About
As synthetic biology charts the course toward addressing some of the most challenging medical conditions, pinpointing suitable targets becomes imperative. A growing contingent of companies is zeroing in on pioneering targets for drug administration and efficacy. In tandem, integrating digital advancements is fast-tracking protein configuration and shedding light on the intricate tapestry of the human microbiome. The biopharma sphere is adapting and revolutionizing, employing cutting-edge tools for synthesizing vital compounds, capturing singular gene dynamics, and expediting the drug discovery process at an unprecedented pace. What trajectory is synthetic biology carving in the biopharma landscape? How can we orchestrate the creation of drugs that are more affordable, safer, and markedly superior in efficacy? As we delve deeper, what revelations await us about the intricate dance of molecules that constitutes human life?
Speakers
Agenda
Agenda
Monday
May 05
Tuesday
May 06
Rewriting Life’s Code to Create New Polymers, Materials, and Medicines
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In terrestrial life, DNA is copied to messenger RNA, and the 64 triplet codons in messenger RNAs are decoded – in the process of translation – to synthesize proteins. Cellular protein translation provides the ultimate paradigm for the synthesis of long polymers of defined sequence and composition but is commonly limited to polymerizing the 20 canonical amino acids. I will describe our progress towards the encoded synthesis of non-canonical biopolymers. These advances may form a basis for new classes of genetically encoded polymeric materials and medicines. To realize our goals, we are re-imagining some of the most conserved features of the cell; we have created new ribosomes, new aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs, and organisms with entirely synthetic genomes in which we have re-written the genetic code.
Beyond Cell, Beyond Life: Cell-Free Systems as the Architects of Synthetic Biology Advancement
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Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) transcends the limitations of living cells, unlocking unprecedented possibilities in biotechnology. This talk explores the potential of diverse applications of CFPS with constructive approach, including therapeutic protein production, screening, and manufacturing, and high-throughput platforms with AI/ML. This talk will foster an open dialogue across the CFPS space and showcase opportunities for this platform to drive synthetic biology innovation beyond the boundaries of life.
Enzymes of the Future are Built Bottom-Up
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What if we could design breakthrough enzymes for diagnostics, chemistry, or even therapeutics without relying on nature’s instructions? Today’s enzyme development is largely limited by a top-down approach, starting by thinking of what already exists rather than creating what’s truly needed. A bottom-up paradigm changes this. This approach allows us to engineer enzymes from first principles, starting with the reaction itself and tailoring function, manufacturability, and stability to meet real-world demands. This shift unlocks entirely new products and technologies and gets them to market faster and more reliably than ever before. Join this session to explore how rethinking enzyme design can transform the bioeconomy and accelerate innovation at an unprecedented scale.
PURE System: A Quarter-Century of Innovation and Future of Cell-Free System in Synthetic Biology
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The PURE (Protein synthesis Using Recombinant Elements) system is a reconstituted cell-free protein synthesis system invented by Prof. Ueda in 2001. This session will reflect on 25 years of this groundbreaking platform, trace its evolution and explore its core principles and advantages in today's synthetic biology landscape. Learn how this critical system works synergistically with other technologies including microfluidics, high-throughput screening platforms, in vitro display, AI/ML-approach to advance applications in basic research, protein engineering, and biologics R&D. Join the original developers of this technology to explore future directions and potential novel uses of PURE system technology to revolutionize fields such as personalized medicine, biomanufacturing, and artificial cells.
AI 'Cheat Codes' Speed Therapeutic Cell Creation via Transcription Factors
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One of the biggest challenges faced by the regenerative medicine field today is the ability to efficiently and scalably generate therapeutic cells. This session explores cutting-edge transcription factor-based approaches for rapid and efficient differentiation of stem cells into therapeutic cell types. We will examine how synthetic biology techniques are revolutionizing cell therapy by enabling faster production of clinically relevant cells. Speakers will discuss recent advances, challenges, and future directions in harnessing transcription factors for directed differentiation, with a focus on applications in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.
Microfluidics in Synthetic Biology: Life on a Chip
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Scientists, engineers, and innovators from academia and industry will discuss the transformative role of microfluidics in enabling high-throughput screening, precise control of cellular microenvironments, and the development of 'organs-on-a-chip.' Our panel will cover pioneering microfluidic platforms, their integration with synthetic biology for enhanced biological insight, and their potential in personalized medicine, drug discovery, and environmental monitoring. This session will delve into how the merging of engineering and biology at the microscale is revolutionizing our ability to understand and manipulate life at the cellular level.
Wednesday
May 07
AI-Driven Breakthroughs: Accelerating Drug Discovery and Genetic Medicine
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In an era where AI is transforming medicine, drug discovery and genetic therapies are entering a new frontier. This session will explore how AI accelerates the development of innovative therapies, from optimizing molecular designs to enabling precise, tissue-specific genetic interventions. Discover how cutting-edge AI technologies are advancing therapeutic modalities, enhancing delivery systems, and unlocking the potential of personalized medicine. Join leading experts as they share groundbreaking insights into AI-driven innovation and its profound impact on the future of drug discovery and genetic medicine.
Converging Platforms: High-Throughput Solutions Driving Biotech Breakthroughs
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Explore how cutting-edge microelectronics, advanced liquid-handling systems, and powerful bioinformatics converge to accelerate innovation across biotech, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic biology. By leveraging integrated approaches—spanning machine learning tools, next-generation lab automation, and modular high-throughput platforms—industry leaders are redefining what’s possible from early R&D to commercial-scale production. Gain insights into the core technologies and collaborative models fueling these breakthroughs, and learn how this convergence is reshaping discovery pipelines, enhancing product development, and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in healthcare, bioactives, and beyond.
Synthetic Biology Frontiers in Transplantation: Engineering Durable Therapeutic Solutions
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This cutting-edge session explores the intersection of synthetic biology, materials science, and transplantation medicine to address key challenges in cell, tissue, and organ transplantation. We'll examine innovative approaches to enhance transplant durability, improve integration with host systems, and advance the field of regenerative medicine. Examples include: genetically engineered cells for enhanced survival, 3d-printed scaffolds and organoids, advances in xenotransplantation, and others.
Unleashing Droplet Screening for N-Glycan Enzyme Discovery
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N-glycans are essential components of the human glycome, yet identifying enzymes that degrade them remains challenging. Our team has developed a fluorescence-quenched N-glycan probe that activates fluorescence upon enzymatic cleavage, enabling efficient identification of N-glycan-degrading enzymes. Integrating this probe with an ultrahigh-throughput droplet-based screening platform accelerates metagenomic library screening while minimizing substrate use. This approach has successfully uncovered microbial N-glycan degradation pathways from diverse environments. Our findings highlight the power of droplet-based functional metagenomics in enzyme discovery, paving the way for new strategies to identify glycan-targeting enzymes.
Pioneering SynBio Innovations: Transforming Industries and Expanding Possibilities
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Explore the rapidly evolving frontiers of synthetic biology, where engineered cells, advanced neural interfaces, and novel biomaterials converge to unlock groundbreaking solutions across industries. This session delves into the critical hurdles of bringing laboratory breakthroughs to market—covering regulatory challenges, commercial adoption, and the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Hear from experts who combine data-driven insights with platform-based innovation to address everything from sustainability and manufacturing to performance enhancement, while sparking crucial conversations about ethical boundaries. Whether you’re a researcher, entrepreneur, or industry professional, join us to discover how these cutting-edge biotechnologies are reshaping our future—and our conception of what’s possible.
Thursday
May 08
Transform Your Shake Flask into a Bioreactor: Break the Black Box
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Shake flasks are the most commonly used small-scale cultivation vessel for microbial fermentation and cell culture. Their ease-of use and low cost per experiment provide an ideal set-up for strain selection, yield optimization, and overall bioprocess characterization. Traditionally, shake flasks are black boxes. Available manual sampling methods rarely provide enough information to understand one’s bioprocess fully, are time-consuming, and come with additional risks. New, modern sensor technologies allow scientists to study key parameters in shake flasks non-invasively, automatically, and in real time, enabling bioreactor-like capabilities at the shake flask level.
From Deadlock to Discovery: Expanding Cellular Translation’s Chemical Repertoire
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Verify in cvent -- The genetic code has been reprogrammed to encode hundreds of non-canonical amino acids, yet its expansion beyond α-L-amino acids remained constrained for over two decades by an evolutionary deadlock: synthetases cannot be evolved for poor ribosomal substrates, and ribosomes cannot polymerize monomers that synthetases cannot acylate tRNAs with. This deadlock has now been broken with tRNA display, a rapid, scalable directed evolution platform that enables synthetase engineering to acylate tRNAs with diverse non-canonical monomers, independent of ribosomal translation. Join this session for an in-depth examination of this technology's capabilities. The session will trace tRNA's journey from conception to tech transfer and establish tRNA display as the innovation engine for next-generation therapeutics.
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