Join us online to listen to the innovators driving a synbio revolution that will transform our world for the better
The virtual conference will run from 11.00am to 19.30pm GMT with talks also available on demand following the event.
This is not just another online webinar. Our new online platform will also feature virtual exhibitions, posters, business matchmaking and much more.
Take a look at an exclusive preview of our new virtual platform here.
Networking/Refreshments | 11:00 – 11:15 | Welcome Professors Richard Kitney and Paul Freemont, Co-Directors, SynbiCITE |
Keynote | 11:15 – 12:00 | Keynote: Climate Change - the Urgency for Action Now Sir David Anthony King, Emeritus Professor in Physical Chemistry, University of Cambridge, and ex-Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government Chair: Professor Richard Kitney Sir David was the permanent Special Representative for Climate Change from September 2013 until March 2017. Sir David was previously the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor from 2000 to 2007, during which time he raised awareness of the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the Energy Technologies Institute. |
Panel discussions | 12:00 – 12:45 | Panel Discussion: Defining an international strategy for synthetic biology Chair: Professor Richard Kitney
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Networking/Refreshments | 12:45 – 13:30 | Break |
Presentations | 13:30 – 14:15 | Company Presentations: Therapeutics and Natural Products Chair: Professor Imre Berger, Bristol University
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Panel discussions | 14:15 – 15:00 | Panel Discussion: Biosecurity – how do we manage risk when access to genetic engineering technologies is expanding? Chair: Professor Paul Freemont
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Keynote | 15:00 – 15:30 | Plenary: The US Bioeconomy 2020: Scope, Scale, and Security Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Chair: Professor Richard Kitney Mary Maxon oversees Berkeley Laboratory’s Biological Systems & Engineering, Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology, and Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Divisions and the DOE Joint Genome Institute. She previously held the position of Assistant Director for Biological Research at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President, where she developed the National Bioeconomy Blueprint. Maxon is recognised as a national leader in science and technology policy. |
Presentations | 15:30 – 16:30 | Company Presentations: BioMaterials and Enabling Technologies Chair: Dr Liz Fletcher, University of Edinburgh
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Networking/Refreshments | 16:30 – 17:00 | Break |
Presentations | 17:00 – 17:40 | Quick-fire company presentations Chair: Professor Paul Freemont
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Networking/Refreshments | 17:40 – 18:00 | Break |
Keynote | 18:00 – 18:30 | Fireside Chat: Kate Wighton in conversation with Fiona Fox Kate Wighton Fiona Fox The founding director of the Science Media Centre when it was established in 2002, under Fiona’s leadership the Centre has become an indispensable resource for science journalists. The Centre provides scientific context and comment from some of the UK’s top scientists for many major news stories thanks to the Centre’s media database, which has over 2300 such experts on it. Fiona has received many accolades for her services to science, including an OBE, honorary fellowships of the Academy of Medical Science and British Pharmacology Society, and a special award for promoting openness in animal research. |
Keynote | 18:45 – 19:30 | Keynote: Fermenting Medicines Christina Smolke, CEO, Antheia & Professor, Stanford University Chair: Professor Paul Freemont Christina is a pioneer in the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, where she has over 20 years of experience. |
Panel discussions | 11:00 – 11:45 | Panel Discussion: Accelerating Impact in the Bioeconomy Chair: Professor Richard Kitney
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Presentations | 11:45 – 12:45 | Company Presentations: Biomanufacturing, waste, and bioremediation Chair: Tabasum Farzaneh, Senior Industrial Officer, SynbiCITE
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Networking/Refreshments | 12:45 – 13:30 | Break |
Presentations | 13:30 – 14:30 | COVID and Beyond – testing, monitoring and vaccines Chair: Professor Paul Freemont
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Panel discussions | 14:30 – 15:15 | US Engineering Biology Research Consortium Session – Roadmap for Synthetic Biology Chair: Professor Richard Kitney
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Panel discussions | 15:15 – 15:45 | Panel Discussion: Unnatural selection - What is the true potential and impact of hacking biology? Chair: Dr Sarah Chan, University of Edinburgh
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Networking/Refreshments | 15:45 – 16:15 | Break |
Presentations | 16:15 – 17:15 | Company Presentations: Food and the environment - working with the natural world Chair: Prof Anne Osbourn, Group Leader, John Innes Centre
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Panel discussions | 17:15 – 18:00 | Panel Discussion: The UK Bioeconomy – What does the industry need? Chair: Tim Brears, CEO, Evonetix - Evonetix is a Cambridge-based company developing a radically different approach to gene synthesis.
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Keynote | 18:00 – 18:45 | Keynote - The US and UK BioEconomies Rob Carlson, Managing Director, Bioeconomy Capital Chair: Professor Richard Kitney Rob is an entrepreneur, author and scientist. He is the author of the book ‘Biology is Technology: The Promise, Peril, and New Business of Engineering Life’, and an Affiliate Professor in the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. |
Networking/Refreshments | 18:45 – 19:00 | Closing remarks Paul Freemont and Richard Kitney |