Hi ,

In case you missed it, we’re kickin’ off SynBioBeta 2024 in style with two genomics pioneers from the DNA world! Join Craig Venter and  Linda Avey for a fireside chat on Tuesday morning, May 7, at the San Jose Convention Center.  You can download the conference agenda today and register here.  I can't wait to see you there!

Check out our 2024 Exhibitor Floor

If you are interested in having a space on the floor, please contact our team here. You’ll also be able to meet people from these organizations that just registered: Ansa Biotechnologies, Cascade Biocatalysts, GC Ventures, SCiFi Foods, Uncommon, SilicoLife, Solis Agrosciences, American Brain Foundation, London Biofoundry, Imperial College, and Quantum Sky.

New Sponsors & Exhibitors coming to SynBioBeta 2024:

• Molecular Assemblies is developing a revolutionary enzymatic DNA synthesis technology capable of producing long, highly pure, and accurate sequences.

• Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology enterprise. Their mission is coding cells for health.

• Protera is building the next generation of functional ingredients for the food industry using protein engineering and artificial intelligence.

• Ayana Bio streamlines the fragmented bioactive discovery and production workflow, serving as the search engine, library, laboratory, and factory.

• K18 is a biology-first hair care brand powered by biotech.

New speakers announced:

Abstract submissions are open for our Digital Poster Session at The Global Synthetic Biology Conference. Don't miss this chance to present your research interactively. Share your data, receive valuable feedback, and build connections with industry peers. Learn more here.  

Insights (Exclusive Content):

• Can Biology Address the Microplastics Problem? Microbes and enzymes break down plastics. What we do with them next is as crucial in tackling the microplastics problem.
  

• ‘Beefed-Up’ Rice Takes Lab-Grown Meat to the Next Level: Cultured beef rice, a novel hybrid of animal cells and rice grains, promises a more affordable and eco-friendly protein option for the future.

SynBioBeta’s Annual Synthetic Biology Investment Report: Insights Into What Could Be In Store for ‘24

On February 21, 11 am ET, John and Mark will discuss the details of the soon-to-be-released 2024 SynBioBeta Annual Investment Report and, more importantly, how you can get a copy! Register now.

Industry News:

• Iambic Therapeutics Unveils Advances in AI Platform to Streamline Drug Discovery: Iambic Therapeutics, a pioneering biotechnology company renowned for its cutting-edge generative AI discovery platform, has unveiled research showcasing the superior performance of its NeuralPLexer technology. 

• AI Predicts Genetic Editing Efficiency with Quantum Precision: Researchers demonstrated the power of AI in predicting CRISPR-Cas genome editing, unveiling molecular insights for safer and more reliable genetic manipulation. 

• Innovative Microbe Set to Revolutionize Synthetic Biology as it Outperforms E. coli in Protein Synthesis: Cornell University's new Vibrio natriegens microbe offers a cost-effective and scalable alternative to E. coli for synthetic biological experiments, paving the way for innovative pharmaceuticals and sustainable compounds.

• Renaissance BioScience's Innovative Yeast Technology Enhances Flavor of Plant-Based Foods: Grant and support from the Canadian Food Innovation Network and the Canadian Technology Accelerator program propel the commercial development of yeast, expected to greatly reduce off-flavors found in plant-based proteins.

• The Purple Tomato, a Bioengineered Crop Created by Norfolk Plant Sciences, is Now Available to Home Gardeners: Norfolk Healthy Produce made headlines this week with the unveiling of their latest offering: The Purple Tomato, now available for online seed sales.

The Norfolk Plant Sciences team and the purple tomato at SynBioBeta.

• The UK’s Science and Technology Secretary announces £100 million Engineering Biology investment: The UK government has allocated £100 million to spearhead groundbreaking technologies aimed at bolstering pandemic preparedness, revolutionizing farming practices, and fortifying against floods.

• Synlogic Announces Plan to Cease Operations and Reduce Its Workforce by More Than 90%. "I want to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to every person who has been part of Synlogic and, in so doing, contributed to the science we have advanced and the special company we have built," said Dr. Aoife Brennan.

• Plant-Based Technology Makes Leap Forward in Rapid Vaccine Development. A new study in Germany will explore the potential of a technology harnessing plant cell extracts to expedite the creation of vaccine proteins.

• Scion Life Sciences Raises $310 Million to Fund Groundbreaking Medical Innovation: From inception to IPO and beyond, Scion Life Sciences aims to support biotech startups in developing clinically significant solutions to life-threatening diseases. 

• Synthetic Yeast Communities Get New Molecular Toolkit to Boost Production: Utilizing specialized yeast strains, scientists open the door to more efficient and eco-friendly production of valuable industrial compounds.

• Unlocking Mitochondrial Mysteries: Link Between mtDNA and Inflammation Revealed: Researchers from the Salk Institute and UC San Diego have found a novel mechanism for banishing dysfunctional mtDNA from the mitochondria.

• Carbon-Neutral Biofuels Get Closer to Reality with Novel Method to Break Down Lignin: A recent study from the University of California, Riverside, revealed a new method to cheaply and quickly break down plant material, a critical step that has long stymied the biofuels industry.

• Innovative Enzyme Research Unveils New Paths to Carbon-Neutral Biofuels: A collaborative effort by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and UC Davis is offering a glimpse into a potentially transformative future.

Other news:

• CRISPR Therapeutics Announces $280 Million Registered Direct Offering: CRISPR Therapeutics has entered into an investment agreement to sell approximately $280 million of its common shares to a select group of institutional investors in a registered direct offering. (Press release)

• The Crowdsourced History of Techbio: The NFX Bio team and Omri Amirav-Drory, General Partner at NFX, took a first stab at some major milestones. But they want you to fill in the blanks. (techbio.nfx.com)

• Deep Biotech: Disruptive innovation for global sustainability. This report aims to highlight some innovative companies using engineering biology to positively disrupt the environmentally damaging industries that modern society relies on. (deepbiotech.org)

• NTI Begins Scoping New International AI-Bio Forum. To reduce biosecurity risks at the intersection of AI and the life sciences, NTI | bio convened experts to outline steps toward establishing an international AI-Bio Forum.  (www.nti.org)

• Printing plant-based pharmaceuticals—without plants. Rochester undergraduates developed a 3D-bioprinting system to replicate chemicals found in plants, including those endangered by climate change. (www.rochester.edu)

Regards,
John

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John Cumbers

CEO, SynBioBeta

Who's hiring?

• Executive Assistant to Founder & CEO at SynBioBeta (Remote)

• Financial Analyst at Antheia (Menlo Park, CA)

• Senior Director, RNA Therapeutics at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc. (Boston, MA)

• Principal Associate Scientist - RNA at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc. (Boston, MA)

• Manufacturing Associate - Gene Production at Twist Bioscience (Wilsonville, OR)

• Research Associate II, Process Development at Twist Bioscience (South San Francisco, CA)