2016 Photosensory Receptors & Signal Transduction GRC: Natural and Synthetic Photoreceptor Systems: From Microbes to Man, Galveston, TX, January 23-29, 2016

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Plants, animals and microbes all have the ability to sense light, and light has profound effects on the lifecycle and physiology of these organisms. Understanding how light is perceived and how perception of light can orchestrate biological processes - from mammalian vision to plant growth to bacterial pathogenicity- requires integration of diverse methodologies and masteries. The 2016 Photosensory Receptors & Signal Transduction Gordon Research Conference and its closely associated Gordon Research Seminar will provide a platform for photobiologists from diverse disciplines to showcase recent advances, participate in lively debate, and share new applications. An important goal of both the conference and the seminar is to provide a venue for young scientists, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and new faculty members to present their work and learn about the most current work of others, while becoming better integrated into the community of photobiology research.The Photosensory Receptors & Signal Transduction Gordon Research Conference is unique, connecting a very diverse group of researchers in a systems-oriented way around the topic of Photosensory Receptors. Uniting topics and approaches this way has been instrumental, for example, in developing optically-based technologies aimed at controlling the transmission of nerve impulses and the restoration of vision at unprecedented spatial-temporal resolution. The scientific discussions, research presentations and informal interactions among the audiences of this GRC/GRS meeting will advance understanding of mechanism of action and function of naturally occurring photoreceptor systems and lead to further development of engineered photosystems for clinical and biotechnological applications. This GRC/GRS pairing will have an enormous training impact for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and beginning faculty. The participants from both meetings will be integrated in an exciting scientific community, instilling a sense of belonging and of responsibility to carry the field into the future. This outcome will be facilitated by the short GRS that precedes the GRC. Junior scientists have been chosen to lead three sessions comprising short talks. All attendees will participate in a poster session and informal discussions. One session will center around 5-8 mentor-led open table discussions, where GRS participants meet established investigators in a structured but informal way, to consider career development in academia and industry, gender equality, research funding and future research directions. By actively participating in the GRC that follows, junior scientists will integrate more fully into the community of scholars and practice their growing skills and confidence in scientific discussion with leaders of the field.