The field of gene expression has recently entered a new era characterized by a detailed understanding of the structure and function of multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs), which are responsible for the transcription of all cellular genomes across the three domains of life. Each speaker session contains contributions of world leading scientists from every domain of life (Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya) thus highlighting common, and contrasting distinct molecular mechanisms of RNAP in a manner that illuminates the evolution of the transcription machinery.