Schedule

We are in the Age of Genetics. At last, we can address the underlying causes of disease after thousands of years of treating symptoms. Synthetic biology, founded on the ability to read, write, and run DNA, enables new therapeutic modalities to target and potentially cure our most challenging diseases. But what will it take for synbio therapeutics to become standard treatments? What challenges do we face in scaling, regulation, and adoption? What could the therapeutics landscape look like in the next 5 years? Join leading investors, academics, pharma executives, and synbio CEOs for a thought-provoking discussion on where the future of medicine will take us.

The cosmetics industry is one of the low-volume, high-margin sectors where synthetic biology could become price competitive. But does it have enough reach and volume requirements to drive a meaningful environmental impact? Or could the beauty sector be the in-road for making synbio products cool and fashionable for the general public? What will it take to make bioengineered ingredients the new, hip trend at a cost the average person can afford?

Conventional approaches to drug manufacturing struggle to meet the demands of modern healthcare and are overdue for an upgrade. Society’s healthcare needs can - and do - change drastically from one month to another, which leaves patients vulnerable as many pharmaceutical supply chains are reliant on years-long agricultural timelines. This makes it nearly impossible for pharmaceutical supply chains to rapidly respond to sudden changes in demand, as was experienced acutely during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Antheia leverages synthetic biology to help transform pharmaceutical supply chains by enabling agile manufacturing for essential medicines and reducing our reliance on legacy sources for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key starting materials (KSMs). Hear from Antheia CEO and co-founder, Dr. Christina Smolke on how Antheia is using synthetic biology to unlock a novel manufacturing model for pharma and ensure equitable access to essential medicines.

Heavy industry has made the modern world. From steel and concrete to automotive and chemical production, heavy industries demand tremendous resources and energy. What role can synthetic biology successfully play in decarbonising these industries? What challenges do we currently face in terms of both science and capex? How can biotechnology integrate with heavy industry and supplement current approaches?

The SynBioBeta Investor Panel brings top-notch venture capitalists proactively investing in synthetic biology startups to discuss the funding landscape, innovation inflection points, emerging opportunities, and the challenges of investing in this field. They will also share their insights on the risks and benefits associated with investing in synthetic biology, as well as strategies for evaluating potential investment opportunities and defining investment hypotheses.The panel discussion may cover topics such as the potential impact of synthetic biology on industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and energy, as well as the ethical and regulatory considerations surrounding the field. Panelists may also provide advice and tips for entrepreneurs and startups seeking investment in the synthetic biology space.

As synbio moves closer to industrial scale, the chances of hitting ethical stumbling blocks are likely to increase. From gene editing to biodiversity genetic mining to xenotransplantation, the power of synbio can still lead our best intentions astray. How has synbio done so far as an industry? Have we made major mistakes and if so, have we corrected them or set structures in place to prevent them? What new hurdles should we anticipate and how can we best communicate our goals and needs with policymakers and the public?

The public markets play an important role in funding and validating synthetic biology companies. As the industry matures, what power do public markets have to make or break synthetic biology? How can large companies navigate the current market conditions as they approach going their IPO? What hallmarks of investment-worthy public companies do we need to take into account?

Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) are a major concern for humans living off-Earth. GCRs are extremely high-energy ions from solar winds that form radiation belts in Earth's magnetic field. This intense radiation easily passes through spacecraft and humans alike. For humans, GCRs damage DNA and create potential genetic mutations. In this session, experts on space radiation, longevity, cancer, and gene editing tools will explore potential scenarios where synthetic biology can protect humans from GCR and even expand human lifespan in space.

Synthetic biology applications have the potential to substitute 1/3 of the global supply chain and unlock a $30 TN bioeconomy. Engineered microorganisms can produce a wide range of products from materials, food, medicine, and consumer products. However, the unit economics for building large-scale biomanufacturing for molecules in the low-value/high-volume spectrum are difficult to reach. Challenges such as: high CAPEX, the investment cost of capital, long lead facility development, rigid purpose infrastructure, workforce gaps, and the unpredictability of biology at a large scale (+100,000L) are some of the reasons behind the lack of biomanufacturing capacity. What strategies can we implement to tackle these challenges?

As we look toward the future of synthetic biology, we anticipate technology will grow and evolve, creating a need to improve biosecurity controls and implement safeguards. The global SynBio community will benefit from having robust biosecurity measures in place. What has been accomplished and what still needs to be implemented? This panel brings together leading biosecurity experts from US Government, EBRC, defense, and the life science community, who will discuss their firsthand experiences in developing and deploying best-practice biosecurity policies and measures. We invite you to join us as they address the anticipated challenges of global biosecurity.

Challenging market conditions demand rigor and innovation to manage your most valuable resources: time and cash. Join us for an insightful discussion about maximizing resources during a downturn