The Extraterrestrial Photosynthesis Workshop will be held May 15-17, 2026, in Green Lake, Wisconsin, USA, preceding AbSciCon2026.
Website: https://nexss.info/extraterrestrial-photosynthesis-workshop/
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The prospect of obtaining light reflected from planets outside our Solar System (“exoplanets”) that might harbor life is a strong possibility within the next few decades. Such observations (“direct imaging” telescope technology) would provide spectral information on the entire atmospheric column to the planet’s surface. Photosynthesis is a key process in the search for life on other planets. On Earth, it produces “biosignatures” that are both atmospheric and at the surface, in biogenic gases, biological pigments, and other organic molecules.
Studies to date on detecting photosynthetic biosignatures have been dominated by oxygen and the vegetation red edge as produced by oxygenic photosynthesis, while anoxygenic photosynthesis could be the dominant form of photosynthesis on a planet prior to the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, as on the Archean Earth.
In recent years, work has emerged internationally from diverse scientific disciplines to lend greater rigor to key questions about extraterrestrial photosynthesis adapted to other stars and planetary environments. These studies have included co-authors from astronomy, biochemistry, biophysics, microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, geochemistry, and even solar energy.
The search for extraterrestrial life would be propelled by a forum for discussion and feedback for many ideas crossing scientific disciplines.
This workshop will bring together scientists across multiple disciplines to tackle questions such as:
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Can there be alternative primary photopigments to chlorophylls?
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How did the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) arise and can there be an alternative?
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Is there a low CO2 limit for photosynthesis and respiration?
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How long can photosynthesis be viable over the life of a planet?
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Is there a long wavelength limit to oxygenic photosynthesis? Are there trade-offs at different wavelengths?
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What are the limits to the number of photosystems that can be strung in series to support electron transfers?
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Could rhodopsin-like proton pumping support autotrophy and serve as a planetary scale biosignature?
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Is there a long wavelength limit to rhodopsin-like proton pumping?
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What alternative photosynthetic systems developed in the fields of artificial photosynthesis and synthetic biology might arise naturally or lead to technosignatures?
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What spectral signatures of photopigments are possible on planets orbiting other stars, and what are the near-term and long-term observatory capabilities that may be able to detect these signatures?
Applications for in-person attendance are now open.
We anticipate inviting 40-50 in-person attendees based on applications received, spanning early career to senior researchers.
Virtual attendance will be unlimited.
The deadline to apply is January 11, 2026.