Control of Pest Insects
RNAi Control of Pest Insects
Valentino Gantz, Agragene Inc.
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
On Own for Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Wednesday, May 5, 2027
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Synthetic Microbial, Plant and Organellar Genomes
8:30–11:30 AM
Columbia Ballroom
Ralph Bock, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Plastid Genome Engineering
Plastid Genome Engineering
Patrick Cai, University of Manchester
Synthetic Eucaryotic Life
Synthetic Eucaryotic Life
Ian Ehrenreich, University of Southern California
The SynMoss Project: Rewriting the Physcomitrium Patens Genome
The SynMoss Project: Rewriting the Physcomitrium Patens Genome
Annie Saltarikos, Plastomics
Chloroplast Engineering: Creating Durable Next Generation Crop Trait Solutions
Chloroplast Engineering: Creating Durable Next Generation Crop Trait Solutions
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
British/Columbia Foyer
On Own for Lunch
11:30–2:30 PM
Symposia Spotlight 2
2:30–4:30 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
British/Columbia Foyer
Plant Engineering for Enhanced Performance and Sustainability
5:00–6:15 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Daniel F Voytas, University of Minnesota
Enabling Plant Gene Editing at Scale
Enabling Plant Gene Editing at Scale
Caixia Gao, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Precision Genome Editing from Single Base Pairs to Entire Chromosomes
Precision Genome Editing from Single Base Pairs to Entire Chromosomes
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Closing Keynote Address
6:15–7:05 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Wolfgang Busch, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Engineering Root Systems for Resilience and Carbon Sequestration
Engineering Root Systems for Resilience and Carbon Sequestration
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers)
7:05–7:15 PM
Columbia Ballroom
Social Hour with Dinner
7:15–8:15 PM
British/Columbia Ballroom
Entertainment
8:00–11:00 PM
Cash Bar
8:00–11:00 PM
Thursday, May 6, 2027
Departure
12:00–11:59 PM
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