Energy conversion in the origins and evolution of cells

Discussion meeting, Wednesday April 13 2005, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS

Morning session

Chairman; Peter Heathcote, Queen Mary, University of London

• 09.30 Michael J. Russell (Scottish Universities' Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride)
  On the emergence of life on planet Earth
• 10.00 Discussion
• 10.20 Wolfgang Nitschke (Institut de Biologie Structurale et Microbiologie, BIP/CNRS, Marseille)
  Oxygen at the emergence of life? An attempt to reconcile the bio- and geochemical perspectives
• 10.40 Discussion
• 11.00 Coffee

Chairman; Peter Rich, University College London

• Introduction; David A. Walker, Sheffield University
• 11.20 Howard Gest (Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana)
  Historical Perspectives, 1771-1779: In England, Priestley and Ingen-Housz discover dioxygen, photosynthesis, and the interdependence of plant and animal life
• 11.50 Discussion
• 12.10 Peter Heathcote (Queen Mary, University of London)
  Reaction centres: the structure and evolution of biological solar power
• 12.40 Discussion

13.00 Lunch

Afternoon session

Chairman; Conrad Mullineaux, Queen Mary, University of London

• 14.00 John F. Allen (Queen Mary, University of London)
  A redox switch in the function of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes and the origin of two light reactions
• 14.30 Discussion
• 14.50 Mark van der Giezen (Queen Mary, University of London)
  Mitochondrial energy production in anaerobic microbial eukaryotes
• 15.20 Discussion
• 15.40 Tea

Chairman; John F. Allen, Queen Mary, University of London

• 16.00 Conrad W. Mullineaux (Queen Mary, University of London)
  Thylakoid membrane organisation in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts
• 16.30 Discussion
• 16.50 Nathan Nelson (Tel Aviv University)
  The architecture and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis
• 17.20 Discussion
• 17.40 General Discussion

18.00 Close of meeting