The Gordon Research Conference "Mitochondria and Chloroplasts - Energy Transducing Organelles: Fundamental Processes and Translation in Agriculture and Medicine" was held from 7 to 12 July at the Rey Don Jaime Grand Hotel near Barcelona, Spain. The conference was organized by conference chair Antonio Barrientos (University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA) and vice-chair Andreas Weber (Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany). Of the 161 researchers from five continents, that attended the conference, more than 50% of the participants being early career researchers.

Bringing together scientists of very different disciplines

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are unique among cellular compartments due to their endosymbiotic origins, semi-autonomous genetic systems, roles in energy transduction, and complex biological functions. The 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Mitochondria and Chloroplasts brought together established scientists and early-career investigators to present and discuss novel aspects of organelle biology. With a strong focus on fundamental biological processes, the conference was interdisciplinary in nature, serving as one of the few forums that unite scientists from fungal, animal, and plant research communities.

Specific sessions covered topics such as organelle evolution, gene expression systems, protein import mechanisms, protein sorting and assembly into functional complexes, organelle metabolism, quality control mechanisms, signaling roles, stress responses, and the translation of this knowledge into agricultural and medical applications. To reflect the conference’s interdisciplinary spirit, each session featured speakers from both mitochondrial and chloroplast research fields.

Solving long standing questions

A total of 118 posters were presented across four poster sessions. While GRC policy prohibits reporting on the content of individual talks or posters, two topics were particularly prominent and provided outstanding novel insights: cryo-electron microscopy for protein structure determination and cryo-electron tomography for three-dimensional reconstruction of cellular structures at the resolution of individual proteins. For example, one presentation reported the three-dimensional structure of the entire chloroplast protein import machinery. This structural elucidation resolves many longstanding questions, such as the nature of the protein translocation pathway through the complex and the specific subunits that contribute to pore formation.

Conclusion

The evaluation of the conference by the participants was very positive, perhaps best summarized by this specific comment: “Great conference that brings together researchers from two fields and create synergies. I was impressed by the number of female and junior speakers. Credit to the organizers.” The next Mitochondria and Chloroplasts GRC will take place in 2026, most likely in the USA.

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Prof. Dr. Andreas Weber, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf