The International Conference on Geo-Omics of Archaea 2026

I. Conference Overview

Official Name: The International Conference on Geo-Omics of Archaea 2026 — Toward A Cross- Domain Perspective (ICGOA 2026)

Dates: December 1st – December 4th, 2026

Venue: International Conference Hall, School of Life Sciences (South Campus), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

Conference Chairs:

Chairs: Chuan-Lun Zhang, Wen-Jun Li

Co-Chairs: Brian Hedlund, Meng Li, Wei Qin, Eveline Peeters, Wen-Sheng Shu

International Advisory Committee: Nian-Zhi Jiao, Jian Lin, Ping-An Peng, Ya-Nan Shen, Shu-Hai Xiao, Jian-Guo Xu, Qing-Ping Wu, Shu-Cheng Xie, Guo-Ping Zhao, Cai Zhang, Yong-Guan Zhu, Mao-Yan Zhu, Jill Banfield, Jaap Damsté, Purificación López-García, Marc Koper, Ann Pearson.

II. Background and Objectives

This conference focuses on the unique roles of Archaea, the major biological producers of the greenhouse gas methane and the evolutionary ancestors of eukaryotes, making them pivotal for climate change, ecosystem resilience, and understanding the origin of complex life. It responds to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development initiative by forging a high-level international platform. The goal is to strengthen global cooperation, leveraging microbial solutions to mitigate climate change and enhance ecological sustainability. By integrating multi-omics data with experimental validation, and harnessing big data and artificial intelligence, the conference aims to overcome current research bottlenecks and propel the field of Geo-Omics of Archaea into a new era of discovery and application.

III. Themes and Sessions

Main Theme:

Archaea in Climate Change, Ecosystem Health, and the Evolution of Life

Key Sessions:

Archaeal Diversity and Genomics

Archaeal Cultivation and Physiology

Archaeal Cell Structure and Synthetic Biology

Archaeal Biogeochemical Cycles and Lipid Metabolism

Symbiosis between Archaea and Other Organisms

Archaea and Eukaryogenesis