Christina Smolke | Keynote Speaker 2024
IET London | 9th-10th December 2025
Europe’s #1
synthetic biology
conference
Bringing together the best and brightest minds in synbio

About Us
About SynbiTECH
SynbiTECH is the UK’s leading international forum for people engaged in engineering biology business, investment, policymaking, science and research.
Running for the sixth time, this major UK synthetic biology business conference attracted more than 400 delegates and speakers, bringing together the best and brightest minds in synthetic biology, sustainability and business innovation.

Europe’s Number One Synthetic Biology Conference
Why attend SynbiTECH?
SynbiTECH is the UK’s leading synthetic biology conference. We are dedicated to fostering innovation in synbio, bringing together visionary leaders and industry experts. Our focus is on delivering a content-rich programme featuring speakers who can provide transformative insights.
Gain first-hand insights from global SynBio leaders on the forces shaping our industry. From shifting investment trends to new regulatory frameworks and advances in scale-up, discover how innovation is moving from lab to market.
Forge connections with peers, potential clients, policy experts, investors and collaborators while enjoying the spectacular views of London’s iconic architecture from the stunning IET London in Savoy Place.
2025 Speakers
Voices of innovation
Every year, SynbiTECH brings together the world’s boldest innovators in synthetic biology. We have hosted the voices redefining industries, pushing scientific limits, and turning bold ideas into reality. Meet the thinkers who’ve shaped the conversations that matter.
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James Field
LabGenius
James is the CEO of LabGenius, a next-generation antibody discovery company.
James Field
LabGenius
Bio
James is the CEO of LabGenius, a next-generation antibody discovery company.
LabGenius has pioneered the development of an ML-driven antibody engineering platform that’s capable of designing, conducting and critically learning from its own experiments. As CEO, James has raised >$70M in financing from top-tier VCs (e.g. M Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Lux Capital, Obvious Ventures, Atomico and Kindred) and struck R&D deals with top pharma companies like Sanofi.
Prior to founding LabGenius, James completed a PhD at Imperial College where he developed novel methods for re-engineering protein nanocages for targeted drug delivery.
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Craig Woods
Forge Genetics
Craig is the CEO at University of Nottingham spin-out Forge Genetics.
Craig Woods
Forge Genetics
Bio
Craig Woods has a background in genetics, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham. Following PhD Craig worked as a post-doctoral researcher working on biofuel producing Clostridia sponsored by Lanzatech. In 2019 Craig joined a sustainable alternative protein company called Deep Branch becoming VP of R&D where he led the strain development and scale-up process development teams. In 2023 Craig left Deep Branch to become CEO at University of Nottingham spin-out Forge Genetics. Forge was created to commercialise a novel gene-editing tool called “Forge Editing”. Forge Editing is currently being used for contract research services in bacteria and is being developed for use as a safer alternative to CRISPR editing in gene therapy applications.
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Jeff Anthony
National Physical Laboratory
Jeffrey leads on Engineering Biology Partnerships at the National Physical Laboratory.
Jeff Anthony
National Physical Laboratory
Bio
Jeffrey leads on Engineering Biology Partnerships at the National Physical Laboratory NPL having joined their Life Sciences & Health Team in 2019. His current area of focus centres on building collaborations with EngBio partners from industry, academia and the public sector to identify the ways in which NPL’s metrology expertise and capability can support research and its translation to drive growth.
Jeffrey’s technical background is in microbiology, having studied Biotechnology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in quality assurance and product development roles in Australia with CSL and was responsible for the early development of the American Type Culture Collection in Europe when working with LGC. Jeffrey has worked in reference materials development roles and he has experience with precision breeding technologies focussed on Agricultural applications having led the LGC Group’s initial launch of their genomics business in Southeast Asia. Today Jeffrey is a strong advocate for the development of industry aligned standards and metrics which can enable investment and smooth the path to growth for engineering biology companies across the UK and for the role standards can play in enabling global supply chains.
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Lord David Willetts
Foundation for Science and Technology, UK Space Agency
Lord Willetts is Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology and of the UK Space Agency.
Lord David Willetts
Foundation for Science and Technology, UK Space Agency
Bio
The Rt Hon Lord Willetts FRS, HonFREng is Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology and of the UK Space Agency. Lord Willetts served as Minister for Universities and Science (2010-2014). He has held a range of Board positions across the Space and Science sector. He was a Board member of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), and Chair of the British Science Association.
Lord Willetts is a visiting Professor at King’s College London and an Honorary Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.
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Joško Bobanović
Sofinnova Partners
Joško joined Sofinnova Partners in 2010 as Partner dedicated to activities in industrial biotech.
Joško Bobanović
Sofinnova Partners
Bio
Joško Bobanović [pronounced as Yoshko Bobanovich] joined Sofinnova Partners in 2010 as Partner dedicated to activities in industrial biotech. He focuses on early-stage sustainable companies in Europe and North America with applications in food, agriculture, chemicals and materials. Joško sits on the boards of Metgen, Synthace, DNA Script, Biosyntia, DMC Biotechnologies, Pyrowave, Protera, Novameat and Prometheus Materials. Joško holds a BSc. in physics from University of Zagreb, a PhD in physical oceanography from Dalhousie University and an MBA in finance and marketing from McGill University.
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Fiona Mischel
SynBioBeta
Fiona is Director of International Outreach for SynBioBeta.
Fiona Mischel
SynBioBeta
Bio
Fiona began her career as a science communicator covering CRISPR, climate, and biotech for space travel. She now serves as SynBioBeta’s Director of International Outreach and media covering climate, heavy industry, international investment and policy. She is also a member of the OECD’s GFTech Expert Focus Group for synthetic biology.
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Prantar Tamuli
Tattva
Prantar Tamuli is the founder of Tattva, a biotechnology platform leveraging systems biology and cellular intelligence of cyanobacteria to develop carbon-negative engineered living materials.
Prantar Tamuli
Tattva
Bio
Prantar Tamuli is the founder of Tattva, a biotechnology platform leveraging systems biology and cellular intelligence of cyanobacteria to develop carbon-negative engineered living materials. He is the recipient of the Manton Prize 2020 from the British Phycological Society for the invention of a novel solid-state cyanobacterial biomanufacturing technique.
He is an interdisciplinary scientist and a PhD scholar at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, where his research focused on native phenotypic programming, solid-state photobioreactor engineering, and the process intensification of photosynthetic living material production for industrial applications. Prior to bioengineering, he worked for over a decade as a professional architect designing large-scale, ecologically regenerative infrastructure. His trajectory spans synthetic biology, bioprocess engineering, and sustainable construction, forming the basis of Tattva’s long-term vision: to create a biologically grown built environment through programmable microbial systems that replace extractive materials with regenerative, living materials.
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Alicia Showering
BugBiome
Dr Alicia Showering is the CEO and Co-Founder of BugBiome, an agtech start-up discovering bioinsecticides from microbes.
Alicia Showering
BugBiome
Bio
Dr Alicia Showering is the CEO and Co-Founder of BugBiome, an agtech start-up discovering bioinsecticides from microbes. She holds a PhD focused on how microbes and their metabolites influence insect attractiveness. BugBiome has developed a phenotypic screening platform powered by engineering biology to identify microbial strains that modulate insect behaviour, enabling the discovery of novel insecticides for sustainable crop protection.
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Ben Wilding
Sun Bear Biofuture
Ben Wilding is Co-Founder and CEO of Sun Bear Biofuture who are bioengineering the future of ingredients.
Ben Wilding
Sun Bear Biofuture
Bio
Ben Wilding is Co-Founder and CEO of Sun Bear Biofuture who are bioengineering the future of ingredients. His background is in business and technology, having run a software consultancy in London for 10 years and several other businesses. He holds a Masters degree in Sustainability and Behaviour Change. He leads on the company strategy, culture and collaborations with strategic partners at Sun Bear Biofuture. He is passionate about having a positive impact on the planet through biotechnology.
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Harsh Amin
Ivy Farm Technologies
Harsh Amin is the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Ivy Farm Technologies, where he has led the company’s transformation since 2023 from a research-focused startup into a commercially driven food production business.
Harsh Amin
Ivy Farm Technologies
Bio
Harsh Amin is the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Ivy Farm Technologies, where he has led the company’s transformation since 2023 from a research-focused startup into a commercially driven food production business. He also serves as CEO and Board Member of a stealth-mode biopharmaceutical company.
With over 15 years of leadership experience in the biotech and biopharma sectors, Harsh has held key roles at ReNeuron, Evox Therapeutics, and Lonza. He has a strong track record of translating scientific innovation into commercial platforms, with expertise spanning regenerative medicine, exosome-based therapeutics, CHO biology, and cell line development.
His academic research at University College London and Imperial College London focused on stem cell biology and musculoskeletal disorders. Harsh brings a multidisciplinary approach across cell biology, media development, analytical sciences, and translational medicine.
Outside of work, he enjoys playing cricket with his two children, both avid fans of the Indian and English cricket teams.
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Chris Voigt
MIT
Christopher Voigt, PhD, is the Department Head of Biological Engineering at MIT, holds the Daniel I.C. Wang Professorship, and is the Co-Director of the Synthetic Biology Centre.
Chris Voigt
MIT
Bio
Christopher Voigt, PhD, is the Department Head of Biological Engineering at MIT. He is an expert in Synthetic Biology and his lab has applied genetic engineering to problems in agriculture, health, computation, medicine, chemicals/materials, national security, and infrastructure. He holds the Daniel I.C. Wang Professorship and is Co-Director of the Synthetic Biology Center.
He received his BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan (1998) and PhD in Biophysics from Caltech (2002). He is a founder of Pivot Bio (microbial agricultural products), Asimov (human cell synthetic biology), and Fieldstone (national security and biotechnology). He is a Board Member of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. He serves on the science advisory boards of DSM–Firmenich, Bolt Threads, Empress Bio, Aanika, Senti Bio, Axcella, Robigo, Anthology Bio, and Twist Bioscience. He is an equity partner at DCVC Bio, Bio-innovation, and Pillar. He has been honored with a National Security Science & Engineering Faculty Fellowship (NSSEFF), Bush Fellows Research Study Team (BFRST), and is the Director of the Army Center for Synthetic Biology.
He has been honoured as a Sloan Fellow, Pew Fellow, Packard Fellow, NSF Career Award, Vaughan Lecturer, MIT TR35, Schmidt Innovation Fellow, and SynBiobeta Entrepreneurial Leadership Award.
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Joe Price
Evolutor
Joe Price is the Founder of Evolutor.
Joe Price
Evolutor
Bio
Joe Price is the Founder of Evolutor. Evolutor builds and deploys unique genetic toolkits and lab hardware to leverage the power of top-down evolutionary microbe development in new ways.
The team’s technological philosophy is built on the fact that biology is fundamentally not an engineered system. Despite the major advancements in synthetic biology, it remains true that only an extremely marginal portion of microbial diversity is directly engineerable. By better harnessing evolution, Evolutor seeks to make the bottleneck of un-engineerability entirely obsolete.
To achieve this ambition, Evolutor is generating microbes into a small number of targeted verticals. Their flagship bacteria are evolved to rapidly convert end-of-life tyres into fermentation feedstock for new biopolymer and biochemical production. Beyond this flagship, Evolutor will scale to target other challenging wastestreams as they expand core microbe evolution technology into construction of the world’s first automated evolutionary biofoundry.
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Pedro Correa de Sampaio
Neobe Therapeutics
Pedro Correa de Sampaio is the Co-Founder and CEO at Neobe Therapeutics.
Pedro Correa de Sampaio
Neobe Therapeutics
Bio
Pedro is a cancer biologist and entrepreneur with a long-standing interest in the studying and targeting of the tumour microenvironment (TME). He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he initially developed new 3D models to study angiogenesis in solid tumours. Pedro then moved to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, for a Postdoctoral Fellowship studying spatial interactions between stromal components and immune cell infiltration in solid tumours. His observations made him decide to build innovative solutions to tackle this problem, leading him to return to the UK and co-found Neobe, engineering bacteria to remove barriers to drug infiltration in cancer patients. He has since grown the company and raised £3.5M in equity and non-dilutive funds, enabling the establishment of its engineered bacterial therapeutics platform, with two assets currently in pre-clinical development.
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Gustaf Hemberg
Scindo
Gustaf is the CEO and Co-Founder of Scindo, a company pioneering AI-guided enzyme design to enable sustainable chemical manufacturing from renewable and upcycled feedstocks.
Gustaf Hemberg
Scindo
Bio
Gustaf is the CEO and Co-Founder of Scindo, a company pioneering AI-guided enzyme design to enable sustainable chemical manufacturing from renewable and upcycled feedstocks. He earned his DPhil in organic chemistry and chemical biology from the University of Oxford under the supervision of Professor Ben G. Davis, where his research focused on the discovery and engineering of novel enzyme functionalities for selective C–H activation and C–C bond cleavage — work that laid the foundation for Scindo’s technology platform. Prior to this, he completed his MChem at Oxford with a dissertation on the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into natural enzymes.
Before founding Scindo, Gustaf worked in finance and private equity, including as Head of Research at a London-based PE fund specialising in the acquisition and transformation of precision engineering businesses. Combining deep scientific expertise with commercial insight, he now leads Scindo with a mission to transform the chemical industry by unlocking nature’s catalysts.
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Nigel Scrutton
C3 Biotech
Nigel Scrutton is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of C3 Biotech.
Nigel Scrutton
C3 Biotech
Bio
Nigel Scrutton is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of C3 Biotech. He leads the company’s scientific strategy at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering. He plays a pivotal role in shaping C3’s technology platform, driving innovation in next-generation biomanufacturing, and guiding the company’s long-term vision and global impact.
Nigel is a Fellow of the Royal Society and has served as Director of the UK Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub, which he founded in 2019. Previously, he was Director of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (2010–2019), during which time the Institute was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education (2018–2020) for its national leadership in biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
Nigel also advises the UK Government on the strategic development of biotechnology in both civilian and defence contexts.
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David Venables
Laverock Therapeutics
David Venables, PhD, is CEO of Laverock Therapeutics.
David Venables
Laverock Therapeutics
Bio
David Venables, PhD, is serial biotechnology entrepreneur and leader. He has taken companies from creation through to acquisition or IPO and products from early development to commercialisation.
He is CEO of Laverock Therapeutics, a gene-silencing company with a uniquely powerful technology for the development of programmable advanced therapies to tackle major diseases, where he has led the company through foundation, seed funding and corporate development.
He was previously President, AskBio Europe, having joined following the acquisition of Synpromics, where he was CEO and led the company through two rounds of funding prior to acquisition. He was VP-CMC for Nightstar Therapeutics, a gene therapy company acquired by Biogen, CEO of Antara Therapeutics, where he raised private funding and led an IPO in Australia, and CEO of Ark Therapeutics.
David serves on the Boards of Concinnity Genetics, Axol Biosciences and NovalGen. He is also an Honorary Professor at Edinburgh University supporting company collaboration and entrepreneurship in The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
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Daniel Hansen
Bactobio
Daniel Hansen is Co-Founder and CEO at Bactobio
Daniel Hansen
Bactobio
Bio
Daniel has been working on bringing technology and business together for most of his adult life. Daniel completed his bachelor’s at the University of Oxford and PhD at Imperial College London. His PhD project focused on cultivating unculturable bacteria and screening them for antibiotics.
Daniel has an MSc in Finance from IE Business School Madrid and worked in investment banking for Barclays Capital before helping Albion Ventures evaluate spinouts from UCL. He Co-Founded Bactobio in 2020 to harness breakthroughs in genomics, machine learning, and bioengineering to cultivate previously unculturable microbes and mine them for antimicrobials for agriculture and healthcare – for a greener and safer future.
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Kyoko Morimoto
Kyomei
Kyoko Morimoto is the CSO & Co-founder of Kyomei which is pioneering molecular farming, transforming crop leaf biomass to sustainable bio-factories for food ingredient production.
Kyoko Morimoto
Kyomei
Bio
Kyoko leads Kyomei in pioneering molecular farming, transforming crop leaf biomass to sustainable bio-factories for food ingredient production. With over 15 years of expertise in plant science, particularly leveraging diverse techniques to study protein stability, proteolysis, and protein–chemical interactions, she has contributed to approaches enabling high-yield production of complex molecules in plants. Kyoko earned her PhD in Applied Biological Chemistry from the University of Tokyo and spent over five years at the University of Oxford’s Department of Plant Sciences, where she explored plant proteins and small molecule interactions using proteomics and chemical biology. During her academic tenure, she was recruited by Syngenta to develop a screening platform bridging discovery and real-world agriculture. Her research background and passion for sustainable food solutions inspired her entrepreneurial journey with Kyomei. At SynbiTECH 2025, she will share insights on advancing molecular farming to build resilient, low-carbon food systems.
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Clive Cookson
Financial Times
Clive Cookson is a Senior Science Writer for the Financial Times
Clive Cookson
Financial Times
Bio
Clive Cookson has worked in science journalism for the whole of his professional life. He left Oxford University with a First Class Honours degree in chemistry and, after training on the Luton Evening Post, joined Times Higher Education – first as science correspondent in London and then as North America editor in Washington DC.
Clive returned to London as technology correspondent of the Times and moved to BBC Radio as science and medical correspondent. He went back to print journalism at the Financial Times first as technology editor then in 1991 as science editor, leading a writing team covering science and health, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. In October 2023 Clive became the FT’s senior science writer. He has won numerous science journalism awards, including British Science Writer of the Year 2022.
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Maria Savino
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Maria Savino leads the Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Biomanufacturing Segment Development Team
Maria Savino
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Bio
Maria Savino holds a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a Master in Business Administration. She has been Sales Manager for biotechnology companies within an international scope for more than 10 years. She joined Beckman Coulter Life Sciences after the acquisition of Labcyte Inc in 2019, and has occupied roles in marketing and business development. Today she’s focused on showing Beckman solutions as essential parts of the laboratory workflow in Biomanufacturing.
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Tim Davies
Corteva Agriscience
Tim Davies is the Biologicals Technology Leader and a Distinguished Laureate at Corteva Agriscience focusing on the development and improvement of bioprocesses for the manufacture of crop protection products.
Tim Davies
Corteva Agriscience
Bio
Tim Davies is the Biologicals Technology Leader and a Distinguished Laureate at Corteva Agriscience focusing on the development and improvement of bioprocesses for the manufacture of crop protection products. Tim took this role in 2022, having previously held the roles of Bioprocess Science and Technology Leader and Program Leader for Fermentation Technology at Corteva since 2021 and 2019 respectively.
Tim has a BSc in Microbiology from the University of London and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Specialising in anaerobic fermentation technology he continued his professional development under Prof Lars Ljungdahl at the University of Georgia (UGA). Having led Bioprocess development science at Aureozyme, a Georgia based technology start-up, Tim became director of the Bioexpression and Fermentation Facility at UGA in 2001. In this role he collaborated with almost 200 different companies and research institutions over 10 years. Concurrently he was a partner at Downstream Biotech Consulting Inc. and consulted for clients in the USA and Europe.
In 2011 Tim became CTO of Green Biologics in the UK. During his tenure GBL became the first industrial biotech company in 60 years to develop and implement a new ABE manufacturing process, retrofitting a Minnesota ethanol plant for acetone and butanol production and achieving commercial sales in 2017. Tim then founded Rubus Scientific Ltd., specialising in technical strategy development, biomanufacturing development and scale up where he was Director until joining Corteva.
Tim has been active in professional organizations, in particular the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. He was on the SIMB Board from 2010-2016 and was President in 2015. He was Program Chair of the SIMB Annual Meeting in Toronto in 2009 and has been Program Chair of the RAFT fermentation conference three times. In 2019 he won the Charles Porter Award. Tim has served on the Board and Scientific Advisory Boards of several companies and organizations. He is currently on the SIAB for the DOE-funded Center for Bioenergy Innovation, the board of Heartland Bioworks (Midwest USA) and is a member of the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF, UK).
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Adrian Butt
Colorifix Ltd
Adrian Butt is the Head of Regulation at Colorifix Ltd
Adrian Butt
Colorifix Ltd
Bio
Adrian joined Colorifix Ltd in 2021 and is Head of Regulation. In his day to day activities he works across the company with scientists, and the commercial and implementation teams to drive the company’s mission in building a global business by navigating the regulatory compliance challenges.
In the Civil Service, he worked with Sir David King on the GM Science Review and Lord Sainsbury on the development of regulations centred around nanotechnology and represented the UK & EU in the Climate Change adaptation negotiations under the UNFCCC. Adrian did his PhD at the University of Nottingham and post doctoral research at Michigan State University, USA, on the biochemistry and molecular biology of acyl carrier protein and its role in fatty acid metabolism in plants.
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Mark Cresswell
Lucideon
Mark joined Lucideon in October 2012 and is a Chartered Chemist with a PhD specialising in synthetic and materials chemistry, sol-gel chemistry, formulation science, and controlled release technologies.
Mark Cresswell
Lucideon
Bio
Mark joined Lucideon in October 2012 and is a Chartered Chemist with a PhD specialising in synthetic and materials chemistry, sol-gel chemistry, formulation science, and controlled release technologies. He splits his time between supporting the Formulations team on active projects, assisting the commercial team in scoping new projects, and helping develop and grow new business areas, including biotech.
As well as contributing to the development of Lucideon’s iCRT technology platform (controlled release of actives and ingredients) and research programmes, Mark uses his materials chemistry expertise to lead on a range of client projects focused on materials synthesis, controlled release applications and formulation science across the pharmaceutical, consumer health, biotech, and advanced ceramic sectors.
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Muriel Dewilde
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
Muriel is the Business Development Manager at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant.
Muriel Dewilde
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
Bio
Muriel Dewilde studied bioengineering at the University of Leuven in Belgium and worked 10 years as a process engineer at the European wheat plants of Tate & Lyle and Tereos, starting-up new industrial lines and coordinating pilot projects.
She became Business Development Manager at the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent, Belgium in 2010, at the start of its operations.
Since that time, she has managed a myriad of biotechnological scale-up projects for companies around the world in the fields of a.o. microbial proteins, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, ag tech products, fine chemicals and bioplastics.
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Edward Green
NCIMB Ltd
Dr Edward Green is a microbiologist with a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from UMIST and he is Chief Executive of NCIMB Ltd.
Edward Green
NCIMB Ltd
Bio
Dr Edward Green is a microbiologist with a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from UMIST and over 25 years’ experience with anaerobic bacteria. He has pioneered technical improvements in microbial strain engineering and fermentation process development for industrial biotechnology.
Edward is also a biotech entrepreneur having founded Green Biologics in 2004, a world leading fermentation company manufacturing renewable chemicals. In 2014, he founded CHAIN Biotech, a microbiome Company developing live biotherapeutics focusing on orally delivered cancer vaccines. In 2022, Edward joined NCIMB Ltd. as Chief Executive, a Scottish biotech company delivering innovative microbial technologies for a broad range of industrial applications. Edward is a member of the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum and mentor for early-stage companies in the Northeast of Scotland.
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Lord John Browne of Madingley
BeyondNetZero
Lord Browne is the Co-Founder and Chairman of BeyondNetZero, General Atlantic’s climate growth equity fund.
Lord John Browne of Madingley
BeyondNetZero
Bio
Co-Founder and Chairman, BeyondNetZero
Lord Browne is the Co-Founder and Chairman of BeyondNetZero, General Atlantic’s climate growth equity fund.
Lord Browne has more than 50 years of experience spanning energy, technology, and climate investing. He was the Chief Executive Officer of BP plc from 1995 to 2007 during the Company’s “golden period of expansion and diversification.” During this period, Lord Browne created the world’s first supermajor through a series of mergers and acquisitions, and oversaw the establishment of BP’s significant renewable and alternative energy business. After retiring from BP, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of a $3.4 billion renewable energy private equity fund, the world’s largest at the time. He was subsequently Executive Chairman of L1 Energy, where he led the largest energy sector merger for over a decade to create Europe’s largest independent oil and gas company.
Lord Browne is independent Co-Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology and Chairman of the Francis Crick Institute. He currently serves as Chairman of Avathon, an artificial intelligence technology company and Chairman of Carbonplace, a global carbon credit transaction network. He has previously served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, Intel, SmithKline Beecham, and DaimlerChrysler. Currently, he serves on the board of Venterra, a BeyondNetZero portfolio company. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and Emeritus Chair and current member of the Advisory Council of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Lord Browne received an MA in Natural Sciences from St. John’s College, Cambridge, and an MS in Business from Stanford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Lord Browne is the Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art and a past Chairman of Tate and the Donmar Warehouse. He also serves as a trustee of the Royal Opera House. He is the author of five books.
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Deborah Davies
Olon BioTech
In her 7 years at Olon in Business Development, Deborah reaches out to new clients, many of whom are start-ups, to help them in their scale-up journey with Olon
Deborah Davies
Olon BioTech
Bio
Following her biotechnology degree, Deborah’s first role was developing microbial fermentation processes at lab scale. She has since stayed within biotechnology and held a number of commercial roles within food, pharma and diagnostics. In her 7 years at Olon in Business Development, Deborah reaches out to new clients, many of whom are start-ups, to help them in their scale-up journey with Olon. In her spare time, she is an artisan cider maker, a keen motorcyclist and is learning to play the drums.
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Makiko Matsuo
The University of Tokyo
Makiko Matsuo is a Project Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo, and an affiliated faculty member at the Institute for Future Initiatives. Her research and teaching focus on Science, Technology, and Innovation Governance.
Makiko Matsuo
The University of Tokyo
Bio
Makiko Matsuo is a Project Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo, and an affiliated faculty member at the Institute for Future Initiatives. Her research and teaching focus on Science, Technology, and Innovation Governance.
Her expertise lies at the intersection of science, technology, and society, with emphasis on international politics, public policy, and risk studies. She specializes in governance and the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of emerging technologies, including synthetic biology, the bioeconomy, and food safety. Her recent work includes analysis of genome editing in food and agriculture, as presented in her co-authored paper: “Implications and Lessons from the Introduction of Genome Edited Food Products in Japan” (Frontiers in Genome Editing, 2022). She also co-authored a working paper with policymakers from various ministries: “Challenges in Advancing Biomanufacturing Toward a Bioeconomy: A Framework for Key Considerations in Policy Discussions.”
She frequently gives invited lectures and serves on advisory committees for Japanese government ministries and funding agencies, maintaining strong ties with policymakers. Internationally, she contributes as a member of the OECD BioFutures Expert Group.
She received the Junior Award from the Society for Risk Analysis Japan (SRAJ) in 2013 and the Best Paper Award at its Annual Meeting in 2010. Trained in political science, she earned a Master of International Studies in 2005 and a Ph.D. in 2016 from the University of Tokyo. -
Craig Woods
Forge Genetics
Craig Woods is the CEO of Forge Genetics, a biotechnology company delivering advanced strain engineering, fermentation, and analytics services powered by its proprietary gene-editing platform, Forge Editing
Craig Woods
Forge Genetics
Bio
Craig Woods is the CEO of Forge Genetics, a biotechnology company delivering advanced strain engineering, fermentation, and analytics services powered by its proprietary gene-editing platform, Forge Editing. The technology enables precise genetic manipulation of hard-to-engineer bacteria and is continually being developed for new bacterial species and applications, including as a safer alternative to CRISPR for therapeutic use. Craig holds a PhD in molecular microbiology from the University of Nottingham and has a background in genetics, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics. Before leading Forge, he served as VP of R&D at Deep Branch, where he directed strain and process development for sustainable protein production.
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Jason Chin
Ellison Institute of Technology
Jason is Founding Director of the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford
Jason Chin
Ellison Institute of Technology
Bio
Jason is Founding Director of the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford, a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of Oxford Department of Chemistry and a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. He is also founder and CSO of Constructive Biology Ltd, which develops and applies his foundational advances in engineering biology and synthetic biology, and a NonExecutive Director at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.
Prior to the launch of GBI, Jason was a Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB), where he was also Founder and Head of the Centre for Chemical & Synthetic Biology (CCSB) and joint Head of the Division of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry. He was also a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry, and a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Jason was awarded the Francis Crick Prize by the Royal Society in 2009 and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Corday Morgan Prize and the European Molecular Biology Organization’s (EMBO) Gold Medal, in 2010.
He is the inaugural recipient (2011) of the Louis-Jeantet Young Investigator Career Award and in 2019 he was awarded the Sackler International Prize in the Physical Sciences. Jason is in the European Patent Office Inventor Hall of Fame, a member of EMBO, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from ETH, Zurich in 2024. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a Fellow of The Royal Society
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Rick Johnson
BioMADE
Rick Johnson is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University and the Hoover Institution, CEO of Global Helix LLC, a Director of BioMADE, and a global leader in advancing synthetic biology, bio-innovation policy, and secure biofutures.
Rick Johnson
BioMADE
Bio
Rick Johnson is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University and the Hoover Institution, where he helps lead the Global BioStrategies Leadership Initiative to advance a robust, secure, and flourishing biofuture. He has served on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Board on Life Sciences and several NAS national committees, and is a co-author of eight high-impact NAS reports.
Rick is the CEO and founder of Global Helix LLC, a science, technology, and innovation (STI) thought leadership firm. His work focuses on synthetic and engineering biology, innovative biofutures, STI policy and innovation models for emerging technologies, and the intersection of STI and security.
He serves on multiple leadership boards and initiatives, including the iGEM Foundation, BioMADE, the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC), and the BioBricks Foundation. He is Chair (Emeritus) of the OECD/BIAC Technology & Innovation Committee, Co-Chair of the Engineering Biology Global Forum, and Chair of the Australia Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology.
Rick is also a member of the OECD BioFutures Expert Group, the OECD Global Forum on Technology, the World Economic Forum Global Futures Council, and the EBRC Council, contributing globally to shaping policy, innovation, and strategy for the bioeconomy.
The Venue
IET London: Savoy Place
IET London: Savoy Place the home of engineering and technology. This historic central London venue on the River Thames offers state-of-the-art facilities, improved capacity and outside space in a location that’s easily accessible by rail, tube and river.

Sponsorship
Looking to sponsor SynbiTECH 2025?
Sponsors will be given prized exposure at the heart of the event through dedicated meeting points in high traffic areas of the venue.
Become a key player in SynbiTECH 2025 and present your company to a highly engaged global customer base at this year’s event.

Past Attendees
Organisations at SynbiTECH





















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