Gastronauts Galapagos 2023

Travel transforms. Ask Charles Darwin.

When he landed on the Galapagos island of St. Cristobal in 1835, Darwin never imagined he would change humankind forever. The wisdom he gained inspired generations of scientists that came after.

On June 1, 2023, Gastronauts will disembark on that same St. Cristobal Island to envision the future of knowledge on food, the gut, and the brain.

Gastronauts is the global venue for the dissemination of knowledge on gut-brain matters. In collaboration with the University San Francisco de Quito – Ecuador (USFQ), Galapagos will be the the fourth Global Gastronauts Symposium. It will bring together 125 scientific leaders to imagine the scientific future of how to turn food into precision medicine.

Registration

Registration for Gastronauts Galapagos is OPEN!!!

There are only 20 spots left. Don’t miss it!

Registration includes breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks. The registration types are as follows:

  • Trainee, including postdocs, students, and interns: $550 USD
  • Academic faculty: $700 USD
  • Industry: $950 UDS

REGISTER HERE

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 31 March 2023

Abstract Submission

What to share your exciting work? Join us and present a poster of your up and coming idea! Abstracts of all kinds will be accepted including written (200 word max.), graphical abstract, video (1 minute max.), or audio file (1 minute max.).

Some important dates include:

  • Submission deadline: Extended deadline!! 20 March 2023
  • Last notification for abstract acceptance: 31 March 2023

Submit Here

Symposium agenda

Expand for agenda

Day I — June 1, arrival

Keynote:
Antonio Lazcano
UNAM, Mexico
Charles Darwin and the origins of evolution
Opening reception and poster session

Day II — June 2

Session I: Medicinal plants
Sarah Sallon
Natural Med. Research Center, Israel
Bringing ancient seeds to life
María Elena Cazar-Ramirez
U Cuenca, Ecuador
Natural bioagents of Ecuador
Zhen Wang
U of Buffalo, USA
Metabolic engineering of plants
Zohar Kerem
Hebrew U of Jerusalem, Israel
Edible plants
Session II: Sensory systems
Jing Wang
U California-San Diego, USA
Protein sensing in reproduction
Gabriel Antonio Trueba
U San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
Microbial helpers
Dragana Rogulja
Harvard U, USA
Sensing circadian rhythms
Asya Rolls
Technion, Israel
Immunity as a global messenger
Session III: Mind-body connection
Michal Schwartz
Weizmann Institute, Israel
Immuno-therapy
Yoav Livneh
Weizmann Institute, Israel
Neural circuits of “How do I feel?”

Day III — June 3

Session IV: Biotechnology
Yulong Li
Peking U, China
Engineering sensor proteins
Enrique Hernández-Lemus
INMEGEN, Mexico
Computational genomics
Greg Gage
Backyard Brains
Neuroscience experiments for everyone
Session V: Gut physiology
Frank Reimann
U Cambridge, UK
Endocrine signaling in the gut
Teresa Lever
U Missouri, USA
Visualizing digestion
Gilles Mithieux
U Lyon, France
Glucose metabolism
Session VI: Food or medicine
Chef
U San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
Culinary art
Mandë Holford
Hunter College, USA
Killer snails
Michael Huffman
Kyoto U, Japan
The evolution of self-medication

Day IV — June 4, departure

Travel guidelines to prepare for your trip to the Galapagos

The Galapagos is an archipelago in Ecuador. The capital of Ecuador is Quito and the major coastal city is Guayaquil. The conference will take place on the island of San Cristobal — the capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The University of San Francisco de Quito has a research center in the town and the conference venue is “Centro Internacional de Convenciones Charles Darwin”. 

Expand for tips

Before you go:
  • Make sure your passport is up to date! The US passport office is currently experiencing long delays in processing time.
  • Check your state department for visa entry requirements to Ecuador. US and European citizens do not require a visa.
Flights:
  • Book with your preferred airline a flight to Quito (UIO) or Guayaquil (GYE). Most major international airlines fly to Quito or Guayaquil, and most flights arrive in the evening or night therefore, you may need to arrive on May 31st and stay the night before flying to the Galapagos.
  • From UIO or GYE, there are three airlines that fly to San Cristobal (SCY): LATAM, Avianca, and Equair. Most flights depart early in the morning.  June is the high season, be sure to book your flights soon as they will start to sell out.
Galapagos National Park Fees:
  • At the UIO or GYE airport, you need to buy a Galapagos visa ($10). Before departing, you will go through a special Galapagos screening area where they scan your bags. Make sure you are not carrying any agricultural products.
  • Upon arrival at SCY, you need to pay a park entry fee ($100 per person – cash only). 
  • Getting from SCY to the main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is only ~5 min by taxi and cost $2. You can also walk, though this will take about twenty minutes.
Accommodation:

There are a number of hotels in the main town of Puerto Baquerizo. They range from around $40/night for a double up to $200 (Note: May hotels are priced per person, please check this when booking). Nearly all hotels are locally owned and operated. As June is the beginning of the high season, book early.

Water:

Bottled water is encouraged. Most hotels offer drinkable water that you can fill up your re-usable water bottles.

Currency:

The currency in Ecuador is the United States Dollar. Not all places take credit cards so bring cash from the mainland. In a bind, there are a few ATMs available on San Cristobal. 

Tipping in Ecuador is not customary but is appreciated. Some places will add tax and a 10% tip to the bill. If would like to include tip, ~10% is reasonable.

Getting around/ tourism:

You can explore the island by foot. There are a number of shops where you can plan additional activities, including snorkeling, sky diving or any additional fun adventures. 

Organizing committee

We have put together a stellar team from different regions in the Americas. Each member contributes a unique view and different expertise which is at the heart of Gastronauts.

Maya Kaelberer
Gastronauts Director
Duke University
Diego V. Bohórquez
Gastronauts Curator
Duke University
Amber L. Alhadeff
Monell Chemical Senses
Julia A. Kaltschmidt
Stanford University
Ranier Gutierrez
CINVESTAV

Gastronauts Galapagos is co-hosted by: