Welcome

The 4th International Pan American Light Sources for Agriculture (PALSA 2025) meeting will be held August 20-22, 2025 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The theme of PALSA 2025 is "Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Research". Invited talks will showcase state-of-the-art synchrotron research aimed at furthering agriculture and food research through the use of synchrotron techniques.

PALSA 2025 will be a hybrid event with in-person sessions and gatherings in Saskatoon, and academic talks live-streamed to virtual participants.

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Objectives

The goal of this conference is to increase awareness about the value of light sources for agricultural research, and to engage with potential customers to increase the use of advanced imaging synchrotron tools, by showcasing leading research in the field.

History of PALSA

The first meeting of the Pan American Light Sources for Agriculture (PALSA) was organized by the CLS in 2019, in partnership with the CHESS synchrotron in the United States and the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) in Brazil. Subsequent biennial meetings have alternated between the three major light sources, with PALSA 2021 hosted by LNLS and PALSA 2023 hosted by CHESS.

Agriculture at the CLS

Canada is a world-leading producer of agricultural-based products. Population growth and food security concerns require greater crop yields through novel and advanced research tools such as synchrotron-based techniques. Several light sources have identified agriculture as a scientific field through which to influence an issue of global concern. The Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan was the first synchrotron to define agricultural science as one its strategic priorities, due to the combination of its unique infrastructure capabilities, in-house expertise, and close proximity to outstanding agricultural science infrastructure.

Local Organizing Committee

Chithra Karunakaran (Co-chair)

David Muir

Ibi Bondici

Jarvis Stobbs

Kathryn Janzen

Lucia Zuin (Chair)

Sandra Ribeiro

Scott Rosendahl

Teagen Quilichini

International Advisory Committee

Arthur Woll, CHESS, USA

Chithra Karunakaran, CLS, Canada

Dean Hesterberg, LNLS, Brazil