The symposium is a forum for scientists with a keen interest in the genetic aspects and molecular mechanisms driving plant nitrogen uptake and metabolism, as well as in optimising the use of this nutrient to support plant growth and grain yield. With looming global protein shortages expected by 2050, there is an urgent need to better understand the processes controlling N accessibility and acquisition by roots, N metabolism, and the delivery of amino acids to protein-enriched foods. Successfully addressing many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals hinges upon an improved understanding of how plants acquire, process, and allocate N; how these processes are physiologically and genetically regulated; and how they impact nitrogen and fertiliser use efficiency.

The scientific meeting will take place at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Participants will stay overnight in Quedlinburg, a historic town of the Ottonian dynasty of the early Middle Ages, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.