Hot Topic Conference

DBG’s third Eduard Strasburger HOT TOPIC Workshop, this time on “Structural Biology – Visualization of the photosynthetic machinery via focused-ion-beam (FIB)-milling and Cryo-ET” took place from 13^th to 15^th April 2026 in the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Switzerland. 11 PhD students and 12 PostDocs mainly from Germany but also from Switzerland experienced three intense days of teaching, experimenting and networking. The Organisers Dr Davide Tamborrini (Basel), Dr Karen Zinzius (Münster), and Fanny Le Blanc (Basel), report about microscopy techniques and challenges, data processing, three-dimensional animations, intensive discussions and in-depth dives into the topic. 

Keynote speakers for DBG's Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Workshop that focusses on “Structural Biology – Visualization of the photosynthetic machinery via FIB-milling and Cryo-ET” in Biozentrum Basel, Switzerland, from 13^th to 15^th April 2026 are: 

• Prof. Dr. Kevin Redding, Arizona State University (USA), Expert on structure/function studies of photosynthetic reaction centers
• Prof. Dr. Helmut Kirchhoff, Washington State University (USA), Expert on structural dynamics of photosynthetic membranes

On the third day of DBG's Workshop for early career researchers (ECRs) the following scientists have announced their participation: 

• Dr. Jan Schuller, Phillips Universtät Marburg (GER), Expert on CryoEM, CO₂ fixation
• Prof. Dr. Ute Armbruster, HHU Düsseldorf (GER), Expert on photosynthesis dynamics
• Prof. Dr. Anna Matuszynska, RWTH Aachen (GER), Expert on Mathematical Biology and Computational Modelling

ECRs, register until 28^th February 2026! 

Registration is open to participate in DBG's Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Workshop “Structural Biology – Visualization of the photosynthetic machinery via FIB-milling and Cryo-ET” in Prof. Dr. Ben Engel’s group at the Biozentrum, Basel, Switzerland, from 13^th to 15^th April 2026. Registration is free of charge for early career researchers (ECRs) and made possible through DBG's funding.

The next Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Conference will focus on “Structural Biology – Visualization of the photosynthetic machinery via FIB-milling and Cryo-ET” in Biozentrum Basel, Switzerland, from 13^th to 15^th April 2026. It will be organized especially for early career researchers (ECR), who will be invited to join the meeting without any fees. Some of well-known speakers in this field have already confirmed their participation, according to the organizers Dr Davide Tamborrini (Basel), Dr Karen Zinzius (Münster), and Fanny Le Blanc (Basel) at the Cryo-ET facility of Prof. Dr. Benjamin Engel, in collaboration with DFG's Research Unit FOR 5573 “Dynamic Regulation of the Proton Motive Force in Photosynthesis (GoPMF)”. ECRs will profit from the topic by deepening their understanding and discussing the methods in the emerging field of Cryo-ET used in photosynthesis research.

DBG invites members - especially early career researchers (ECRs) - to submit proposals for a "hot topic" conference in the plant sciences. If you have a concept for a smaller conference about a relevant and burning plant science issue, please send it to DBG's Executive Board. Within the scope of our Eduard Strasburger Workshop DBG offers financial support for its organisation of up to 10,000 Euros.

Important Criteria for a Successful Application are

1. a topic with broad scientific or societal significance
2. the topic that encompasses several plant science disciplines
3. participation of early career scientists

If either (1) or (2) of the criteria on one hand and (3) on the other hand are met, please send your proposal to DBG's General Secretary. You are welcome to send a preliminary inquiry on your issue to our General Secretary.

Application and Procedure

Application

Applications for our Eduard Strasburger Workshop on a Hot Topic may be submitted to DBG's General Secretary at any time.

Application Documents

Please study our application and documentation form (pdf)

The recent Strasburger Hot Topic Symposium on "Co- and Post-translational Control in Chloroplasts" was held at the University of Münster in November 2024. It brought together more than 50 researchers from six countries to discuss the latest developments in control of chloroplast functions and on advances in our understanding of co- and post-translational modifications, protein interactions, and stress responses within chloroplasts.

Registration is open for DBG's second Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Workshop. It focusses on "Co- and posttranslational control in chloroplasts" (#DBGHotTop2024) and will be organized in Münster, Germany, from 18 – 20 November 2024. Attendance to the workshop is free for early career researchers (ECRs) and made possible through DBG's funding. The workshop will be organised by Dr Jürgen Eirich and Jens Mühlenbeck from the Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology at Münster University.

The speakers invited to DBG's second Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Workshop "Co- and posttranslational control in chloroplasts" (#DBGHotTop2024) in Münster, Germany, from 18 – 20 November 2024, are

• Carmela Giglione, University of Paris-Saclay
• Bernhard Grimm, HU Berlin
• Manajit Hayer-Hartl, MPI Martinsried
• Georg Hochberg, MPI Marburg
• Paul Javis, University of Oxford
• Matt Johnson, University of Sheffield
• Dario Leister, LMU München
• Paula Mulo, University of Turku
• Klaas J. van Wijk, Cornell Universit

Registration is planned to start in June 2024. Attendance to the workshop is free for ECRs. The workshop will be organised by Dr Jürgen Eirich and Jens Mühlenbeck from the Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology at Münster University. More to come on the workshop's website soon.

The next Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic Conference will focus on “Co- and posttranslational control in chloroplasts” in Münster, Germany, from 18 – 20 November 2024. It will be organized especially for early career researchers (ECR), who will be invited to join the meeting without any fees. Some of well-known speakers in this field have already confirmed their participation, according to the organizers Dr. Jürgen Eirich and Jens Mühlenbeck from the Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology at Münster University. Stay tuned for more information to come.  

The inaugural Eduard Strasburger Hot Topic workshop featured the latest findings and trends in the field of plant RNA biology. The workshop was organized as online meeting by Dr. Marlene Reichel and Dr. Elisabeth Fitzek-Campbell, who are both postdocs at Bielefeld University. Besides invited keynote speakers, many junior researchers had the opportunity to present their work, exchange ideas and foster networks. Here, the organizers report about the winners of the prizes for best talks and how the attendees could experience Bielefeld without even being there in person.