This interdisciplinary meeting will gather together scientists--structural biologists, chemists, geneticists, chemical and biological oceanographers, geochemists, and other specialist--who study the flows of essential and toxic elements through the environment and living systems, on timescales ranging from femptoseconds to eons. Of particular interest are the molecular mechanisms that govern element acquisition and use in organisms, and the tools and techniques used to study these phenomena. The aim of this community is to use these molecular-scale insights to understand the interconnected biotic and abiotic processes that shape the macroscopic environment and its development and change over a range of time scales.