The publication of the genome of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii in 1996 marked the beginning of a new age of accelerating research in archaeal molecular biology. Nearly twenty years after this milestone advance, the field of archaeal research has been unified and taken a key role in comparative biology, particularly in the understanding of the origins of Eukarya. The focus of the "Archaea: Ecology Metabolism and Molecular Biology" GRC conference expands on a number of emerging topics highlighting new paradigms in archaeal metabolism, genome function and systems biology; information processing and regulation; evolution and the tree of life; and the ecology and diversity of archaea and their viruses. The strength of this conference lies in its ability to couple a broad field with a rich history in high quality research with new scientific findings accelerated by cutting-edge methodologies made possible by inexpensive high-throughput sequencing. This conference is an excellent opportunity for younger scientists to interact with world experts in this field, augmented by the introduction of short poster talks and a rich mixture of presentations from both new and established scientists. We encourage and support student and postdoctoral attendance, and will choose outstanding abstracts from young researchers to be showcased in short oral presentations throughout the program.