Overview
The 2022 Canada SynBio conference was an energizing gathering of entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, and engineering biology professionals. This national event builds on the growing momentum in the sector, demonstrated by new ventures, foreign investment in biomanufacturing, and new funding programs. During thought-provoking and engaging talks, speakers and attendees expressed momentum in engineering biology-enabled solutions to address society’s greatest challenges.
At Ontario Genomics, we foster the connections, networks, and communities that contribute to Canada’s leadership in the bioeconomy.
This event would not have been possible without the support from our generous partners: Twist Bioscience, Thermo Fisher, Genome Canada, Genome Alberta, IDT, BIOTECanada, Hyasynth Bio, OICR, University of Toronto, Genome Atlantic, Adapsyn, Lab Occupier, Life Sciences Ontario, National Research Council Canada, Concordia Genome Foundry, Innovate Calgary, Forest City SynBio, and District 3.
Conference Highlights
Fireside Chat: Paul Freemont, Douglas Friedman, and Bettina Hamelin
The three-day event started with an exciting update from global biomanufacturing leaders Drs. Paul Freemont from Imperial College London and co-founder of the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology and Douglas Friedman, CEO of BioMADE (Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem). Following these keynotes, the speakers were joined by Dr. Bettina Hamelin, CEO of Ontario Genomics, to discuss the path to a thriving biomanufacturing centre and shed light on opportunities in Canada. (Watch Video)
Pieter Cullis
Canada SynBio welcomed Dr. Pieter Cullis for an informative talk about his journey that led him to play an instrumental role in COVID mRNA vaccine manufacturing. Dr. Cullis inspired the audience with personal stories of how following one’s passions and taking risks can lead to impactful discoveries. (Watch Video)
Anna Marie Wagner
Anna Marie Wagner, VP of Corporate Development at Ginkgo Bioworks, shared her organization’s impressive trajectory, which began as an iGEM project and flourished into a synbio unicorn and recently into a publicly traded company on the NYSE. Anna Marie brought uncanny enthusiasm and relatable stories of resilience and awe for the beauty of biology to the Canada SynBio stage.
Andrew Pelling
Dr. Pelling has a unique and refreshing way of approaching science. To him, research is primarily about having fun, realized in his passion for upcycling materials and creating new things from what others may consider garbage. This gives him and his team an innovative edge by being able to look at biological problems from a different perspective. Dr. Pelling presented groundbreaking research on the use of cellulose scaffolds (obtained by decellularizing apple slices and asparagus stems) and growing stem cells on them to repair spinal cord injury, for instance. The audience was captivated by his innovative approach and the potential for this type of therapy to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine. (Watch Video)
Panel Highlights
Cell Ag Panel
Moderated by Isha Datar (New Harvest), and featuring panelists Tony Pavel (Perfect Day), Lejjy Gafour (CULT Food Science), Fei Luo (Liven Proteins), and Jalene Anderson-Baron (Future Fields). The exciting session focused on the opportunities for Canada in cellular agriculture, outlining where challenges must be addressed, particularly in the capacity and regulatory spaces. A key theme to point out is the current climate crisis and growing human population, which highlights the need for alternative solutions to feed the world. (Watch Video)
Net Zero Panel
Circular economy is a promising model for sustainably delivering the growing demands for food and resources. Moderated by Ryan Mercer (Genome Alberta), panelists Beth Mason (Vershuren Centre), Ryan Philippe (Genome Canada), and Laurence Yang (Queen’s University) discussed how synthetic biology provides an ideal mean through which true product circularity might be achieved, and importantly, how it can disrupt traditional processes currently place.
Investment Panel
This highly anticipated session was bustling with energy as moderator Mohan Iyer (IndieBio/SOSV) was joined on stage by private investment experts Chris Bryson (ArcTern Ventures), Alison Sunstrum (Builders VC), Caitlin Walsh (CPPIB), and Bharat Srinvasa (Amplitude Ventures). The conversation was centered around the current and future trends of investment in synbio-based technologies and highlighted where emerging start-ups may be well-positioned to leverage opportunities. (Watch Video)
Ecosystem Support Panel
Bettina Hamelin (CEO, Ontario Genomics) welcomed Christian Baron (CIHR), Robert Annan (Genome Canada), Lakshmi Krishnan (NRC), Ted Hewitt (SSHRC), and Marc Fortin (NSERC) to the stage to discuss the successes and opportunities for Canadian federal funding programs for engineering biology. As the field naturally diverges from the traditional silos, the criteria and review process for funding programs was discussed in light of the interdisciplinarity of synthetic biology. (Watch Video)
Advanced Biologics Panel
Jean-François Millau (Tatum Biosciences), Aidan Tinafar (Liberum Bio), Lakshmi Krishnan (NRC), Gregory Block (Notch Therapeutics), moderated by Sheila Singh (McMaster University) had a conversation about the prospect of engineering biology-enabled therapeutics and the path towards their implementation in the Canadian healthcare system.
Accessibility Panel
Ubaka Ogbogu (University of Alberta), Trevor Charles (University of Waterloo), and Nika Shakiba (University of British Columbia) were joined by moderator Janet Rossant (SickKids) to talk about the ethics and socioeconomics of tools developed through engineering biology means.
AI in SynBio Fireside Chat
Artificial intelligence and synthetic biology have captured the public’s imagination for decades. The immense potential and pitfalls for this powerful combination was discussed by Andrew Haigh (Adapsyn), Garth Gibson (Vector Institute), and Steve Webb (GIFS).
Pitch Competition
The Pitch Competition – Accelerating Start-ups by Design returned once again by popular demand to the Canada SynBio stage. Six incredible Canadian synthetic biology start-ups pitched to an expert panel of investor judges for a chance to win a $10k grand prize. The finalists were Naloomar, Liven Proteins, Dispersa, ALT TEX, Terra Plant, and Canurta. The session highlighted a few of the startups from Canada in the SynBio space looking to do great things. This features the in-house talent in Canada in this field and paves the way for more people and their ideas. The First Prize was awarded to Dispersa, who are working on cleantech and developing a biosurfactant to clean up oil spills. Learn more about the company here: www.dispersa.ca
Poster Reception (Sponsored by Twist Bioscience)
Sponsored by Twist Bioscience, the poster reception was a buzzing session with academic posters presented by trainees from across Canada. The People’s Best Poster Award ($500) winner was Mackenzie Thornbury (Concordia University).
Partners
