Conference: 2027 Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism and Function Gordon Research Conference and Seminar

Plant lipids are essential molecules that support plant growth, crop productivity, and resilience to environmental stresses such as heat, drought, and disease. They also contribute to human nutrition and provide renewable raw materials for sustainable bio-based products and energy applications. The 2027 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism, and Function being held in Oxnard, CA from January 23-29, 2027, will bring together researchers from universities, government laboratories, non-profits, and industry to share the latest discoveries in this rapidly advancing field. The meeting will highlight advances in biotechnology that enable the development of improved crops, sustainable manufacturing platforms, and new plant-derived products. It will also showcase emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven approaches that are accelerating biological discovery and helping researchers analyze increasingly complex datasets. A central goal of the meeting is to train and support the next generation of scientists through opportunities for students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career investigators to present their work, build professional networks, and receive mentorship from established leaders. This award provides partial support for early-career plant scientists to attend the conference, ensuring broad access to these scientific and professional development opportunities. By fostering collaboration and accelerating the exchange of new ideas, the conference will advance scientific understanding of plant biology while contributing to agricultural sustainability, food security, economic competitiveness, and the development of innovative biotechnologies that benefit society. The 2027 GRC and GRS on Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism, and Function will provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of unpublished, cutting-edge research on the biological functions, regulation, and applications of plant lipids. Scientific sessions will address lipid-mediated signaling, membrane dynamics, lipid functions in photosynthesis, mechanisms of environmental stress tolerance, and advances in lipid engineering and biotechnology. The program will emphasize emerging technologies that are transforming plant lipid research, including advanced lipidomics, synthetic biology, genome-enabled discovery, and AI-assisted analytical approaches for integrating and interpreting large biological datasets. Consistent with the Gordon Research Conference format, extended discussion periods and presentation of unpublished findings will promote scientific exchange, identify critical knowledge gaps, and stimulate new collaborations and research directions. The accompanying GRS, organized by and for trainees, will provide leadership and professional development opportunities while facilitating participation by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Conference funds will provide partial support for trainee attendance, helping early-career scientists engage in high-level scientific discussions, present their research, and develop new collaborative networks. Through invited presentations, abstract-selected talks, poster sessions, mentoring activities, and networking events, the conference will strengthen the plant lipid research community, enable new interdisciplinary collaborations and accelerate discoveries relevant to plant resilience, agriculture, renewable bio-based products, biotechnology innovation, and future applications of AI in plant science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.