SEED 2023 Technical Program

Start Time

End Time

Tuesday, May 30

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

Welcome Remarks and Keynote Introduction

8:45 AM

9:45 AM

Keynote - Adam Cohen, Harvard University 

Time-tagged tracers of neural plasticity

9:45 AM

10:15 AM

Coffee Break

10:15 AM

11:30 AM

Session 1 - Engineered Living Materials

Chaired by: Chao Zhong and Caroline Ajo-Franklin

10:15 AM

10:45 AM

Invited Speaker - Caroline Ajo-Franklin, Rice University

Amp It Out and Build it Out: Programing Electronic Sensors and Sustainable Materials in Bacteria

10:45 AM

11:15 AM

Invited Speaker - Chao Zhong, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology

Engineered Living Materials Programmed by Life

11:15 AM

11:30 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Seunghyun Sim, University of California Irvine

Programming Living Materials with Synthetic Polymers and Engineered Bacteria

11:30 AM

11:45 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Meng Zhang, Northumbria University

Thinking Soils: Towards Pressure Responsive Microbial Induced Calcite Producing Engineered Living Material

11:45 AM

12:45 PM

Lunch - Sponsored Workshop presented by Conagen: Modernizing Corynebacterium for non-Amino Acid Products

12:45 PM

1:45 PM

Session 2 - Biological Information Storage and Computing

Chaired by Albert Keung

12:45 PM

1:15 PM

Invited Speaker - Albert Keung, NorthCarolina State University

Exploiting unique molecular through system level properties of DNA as information technologies

1:15 PM

1:30 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Verena Volf, Harvard University

DNA Cryptography in Living Cells through Massively Parallel Base Editing 

1:30 PM

2:00 PM

Afternoon Break

2:00 PM

4:00 PM

Session 3 - Biomolecules: Computation, Design & Evolution

Chaired by Mikhail Shapiro and Chang Liu

2:00 PM

2:30 PM

Invited Speaker - Chang Liu, University of California Irvine

Experimental evolution of chosen genes near their mutational speed limits

2:30 PM

3:00 PM

Invited Speaker - Garuv Bhardwaj, University of Washington

Computational peptide design for diverse structures and functions

3:00 PM

3:15 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Zibo Chen, Westlake University

A Synthetic Protein-Level Neural Network in Mammalian Cells

3:15 PM

3:30 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Han Li, University of California Irvine

Evolution of Efficient Biocatalysts That Use Artificial Redox Cofactors

3:30 PM

3:45 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Philip Romero, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Self-Driving Laboratories to Autonomously Navigate the Protein Fitness Landscape

3:45 PM

4:00 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Emma Chory, Duke University

Phage and Robotics-Assisted Directed Evolution of Engineered Biomolecules

4:15 PM

5:45 PM

Poster Session 1

Start Time

End Time

Wednesday, May 31

8:30 AM

10:30 AM

Session 4 - Big-data and synthetic biology

Chaired by Pradeep Ramesh

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

Invited Speaker - David Van Valen, California Institute of Technology

Everything as Code

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

Invited Speaker - Sri Kosuri, Octant

9:30 AM

9:45 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Sebastian M. Castillo-Hair, University of Washington

Deep Learning Sequence Design for mRNA Therapeutics and Human Cell Type-Specific Expression

9:45 AM

10:00 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Huimin Zhao, University of Illinois

AI/ML for Synthetic Biology

10:00 AM

10:15 AM

Special Workshop Preview - Chris Myers, University of Colorado Boulder

A Preview of Software for Synthetic Biology Workflows

10:45 AM

11:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 PM

Keynote Speaker Michael Elowitz, California Institute of Technology

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

Lunch - Sponsored Workshop by GeneFrontier

Rebuilt Cell-Free Systems (PUREfrex®); From basic research to industrial application.Rebuilt Cell-Free Systems (PUREfrex®); From basic research to industrial application.

1:00 PM

2:30 PM

Session 5 - Engineered Biomedicines

Chaired by Yvonne Chen

1:00 PM

1:30 PM

Invited Speaker - Kole Roybal, University of California San Francisco

Towards the Development of Synthetic Immunity to Cancer

1:30 PM

2:00 PM

Invited Speaker - Yvonne Chen, University of California Los Angeles

Engineering Next-Generation T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy

2:00 PM

2:30 PM

Invited Speaker - Gabe Kwong, Georgia Institute of Technology

Thermal control of CAR T cells to potentiate therapy against solid tumors

2:30 PM

2:45 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Amir Motmaen, University of Washington

Structurally-Informed Design of T Cell Receptor Specificity Using Deep Learning to Target Peptide-MHC Complexes

2:45 PM

3:00 PM

Break

3:00 PM

4:45 PM

Session 4 - Next-Gen Gene Circuit Regulation

Chaired by Michael Elowitz

3:00 PM

3:30 PM

Invited Speaker - Xiaojing Gao, Stanford University

Towards DNA-Free Synthetic Biology: Protein Circuits and RNA Sensors

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

Invited Speaker - Mustafa Khammash, ETH Zurich

4:00 PM

4:30 PM

Invited Speaker - Lacra Bintu, Stanford University

Fundamental components of mammalian synthetic biology circuits: activators, repressors, insulators, terminators

4:30 PM

4:45 PM

Selected Abstract - Brian Huang, Georgia Institute of Technology

A Cellular Programming Platform That Integrates Decision-Making, Memory, and Communication Via Synthetic Genetic Circuits

4:45 PM

5:00 PM

Selected Abstract - Domitilla Del Vecchio, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Synthetic Genetic Circuits to Uncover and Enforce the OCT4 Trajectories of Successful Reprogramming of Human Fibroblasts

5:00 PM

6:30 PM

Poster Session 2

7:00 PM

9:00 PM

Workshop - Software for Synthetic Biology Workflows: How to Improve Your Productivity and Impact

Start Time

End Time

Thursday, June 1

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

Keynote Introduction

8:45 AM

9:45 AM

Keynote - Hana el Samad, University of California, San Francisco

9:45 AM

10:15 AM

Coffee Break

10:15 AM

11:45 AM

Session 7 - Multicellular and Organ-Scale Engineering

Chaired by Katie Galloway

10:15 AM

10:45 AM

Invited Speaker - Kelly Stevens, University of Washington

10:45 AM

11:00 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Arash Farhadi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Genetic Circuits That Differentiate Microbial Cells into Communities with Distributed Functions

11:00 AM

11:15AM

Invited Speaker - Leonardo Morsut, University of Southern California

Spatial Control of Cellular Phenotypes in mammalian cells by combining Synthetic Notch Receptors and material engineering

11:15 AM

11:30 AM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Katherine Kiwimagi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Phloretin: A Novel Synthetic Mammalian Cell-Cell Communication System

11:30 AM

12:30 PM

Lunch

12:45 PM

2:15 PM

Session 8 - Synthetic Biology for Climate and Environment Sustainability

Chaired by Gözde Demirer

12:45 PM

1:15 PM

Invited Speaker - Kevin Soloman, University of Delaware

1:15 PM

1:45 PM

Invited Speaker - Jenn Brophy, Stanford University

1:45 PM

2:00 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Nikhil Nair, Tufts University

Towards Universal Synthetic Heterotrophy in Baker’s Yeast

2:00 PM

2:15 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Janina Tamborski, Stanford University

Development of Synthetic Genetic Circuits to Improve Water-Use Efficiency in Sorghum

2:15 PM

2:45 PM

Break

2:45 PM

4:15 PM

Session 9 - Microbiome Engineering for Health, Food, and the Environment

Chaired by Wendy Goodson

2:45 PM

3:15 PM

ACS SynBio Young Innovator Award Recipient Ophelia Venturelli

3:15 PM

3:45 PM

Invited Speaker - Bryn Adams, Army Research Lab

Synthetic Biology Army Priority Area: Enabling Biotechnology of the Army of 2040

3:45 PM

4:15 PM

Invited Speaker - Analise Reeves, Synlogic

A Genetically-Engineered Probiotic Designed to Consume Methionine for the Treatment of Homocystinuria

4:15 PM

4:30 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Daniel Yoo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bacterial Deodorant: Engineering Human Skin Commensals to Degrade Volatile Mosquito Attractants from the Skin Metabolome

4:30 PM

4:45 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Arthur Prindle, Northwestern University

Engineered Calprotectin Sensing Probiotics for IBD Surveillance in Humans

5:00 PM

6:30 PM

Poster Session 3

Start Time

End Time

Friday, June 2nd

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

Keynote Introduction

8:45 AM

9:15 AM

Keynote - Paul Sheehan, ARPA-H

ARPA-H: The Mission

9:15 AM

10:15 AM

Panel - Evolving Models for Funding Science - Paul Sheehan (ARPA-H), Patrick Hsu (Arc), Hana el Samad (Altos Labs)

10:15 AM

10:45 AM

Coffee Break

10:45 AM

11:30 PM

Session 10 - The Future of Food and Natural Medicines

Chaired by Christina Smolke

10:45 AM

11:15 AM

Invited Speaker - Ranjani Varadan, Shiru

AI-driven protein discovery for functional ingredients

11:15 AM

11:30PM

Selected Abstract - Zhengan Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Systematic Mining of Peptidic Antimicrobials with Diverse Activity Spectra

11:30 PM

12:30 PM

Lunch

Session 11 - Synthetic Cells and Cell Free Systems

Chaired by Elisa Franco

12:30 PM

1:00 PM

Invited Speaker - Matt Good, Penn Medicine

1:00 PM

1:15 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Peter Ruppen, ETH Zurich

Automated Transformation Enabling Automated Genome Engineering

1:15 PM

1:30 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Matthew Lux, U.S. Army Chemical Biological Center

Cell-Free Systems for Detection of Biological Threats and Heavy Metal Contamination in Low-Resource Environments

1:30 PM

1:45 PM

Afternoon Break

1:45 PM

3:00 PM

Session 12- Synthetic Neurobiology

Chaired by Jerzy Szablowski

1:45 PM

2:15 PM

Invited Speaker - Jerzy Szablowski, Rice University

Noninvasive Neuroengineering for Control and Monitoring of Brain Physiology

2:15 PM

2:45 PM

Invited Speaker - Alice Ting, Stanford University

2:45 PM

3:00 PM

Selected Abstract Speaker - Felix Sigmund, Technical University of Munich

Genetically Programmable Barcodes for Correlative Volume Electron Microscopy

3:00 PM

3:15 PM

Closing Remarks