2026 Photosensory Receptors and Signal Transduction Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar - Project Summary The 2026 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Photosensory Receptors and Signal Transduction (PRST) will be held in Ventura CA. The conference incorporates leading experts on diverse photosensory systems allowing for a comprehensive understanding of how nature employs cofactor chemistry to allow organisms to sense and adapt to their lighting environment. A comprehensive understanding of photoreception and signal transduction has a wide impact on human health and disease. For instance, for vertebrate vision subtle defects within the phototransduction pathway impacts retinal development and retinal degeneration, leading to conditions such as photophobia, visual acuity, night-blindness, loss of vision, as well as numerous other disorders of vision. Notably, defects in non-visual photo responsive systems within the eye have also been implicated in mood and sleep disorders, circadian dysfunction, and pupillary responses. To address these issues, it is essential to dissect and delineate how subtle alteration in cofactor identity, protein structure, and signaling pathways impacts defects in signaling and/or facilitates evolutionary adaptation to unique lighting environments. As a result, the format of the conference is unique in three essential elements: 1) Invited speakers will cover the entire range of physical, chemical, and biological factors gating light-responsive signal transduction in organisms. The comprehensive focus beginning from initial photon absorption, changes in cofactor chemistry, and structural transitions in photoreceptor proteins, to changes in organism physiology and ecological impacts affords unprecedented insight into how organisms harness photon absorption to mediate physiological responses. 2) Invited speakers cover the entire range of natural photoreceptors, providing deep understanding of how nature tunes small molecule cofactors, protein structure, and signaling pathways to allow for exquisite sensitivity to a wide range of wavelengths and light intensities. 3) These elements allow for an additional focus on applied practical applications to harness or manipulate photoreceptor function through optogenetic tools, or interventional treatments. The program structure and invited speakers for the GRC and associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) are designed to maximize interaction between established investigators, new investigators, and trainees from diverse disciplines to foster an exchange of ideas and scientific viewpoints to catalyze new interdisciplinary approaches to delineate photosensory responses and to engineer new technologies. The GRS provides an opportunity for junior scientists to meet and present their work in an environment of peers prior to the GRC. The GRS incorporates social, scientific, and mentoring to develop a sense of belonging, community, and inclusivity. Mentoring sessions have been chosen to encompass both academic and industrial career pathways to facilitate career growth and networking opportunities. The thoughtfully coordinated PRST GRC/GRS will position researchers to address the field’s most critical scientific challenges, while also motivating trainees to leverage their expertise in pursuit of emerging frontiers in photochemistry and photobiology.
