Conference: Indo US Workshop on "Cyanobacteria: Molecular networks to biofuels" December 16-20, 2012 in Lonavala, India

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The conversion of the early reducing environment to the present oxidizing atmosphere is attributed to the ability of the cyanobacteria to perform oxygenic photosynthesis. These photoautotrophic organisms are the only group of prokaryotes that split water molecules and release oxygen in the atmosphere. Cyanobacteria can be utilized in multiple applications, including the harvesting and conversion of solar energy as a renewable feedstock for the production of chemicals, fuels and other valuable products. An added benefit is the potential capture and reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. In many ways, cyanobacteria exemplify a low-cost and renewable power plant. However, substantial research is required for the realization of this enormous potential. The major challenges are the inherently low energy flux of solar energy in large cultures, low rate of photosynthesis and slow rate of growth of various cyanobacteria. In addition, it is critical to understand how to regulate the flow of metabolites, especially as cultures are grown in large-scale open ponds and are subjected to natural dark-light cycles. Therefore, the major objective of the workshop would be to highlight the current state of fundamental and applied research on cyanobacteria and to identify solution for key challenges. The workshop would result in a white paper that outlines the recommended path forward for research among the researchers in the two countries. The workshop format is based on two technical sessions each dedicated to a particular aspect of cyanobacterial research. The technical sessions are proposed to consist of talks by invited speakers, short talks from selected participants, followed by a panel discussion. Additionally, poster sessions and breakout sessions will provide opportunities for informal one-on-one interaction among the participants that will lead to action plans for future applied and basic research. The workshop will also provide a platform for direct interactions between academic and industrial researchers to better understand and enhance the possibilities of collaborative research activities between the two sections. To this end, the organizers propose to invite several researchers from industry and other stakeholders to participate in panel discussions.In summary, the goal of this workshop is to bring together the best scientists from disparate backgrounds and fields of research and to encourage collaboration between US/Indian scientists to work on cyanobacteria with the expectation that the joint effort will generate new fundamental findings that can be exploited to spawn bioeconomic growth particularly in sustainable bioenergy production.