We are pleased to announce that Terpnet 2017, the 13th International Meeting on Biosynthesis, Function and Synthetic Biology, will take place on July 16-20, 2017 in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.

“Terpnet” is an international affiliation of researchers and scientifically interested parties working on all aspects of terpenes and isoprenoids, including investigations of the chemical underpinnings and their biosynthetic mechanisms to assessment of the biological activities of these chemicals and their industrial applications. It was initialized in 1992 at Leiden University, The Netherlands and aimed to create a European network. But it soon became a world-wide meeting with participants from many non-European countries. Terpnet meetings have been held bi-annually in Europe, USA, Japan, and Canada for the past 25 years. The most recent Terpnet meeting (Terpnet 2015) was held in Vancouver, Canada, and was organized by Professor Joerg Bohlmann from University of British Columbia.

Terpnet 2017 is organized by the Local Organizing Committee headed by Professor Xiaoya Chen and Professor Xiaoquan Qi in close collaboration with the Terpnet Executive Committee. The scientific programme is grouped into (but not limited to) eight sessions: (1) Biosynthesis andtransportof terpenoids, (2) Regulation of terpenoid metabolism, (3) Terpene chemistry and structure biology (4) Terpenoids in plant development and crop traits, (5) Terpenoids and human health, (6) Terpenoids in ecology, (7) Systems and synthetic biology of terpenoids, and (8) Industrial biotechnology of terpenoids, aiming to cover all aspects of terpene and isoprenoid research relevant to all life forms.

Terpnet 2017 will be held jointly with the Fourth International Conference on Plant Metabolism and the Sixth International Meeting on Plant Cell Wall. There is overlap between the subjects of the three meetings, and a special arrangement has been agreed among the three organizing committees – registration for any of these meetingsenables attendance atall three. This provides a unique chance to learn about recent progress in study of metabolites beyond terpenes and isoprepenoids, with the potential for making important connections to these‘’sister” fields. Despite this unique situation, our aim is to maintain the identity and traditional style of Terpnet in the current meeting.

The meetings will take place in the large and modern Dalian International Conference Centre. Dalian is a major city and seaport located on the southern tip of the Liaodong peninsula in the northeast of China. Ithas an excellent environment, including cool summers (less than 30 oC),and has won awards as the best tourist city inChina and as an International Garden City.