Organized by Steve Long, University of Illinois, and Nick Carpita, Purdue University

Preliminary Agenda

Sunday, June 22

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Welcoming talks by senior advisers on science and technology in Mexico and the United States

Monday, June 23
Bioenergy and the Agricultural Economy

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Opening Forum
Discussion by senior government officials from Brazil, Mexico, and the United States on cooperative research initiatives for plant and microbial biology related to bioenergy and the implementation of bioenergy crops in the agricultural landscape
Speakers: Merle Pierson, USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics; Carlos Henrique Brito Cruz, Scientific Director, FAPESP, Brazil; Juan Cristobal Mata Sandoval, Director General de la Comisión Nacional para el Ahorro de Energía, Mexico

10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Break

10:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Policy and Economics
Discussion by academicians from Brazil, Mexico, and the United States of the economics of bioenergy and the government policies needed to promote the agroenergy economy
Speakers: Wallace Tyner, Purdue University; Luís Augusto Barbosa Cortez, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Networking Lunch

2:00 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Energy Balance
Optimization of energy output:input for alternative fuels
Speakers: Michael Wang, Argonne National Laboratory; José Goldemberg, University of São Paulo

3:10 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Climate Change and the Environment
Mitigation of costs to the environment in a new agroenergy age
Speakers: Marcos Buckeridge, University of São Paulo; Roberto Sanchez, University of California, UC Mexus

3:50 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Plants and Bioenergy
Need for vast improvements in biomass quantity and quality to reduce the agronomic footprint of agroenergy production
Speakers: Don Ort, University of Illinois; Nick Carpita, Purdue University

4:30 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. Break

4:50 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Beyond Ethanol
Discussion by microbiologists of the groundwork for second- and third-generation biofuels
Speakers: Francisco Bolivar Zapata, Universidad Nacional Autónoma, de México; additional speaker TBA

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
New Industries and Opportunities
Perspectives of venture capitalists on how the new agroenergy culture will itself be fueled
Panel includes Paulo Arruda, CEO, Allelyx, São Paulo, Brazil; Neal Gutterman, CEO, Mendel; additional participants TBA

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Driving the Future of Energy Security

Conference dinner speaker TBA

Tuesday, June 24

8:30 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Vegetative-Flowering Developmental Switches and Their Impact on Biomass Accumulation
Speaker: TBA

9:10 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
Designing the Sugarcane Energy Crops
Speaker: Glaucia Mendes-Souza, University of São Paulo

9:50 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Genetic Control of Biomass in Woody Species
Speaker: Gail Taylor, University of Southampton

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
How C4 Grasses Evolved Enhanced Photosynthetic Capacity
Speaker: Rowan Sage, University of Toronto

11:40 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
The Biochemistry of Assimilate Partitioning
Speaker: Karen Koch, University of Florida

12:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Networking Lunch

2:20 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Minisymposium: Annual Grasses I
Chair: Maureen McCann, Purdue University
Talks selected from abstracts

2:20 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Minisymposium: Oil Crops I
Chair: Christoph Benning, Michigan State University
Talks selected from abstracts

4:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Break

4:30 p.m. – 6:20 p.m
Minisymposium: Annual Grasses II
Chair: Maureen McCann, Purdue University
Talks selected from abstracts

4:30 p.m. – 6:20 p.m.
Minisymposium: Oil Crops II
Chair: Christoph Benning, Michigan State University
Talks selected from abstracts

6:20 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Networking Break

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Poster Session

Wednesday, June 25

8:30 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Biosynthesis of the Plant Cell Wall
Speaker: Ken Keegstra, MSU–DOE Plant Research Laboratory

9:10 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
Altering Lignin Biosynthesis for Improved Biomass Conversion
Speaker: John Ralph, ARS–Wisconsin

9:50 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
New Insights into the Biosynthesis of Lipids
Speaker: John Ohlrogge, Michigan State University

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m.
Practical Considerations of Designing an Energy Crop
Speaker: Dr. Emily Heaton, manager, Energy Crop Product Development, Ceres

11:40 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Genetics of Nitrogen Utilization in Bioenergy Crops
Speaker: Steve Moose, University of Illinois

12:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Networking Lunch

2:20 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Minisymposium: Perennial Grasses I
Co-chairs: Steve Long, University of Illinois; Federico Sánchez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Talks selected from abstracts

2:20 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Minisymposium: Woody Plants I
Co-chairs: Larry Smart, SUNY; Marcos Buckeridge, University of São Paulo
Talks selected from abstracts

4:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Break

4:30 p.m. – 6:20 p.m.
Minisymposium: Perennial Grasses II
Co-chairs: Steve Long, University of Illinois; Federico Sánchez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Talks selected from abstracts

4:30 p.m. – 6:20 p.m.
Minisymposium: Woody Plants II
Co-chairs: Larry Smart, SUNY; Marcos Buckeridge, University of São Paulo
Talks selected from abstracts

6:20 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Networking Break

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Poster Session and Closing Reception