Connecting with the Global Synthetic Biology Community at SynBioBeta 2024
Text by: Cibele Zolnier, Executive Director at SynBioBR
From May 6th to 9th, 2024, we had the incredible opportunity to attend SynBioBeta – The Global Synthetic Biology Conference. This premier event, held in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, San Jose, was a must-attend for anyone involved in the synthetic biology industry.
With a program featuring the brightest minds in synthetic biology and emerging topics like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Climate Tech, SynBioBeta provided an unparalleled platform to explore the latest innovations and trends shaping the future of biology. A key highlight was the insightful discussions on Biosafety & Biosecurity and Bioliteracy, which are essential to continue empowering synbio in a responsible and accessible way. For the former, we had the groundbreaking launch of the Common Mechanism (IBBIS), an open-source, globally available tool for DNA synthesis screening. For the latter, we witnessed the exciting announcement of Biological Enlightenment Studios, a new media company making science fiction for curious children and their families.
As always, the event served as a hub for networking, making it the perfect place to (re)connect with friends and meet many other inspiring individuals working in synthetic biology. Walking around the exhibition floor, you could witness cutting-edge technologies and products from leading companies and promising startups. This immersive experience provided a comprehensive view of synthetic biology’s current advancements and future potential. Showcasing SynBioBR’s work in a shared booth with other Synthetic Biology Associations was also fantastic. Learning more about the work of similar organizations fuels our efforts even more, and we hope even more SynBio Associations can join SynBioBeta 2025.
We want to thank all the attending representatives and wish continued success to our SynBio Associations: Daniel Dominguez Gomez (Allbiotech), Gracie To (CCiC), Jan Kalkowski (GASB), Sakti Subramanian (Great Lakes SynBio), Shirin Bamezai and Giovanni Maresca di Serracapriola (SynBioUK), and Jason Whitfield (SynBio Australasia).
It was an honor to moderate the panel “Building Bridges: SynBio Communities Worldwide,” where we explored exciting perspectives for synthetic biology around the globe. SynBio Associations serve as vital hubs connecting diverse communities across academia and industry. These communities are comprised of synbio leaders at every stage, from students to investors and industry veterans. This panel gave insights into the industry and academic landscape, entrepreneurship scenario, and community engagement across several local synbio ecosystems. For a future outlook, we delved into how to actively foster opportunities in different regions and contribute to our organizations’ efforts in shaping the synbio landscape across the world.
We want to thank all the attending representatives and wish continued success to our SynBio Associations! For anyone who didn’t get a chance to connect with us during the event, make sure to follow our work:
– Asia and Oceania: CCiC (China), SynBio Australasia
– Europe: GASB (Germany), SynBioUK (United Kingdom)
– Americas: Allbiotech (Latin America), Great Lakes SynBio (USA), SynBioBR
SynBioBeta 2024 was more than just an event – it was a celebration of innovation, a forum for idea exchange, and, most importantly, a place to connect with our vibrant global synthetic biology community. Thank you to the entire SynBioBeta team for the outstanding work organizing this Conference. We are already looking forward to the event next year!
