About the Workshop
The climate crisis is a multiscale problem that requires transdisciplinary expertise for understanding and engineering climate resilience. Cells are the first responders of the biosphere and yet cell biology is rarely considered in discussions of climate change. The goal of this workshop is to develop intellectual and strategic frameworks to link cell biologists to climate science problems and solutions. This EMBO Workshop will convene a group of experts and thought leaders from the fields of cell biology, medicine, ecology, evolution, engineering, and the physico-chemistry of climate change along with key policy makers and funders of science. This 3-day workshop is designed as a collaborative forum, encouraging open dialogues, cross-pollination of ideas, and innovative thinking. There will be an initial series of keynote conceptual speeches, followed by panel discussions (Cell Bio, Plants, Aquatic, Health and Bioengineering), where speakers will be relating from different perspectives cell biology and climate change. This should ensure a good understanding of the different, yet diverse topics, as well as highlight what is common, which is how cell biologists can contribute to climate resilience (independent of the specific topic). The program will then proceed to focused discussion sessions nucleating teams that transcend traditional academic boundaries to work on this urgent problem with transdisciplinary solutions. These teams will present their work at the end to each other, to funders and policy makers and will result in a white paper and video content, which will outline strategies and recommendations for promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and driving effective climate action. The goals of these outputs will be to inform funding agencies, inspire agencies, inspire conferences, and activate societies to support the intersection of cell biology and climate science. Participants are expected to engage during the meeting and after, defining, disseminating, and implementing strategies and recommendations that stem from this EMBO Workshop.
We will adopt a hybrid format to cater to the diverse needs of our global scientific community. For virtual participants, we will offer the opportunity to live-stream the scientific sessions scheduled for the first two days. This feature ensures remote attendees can partake in real-time, enriching their experience by being virtually present for presentations and discussions. Utilizing a digital platform, participants, whether attending virtually or in person, will have the opportunity to engage with speakers through questions and discussions, fostering an inclusive and interactive environment.
To maintain the integrity of our goal to foster direct interaction and collaboration, poster sessions will be exclusively in-person. However, flash talks from selected posters will allow them to follow a selected number of posters. We believe that prioritizing physical presence for these sessions will significantly enhance direct contacts and facilitate the collaborative opportunities that are central to the meeting's objectives. In consideration of creating an environment that encourages open and free expression, the discussion sessions planned for the third and fourth days will not be live-streamed. This approach is designed to ensure participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and insights in a more private setting. Nevertheless, to encapsulate the essence and key outcomes of these discussions, we will provide a streamlined summary at the meeting's conclusion. Additionally, a carefully curated video capturing the highlights and pivotal moments of the discussions and conclusion session will be recorded and made available online, allowing for broader access while respecting the participants' willingness to share their contributions publicly.
Image: Plankton from Atlantic Ocean waters off South Africa, imaged with scanning electron microscopy. Plankton are between 20-200 µm in size, from Station TARA_067. Credit: Flora Vincent, Fondation Tara Oceans
About EMBO Courses and Workshops
EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender).
Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.