The International EMA2024 Symposium on Photosynthesis Research in Honor of Eva-Mari Aro will take place on 8-11 September in Turku. Aro's life's work will be celebrated at the symposium's opening ceremony on Sunday, September 8, with a portrait unveiling and a plenary lecture.
Academician Eva-Mari Aro is one of the world’s leading photosynthesis researchers. She has discovered and characterized various fundamental photosynthetic mechanisms across a wide range organisms, from cyanobacteria to plants, including the ecologically and economically significant evergreen conifer spruce, which is important to Scandinavia and other northern countries.
Aro has served as the director of two Centers of Excellence under the Research Council of Finland. Her exceptional contributions to science have earned her numerous international awards, and she holds honorary doctorates from several universities both in Finland and abroad. In 2017, Aro was awarded the title of Academician. She is also a Foreign Associate Member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Foreign member of the Royal Society.
As an advocate for nature-inspired sustainable energy solutions, Aro has promoted the advancement of CO2-neutral technologies derived from natural and artificial photosynthesis at the European level. She has been actively involved with the European Academies of Sciences Advisory Council (EASAC), serving a member and later a vice president. In this role she contributed to providing science-based guidance to inform decision making in EU Commission and Parliament.
This celebration of Professor Aro’s career is an opportunity for her colleagues and students from all over the world to come together in Turku celebrate her tremendous impact on science in photosynthesis research across the globe.
About 150 researchers from USA, Japan, China, Australia and Europe will gather in Turku in September. The symposium will showcase a wide range of the latest research findings from both Finland and around the world.
In honor of Academician Aro, the Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku will present Aro’s portrait to the university's collection during. The portrait will be received by Rector Marjo Kaartinen. The symposium will open with a public session and portrait unveiling ceremony on Sunday, September 8, starting at 2:30 PM at the Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel (Linnankatu 32, Turku). At the beginning of the event, Eva-Mari Aro will give a commemorative lecture, and the portrait will be presented at 4:00 PM. The opening event is open for everyone interested.
Programme of the symposium opening
| Public session: Photosynthesis – the foundation of sustainable living | |
| 14.30 Yagut Allahverdiyeva and Cheryl Kerfeld Opening words and introduction to photosynthesis | |
| 14.45 Jaakko Järvi, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, University of Turku Greetings from the Faculty of Technology | |
| 14.50 Plenary lecture: Eva-Mari Aro, University of Turku, Finland Struggling with photosynthetic light reactions for 50 years | |
| 15.25 Plenary lecture: Christine A. Raines, University of Essex, UK Improving photosynthetic efficiency for sustainable crop production | |
| 16.00 Marjo Kaartinen, Rector of the University of Turku Welcome words and unveiling of the photograph portrait of Eva-Mari Aro | |
The four-day conference program includes interesting discussions on enhancing photosynthesis to boost crop resilience and efficiency under climate change and on developing living cell factories for sustainable bioproduction. These topics has been a key focus of the EC Horizon Europe program.
