23rd International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation - ICNF 2026

View Parallel Sessions and Proposed Chairs

Sunday, August 30, 2026

2:30 pm - 6:30 pm	Registration and accommodation - Congress Secretariat, hotel reception Secretary of the Congress – Hotel front desk.
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm	Opening ceremony Opening ceremony
7:00 pm - 7:45 pm	Keynote lecture - Nitrogen Fixation in Perspective in Brazil Fábio de Oliveira Pedrosa Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) F.O. Pedrosa (UFPR, Brazil)
7:45 pm - 8:30 pm	Keynote lecture - The marine nitroplast and lessons for eukaryotic nitrogen Jonathan Zehr University of California, Santa Cruz, USA Jonathan Zehr (University of California, Santa Cruz, USA)
8:30 pm - 10:00 pm	Welcome cocktail Hotel Golden Park Internacional Foz & Convenções

Monday, August 31, 2026

9:00 am - 10:30 am	Plenary Session 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry of Nitrogenase Plenary Session 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry of Nitrogenase
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Insights Into the Nitrogenase Mechanism Lance Seefeldt Arizona University Kinetic mechanism of nitrogenase
9:30 am - 10:00 am	The Structure and Mechanism of Alternative Nitrogenases Oliver Einsle Universität Freiburg Alternative nitrogenase structure and mechanism
10:00 am - 10:30 am	The energy landscape of electron bifurcating FixABCX John W. Peters The University of Oklahoma The energy landscape of electron bifurcating FixABCX
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break Coffee Break
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Plenary Session 2: Engineering Nitrogen Fixation Plenary Session 2: Engineering Nitrogen Fixation
11:00 am - 11:30 am	Engineering eukaryote organelles to fix nitrogen Luis Rubio Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Engineering eukaryote organelles to fix nitrogen
11:30 am - 12:00 pm	Diatom diazoplasts as models of metabolic integration and regulation of nitrogen fixation in diazotrophic eukaryotes Leonardo Curatti INBIOTEC-CONICET TBD presentation
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Diurnal switches in diazotrophic lifestyle increase nitrogen contribution to cereals Yi-Ping Wang Yazhouwan National Laboratory Engineering nitrogenase
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm	Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Session 1 - Nodule Function and Rhizobial Infection Session 1 - Nodule Function and Rhizobial Infection
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Session 2 - Nitrogen Sensing, Metabolic Regulation and Nitrogenase Biochemistry Session 2 - Nitrogen Sensing, Metabolic Regulation and Nitrogenase Biochemistry
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Coffee break Coffee break
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	Session 3 - Diazotroph Diversity, Genomics and Taxonomy Session 3 - Diazotroph Diversity, Genomics and Taxonomy
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	Session 4 - Bioinoculant Technology and Crop Productivity Session 4 - Bioinoculant Technology and Crop Productivity
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm	Poster Session I Poster Session I

Tuesday, September 01, 2026

9:00 am - 10:30 am	Plenary Session 3: Legume Symbioses (Chair: Gary Stacey) Chair: Gary Stacey
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Energy sensors and nitrogen fixation Xuelu Wang China Energy sensors and nitrogen fixation
9:30 am - 10:00 am	Managing nutrient challenges: Rhizobial strategies in soil and early symbiotic niches Anke Becker Germany Managing nutrient challenges: Rhizobial strategies in soil and early symbiotic niches
10:00 am - 10:30 am	The demonstration of a single origin for nodule evolution, with nodule resurrection in a non-nodulating species Anindya Kundu USA The demonstration of a single origin for nodule evolution, with nodule resurrection in a non-nodulating species
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break Coffee Break
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Plenary Session 4: Crop diazotroph-interactions Plenary Session 4: Crop diazotroph-interactions
11:00 am - 11:30 am	Machine learning and TnSeq approaches for the characterization of plant root colonization by Pantoea agglomerans Antônio Lagares Argentina Machine learning and TnSeq approaches for the characterization of plant root colonization by Pantoea agglomerans
11:30 am - 12:00 pm	A novel mechanism of regulation of expression of nitrogen fixation genes in Azospirillum brasilense Gladys Alexandre USA A novel mechanism of regulation of expression of nitrogen fixation genes in Azospirillum brasilense
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Life cycle transitions of rhizobia Philip Poole Oxford University Life cycle transitions of rhizobia
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm	Lunch Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Special Session - Tribute to Dr. Euan K. James: 40 Years of Partnership Chair: Veronica M. Reis, Embrapa
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Coffee break Coffee break
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	Session 5 - Evolution and Engineering of Nitrogen Fixation Room America · Chair: Raúl Platero
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm	Session 6 - Soil Health, Microbial Communities and Extreme Environments Room Europe · Chair(s): José Ivo Baldani · Graham O’Hara
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm	Poster Session II Poster Session II

Wednesday, September 02, 2026

9:00 am - 10:30 am	Plenary Session 5: Associative and Endophytic Nitrogen Fixation Plenary Session 5: Associative and Endophytic Nitrogen Fixation
9:00 am - 9:30 am	Regulation of nitrogen metabolism in associative bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Edileusa Gerhardt Universidade Federal do Paraná Regulation of nitrogen metabolism in associative bacterium Azospirillum brasilense
9:30 am - 10:00 am	Role of the Type VI secretion system in beneficial plant-microbe interactions Barbara Reinhold-Hurek University of Bremen Role of the Type VI secretion system in beneficial plant-microbe interactions
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Plant signalling in cereal-bacteria associations Adriana Hemerly UFRJ Plant signalling in cereal-bacteria associations
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break Coffee Break
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Plenary Session 6: Nitrogen-Fixing Symbioses in Marine Environments Plenary Session 6: Nitrogen-Fixing Symbioses in Marine Environments
11:00 am - 11:30 am	From free-living to organelle: tracing the evolution of nitrogen-fixing endosymbiosis Ellen Yeh Stanford University From free-living to organelle: tracing the evolution of nitrogen-fixing endosymbiosis
11:30 am - 12:00 pm	Intercellular communication in the fern endosymbiotic cyanobacterium Nostoc azollae Cristina Sarasa-Buisán Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis Intercellular communication in the fern endosymbiotic cyanobacterium Nostoc azollae
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Nitrogen-fixing symbioses in seagrasses Wiebke Mohr Germany Nitrogen-fixing symbioses in seagrasses
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm	Lunch Lunch
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Reserved for Iguaçu Falls excursion Wednesday afternoon is reserved for excursion to the Iguaçu Falls

Thursday, September 03, 2026

9:00 am - 10:30 am	Plenary Session 7: Diazotroph Diversity and Evolution Plenary Session 7: Diazotroph Diversity and Evolution
9:00 am - 9:30 am	What we've learned so far with Paenibacillus SBR5 about the iron-only alternative nitrogenase Luciane Passaglia UFRGS TBD presentation
9:30 am - 10:00 am	Diversity of diazotrophs across the African continent Mustapha Missbah El Idrissi Morocco TBD presentation
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Extensive rhizobial diversity and biological nitrogen fixation: What are the implications for farmers? Fátima Moreira UFLA, Lavras Diversity of rhizobia in revegetated areas
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break Coffee Break
11:00 am - 12:30 pm	Plenary Session 8: Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture and Forestry Plenary Session 8: Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture and Forestry
11:00 am - 11:30 am	The Brazilian experience with soybean co-inoculation Mariangela Hungria Embrapa Soja The Brazilian experience with soybean co-inoculation
11:30 am - 12:00 pm	Challenges for successful inoculation of agricultural legumes Graham O’Hara Australia Challenges for successful inoculation of agricultural legumes
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Exploiting microbes in nutrient-poor environments for soil fertility, food security, and human nutrition/health Felix Dapare Dakora South Africa Exploiting microbes in nutrient-poor environments for soil fertility, food security, and human nutrition/health
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm	Lunch Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Session 7 - Non-legume and Associative Symbioses Room Americas · Chairs: Katharina Pawlowski · Luciane Passaglia
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Session 8 - Climate Change and Abiotic Stress Room Europe · Chair: Federico Battistoni
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Coffee break Coffee break
4:00 pm - 4:40 pm	Closing Talk - Concluding Remarks and Future Challenges Ray Dixon John Innes Centre Norwich Concluding Remarks and Future Challenges
4:40 pm - 5:00 pm	Closing Ceremony Closing Ceremony
5:10 pm - 6:40 pm	INCT meeting - closed session INCT meeting - closed session
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Congress dinner Congress dinner
9:00 pm	Congress Ball Congress Ball

Remember that in order to participate in any course, you must be registered for the 23rd ICNF.

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