Overview of the Event

Race against the clock is was a bio-economy for students and startups. The conference was sponsored by Built with Biology (a.k.a. SynBioBeta) which has hosted the largest global synthetic biology conferences for a number of years. The conference included a variety of fields such as engineering, tech, finance, art, etc, even policymaking/law given that bioengineering has potential ethical concerns. As a club, we learned about leadership, bioengineering, and business. Different startups and companies that we discussed with and learned from were LatchBio, MyForest Foods, ribbon biolabs, BCG, Leaps, Berkeley Lights, Twist Bioscience, GenScript, InScripta, absci, and Mayfield. We explored cutting-edge technologies that strive to improve our enviornment. Examples of these materials include, synthetic spider silk, natural plastic, vegetarian/vegan animal products, and synthetically produced DNA storage. We discovered the impossible burger, brain-operated robots, biofuels, and much more. We had the opportunity to network with top-level people in the bioengineering field.

Some of the companies that we learned from

Loliware who introduced a new category of bio-materials made from regenerative, carbon-capturing ocean-farmed seaweed. Think drinking straws which naturally decompose and don’t require harmful chemicals, land, fertilizer, or water to produce. Helaina which produces nature equivalent breast-make components that build human immune systems. Kingdom Supercultures which designs microbial strains which enable food and beverage manufacturers to create new plant-based yogurts and cheese. Mogu Bio who leverage mycelium to develop fabrics and materials for home decor companies. Dab Bio who accelerate fermentation processes for everyday bioproducts in a more efficient, cost-effective manner than traditional fossil-based counterparts.

When and What?

Me and another club officer provided transportation to the conference which was located in Oakland. The conference occurred during school hours so unfortunately we all had to skip school but it was an extraordinary experience. There were pop-up stands all throughout the complex where the event was located. We talked and learned from the CEO’s and company representatives that were running these stands. An example of an invention that we thought was extraordinary was synthetic DNA that was being 3-D printed to store online information. The company representatives even said that you can store pictures, videos, and even in their DNA!