1st International Conference
"The Molecular Life of Diatoms"
SCOPE
Diatoms are rather unusual organisms that are of great interest in a wide variety of areas ranging from ecology to materials science. They are arguably the most species-rich group of algae, have conquered most aquatic habitats, and play a major role in the global ecosystem. They have a complex evolutionary history, an unusual mode of cell division, and many species can stick to virtually any surface and move along by gliding. The most spectacular features of diatoms are their intricately structured silica-based cell walls, which exhibit an amazing variety of shapes and patterns. Diatom silica has very interesting physical properties, and is the envy of nanotechnologists as a 3D nanopatterned material produced from the bottom-up through self-assembly. Ancient diatom biomass was a major contributor to fossil fuels, and today’s diatoms are investigated as a source for renewable, carbon-neutral fuels for the future, as well as other applications in bio-, nano- and environmental technology. Despite the diatoms’ global importance and extraordinary metabolic and cellular capabilities, they had received little attention by the molecular biology community in the past. Recently, this has drastically changed due to emerging insight from diatom genome projects, and substantial progress in genetic manipulation of diatoms. This conference aims to bring together a cross-disciplinary research community that is dedicated to studying the molecular foundations of all aspects of diatom biology and technology. It will serve as a platform to share the most recent research findings, establish new collaborations, and open up novel research directions to fully harness the tremendous potential of these fascinating organism.
MAIN TOPICS
Genomes and Molecular Genetics: Genome Evolution, Metagenomics, Sexual Reproduction, RNA Metabolism, Molecular Genetic Tools
Cell Biology: Organelles, Cytoskeleton, Cell Division and Cytokinesis, Protein Transport, Cell Wall Formation, Adhesion
Physiology and Ecology: Eco-Systems Biology, Membrane Transporters, Metabolism of C, N and Si, Regulation of Metabolism, Chemical Ecology, Symbiosis and Parasitism
Applications in Nano-, Bio- and Environmental Technology: Environmental Biomarkers, Biofuels, Silica-based and Silica-derived Functional Materials, Specialty Products
ORGANIZERS
Nils Kröger (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA), Thomas Mock (University of East Anglia, UK), Peter Kroth (University Konstanz, Germany), Mark Hildebrand (Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, USA), Ginger Armbrust (University of Washington, USA), Nicole Poulsen (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)