Conference: Logistical Support for "Surpassing Evolution: Transformative Approaches to Enhance the Efficiency of Photosynthesis"in Pacific Grove, CA/September 12-17th, 2010

该奖项将于2010年9月12日至17日在加州的Asilomar会议场地举办为期五天的互动研讨会，题为“超越进化：提高光合作用效率的变革方法”。讲习班由该领域的五名专家导师规划和组织，由富勒顿加州州立大学提供后勤支助。将有大约45人参加，除了导师、嘉宾和主持人外，还有多达30名参与者。被选中的参与者由来自美国和英国的光合作用不同领域的杰出科学家组成。工作坊的一个独特之处在于，有专家辅导员使用创造性问题解决（CPS）方法协助设计、发展和促进工作坊。知识价值。光合作用的过程构成了植物、藻类和微生物从太阳中获取能量的基础，因此对地球上的生命至关重要。考虑到世界人口不断增长，不可再生化石燃料燃烧造成的全球警告，以及最近墨西哥湾发生的悲惨的石油泄漏事件，利用太阳能生产粮食、可再生能源和碳封存的意义就更大了。然而，尽管密集的研究工作已经对光合作用的一些重要分子特征和事件做出了详细的描述，但这些知识并没有转化为光合作用效率和产量的显著提高。本次研讨会的主要目标是激发创新和变革的研究思路和方法，以增强光合作用。在跨学科和跨学科努力的框架内，新的基础科学方法显然是必要的，以便向前发展。这一成果将通过汇集美国和英国的研究人员组成跨学科团队来实现。在导师和辅导员的帮助下，在一个僻静而富有创造力的环境中，参与者将花时间收集数据，制定问题框架，产生想法，创造解决方案，并制定行动计划，以制定具有竞争力的研究提案。创意实验室的项目将引导我们在多个层面上更详细地了解光合作用。更广泛的影响。光合作用过程的成功工程具有巨大的潜力，有助于解决许多国际关注的重要领域，包括粮食供应、可再生能源和全球变暖，影响农业和环境生物技术等应用研究领域。思想实验室将促进国际合作和现代跨学科和跨学科研究，并为有效培养下一代科学家做出贡献。

This award supports a five day interactive workshop entitled "Surpassing Evolution: Transformative Approaches to Enhance the Efficiency of Photosynthesis" which will take place in Pacific Grove, California at the Asilomar Conference Grounds from September 12-17th, 2010. The workshop is being planned and organized by five expert mentors in the field with logistical support provided by California State University, Fullerton. There will be approximately 45 attending, including up to 30 participants in addition to mentors, guests, and facilitators. The chosen participants are comprised of outstanding scientists in the diverse areas of photosynthesis from both the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). A unique feature of the workshop is the inclusion of expert facilitators to assist in the design, development, and facilitation of the workshop using Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methodology. Intellectual Merit. The processes of photosynthesis form the basis of energy capture from the sun in plants, algae, and microorganisms and is thus of critical importance for life on earth. Harnessing the energy of the sun for food production, renewable energy, and carbon sequestration is of even greater significance now given the growing world population, global warning from the burning of non renewable fossil fuels, and the recent tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, while intensive research efforts have contributed to a detailed picture of some of the important molecular features and events of photosynthesis, this knowledge has not translated to significant gains in photosynthetic efficiency and yield. The key objective of this workshop is to stimulate innovative and transformative research ideas and approaches for the enhancement of photosynthesis. New basic science approaches within the framework of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary efforts are clearly warranted in order to move forward. This outcome will be achieved by bringing together the US and UK researchers to form interdisciplinary teams. With the assistance of mentors and facilitators in a secluded and creative environment, the participants will spend time data gathering, problem framing, generating ideas, creating solutions, and action planning towards the goal of crafting competitive research proposals. The projects that emerge from the Ideas Lab will lead to a more detailed understanding of photosynthesis on multiple levels. Broader Impact. The successful engineering of photosynthetic processes has great potential to contribute to solutions in a number of vital areas of international concern, including the food supply, renewable energy, and global warming, impacting applied areas of research such as agricultural and environmental biotechnology. The Ideas Lab will foster both international collaboration and modern interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and contribute to the effective training of the next generation of scientists.