The future is now: where is synthetic biology taking us?

The United States is 10 years ahead of Australia in synbio innovation – what learnings can we gain as our industry launches?

Synthetic biology is already transforming how we grow food, what we eat, and how we create medicines.

With the Australian industry in its infancy, what can we learn from abroad about this brave new world we are entering?

Hear an exclusive keynote from US industry expert, Dr Emily Leproust, CEO & Founder of Twist Bioscience, followed by a discussion between leading voices in the Australian synthetic biology space to unpack:

• What is the potential of this innovation for Australia and the world?

• What can we learn for those who have gone before us?

• Where is this technology taking us – and ethically is that okay?

Join us for an insightful conversation about this new frontier of innovation, that the CSIRO predicts will be worth over $27 billion annually by 2040.

Visiting Entrepreneur

• Emily Leproust, PhD – CEO & Founder, Twist Bioscience

Panel

• Dr Jason Whitfield – Synthetic Biology Accelerator Program Manager, UNSW Founders

• Dr Jestin George – Co-Founder and Editor of @SYNTHESIS_aus

• Gabrielle Munzer – Principal, Main Sequence Ventures

• Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen FAA FRSN FASM, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology 

Program

• 5:30pm – Keynote from Emily Leproust

• 5:45pm – Panel Discussion

• 6:30pm – Event end + Networking

Presenting Partners

• Main Sequence Ventures

• Macquarie University

• UNSW Founders

About Dr Emily Leproust

As an early pioneer in the high-throughput synthesis and sequencing of DNA, Dr. Emily Leproust is disrupting markets to enable the exponential growth of DNA-based applications including chemicals/materials, diagnostics, therapeutics, food and digital data storage.

In 2020, BIO presented her with the Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership, Foreign Policy named her one of their 100 Leading Global Thinkers, and Fast Company named her one of the Most Creative People in Business. Dr. Leproust has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers – many on applications of synthetic DNA, and is the author of numerous patents.

About SynBio10x (UNSW Founders)

In partnership with the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the RNA Institute and Main Sequence Ventures, UNSW Founders has created SynBio10x, the first accelerator in Australia to focus on helping companies using Synthetic Biology to create impact. Giving Synbio startups world class business coaching and mentoring combined with access to UNSW’s labs and R&D expertise and $140,000 worth of investment, this program will help create a future that is built with biology.

About Macquarie University

MQ is home to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Synthetic Biology and is Australia's leader in this field with its work on the international yeast 2.0 project in collaboration with NSW Dept of Industry. MQ is part of the group of 13 internationally recognised bio-foundries known as the Synthetic Biology BioFoundry Network. 

The Visiting Entrepreneur Program is produced by the City of Sydney with partner organisations from the local startup ecosystem. The 2022 edition is kindly supported by Tech Central and the Greater Cities Commission.