The guiding thread of the event 2019 will be
Next Generation Bioproduction
Focus Topic I:
Bioproduction in the Sense of Bioeconomy
Focus Topic II:
Advances in Biomanufacturing and Upcoming Biopharmaceuticals
Keynote Speakers
Jay Keasling
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Professor of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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CSTO for Biosciences and Faculty Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
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CEO, Joint BioEnergy Institute, USA
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Akihiko Kondo
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Director of Biorefinery Center,
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Director of Engineering Biology Research Center
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Professor at Kobe University, Japan
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Cell Factory Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
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Marcel Wubbolts
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Chief Technology Officer, Corbion Group Netherlands bv, The Netherlands
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George Guo-Qiang Chen
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Funding Director at the Center of Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, China
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Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, China
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Chair Professor at Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, England
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Christian Eckermann
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Senior Vice President and Site Head of Biopharma Austria at Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, Austria
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Hanspeter Rottensteiner
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Head of Research Gene Therapy, Drug Discovery Austria (Takeda)
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Chris Savile
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Vice President of Commercial Operations at Willow Biosciences Inc., Canada
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Program & Speakers
 | Focus on Bioproduction in the Sense of Bioeconomy |
 | Focus on Advances in Biomanufacturing & Upcoming Biopharmaceuticals |
| Others: | Out of the box topics |
| ID | Hour | Session | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 10:15 – 11:45 | The Learnings of H2020 and the Forecast to “Horizon Europe” (FP9)How did the 8th framework program of the European commission perform so far and what are the learnings for “Horizon Europe”? Experts will provide more information on the upcoming episode of European research and innovation projects, with a special focus on biotechnology. Use the opportunity, take part and gain your competitive advantage for your future proposals.Speakers: Andrea Höglinger (FFG) Nelo Emerencia (BIC, EC) | Special Session |
| II | 10:15 – 11:45 | KETBIO EU Project PartneringKETBIO onsite partnering is an innovation biotechnology matchmaking to meet cooperation partners. This special EU-partnering will connect you with funding specialists from the bio-economy community. KETBIO offers the opportunity to meet partners for potential projects, learn about EU-funded projects or present them. Identify cooperation partners on the basis of your needs and arrange an onsite and online meeting. For further details just register for ESIB conference 2019 and join us @ketbio. | Special Session |
| III | 10:15 – 11:45 | Journal of Biotechnology (Elsevier) Introduction SessionJournal of Biotechnology (Elsevier) is one of the premier Journals focused on most Aspects of Biotechnology. 10 out of the 12 Editors of the Journal as well as Publishing Editor Dr. Lynn Sherrer from Elsevier will be present at ESIB 2019. In this session, each of the Editors will introduce their topic briefly, followed by a presentation of the Technical Editor on how to successfully submit a paper to the Journal. Afterwards there will be a question and answers session with audience participation. | Special Session |
| Registration Reception & Poster Session | |||
| 12:30 | Welcome Address:Speakers: Mathias Drexler (CEO acib) Bernd Nidetzky (CSO acib) | Plenary | |
| Coffee Break & Poster Session | |||
Trends in Science & IndustryWhat are the burning issues in an ever-changing scientific landscape? What are the challenges that need to be addressed for the future development of industrial biotechnology and bioeconomy? Take part in discussing the most promising trends in science. | |||
| 01a | 13:00 – 14:30 | Part 1: Trends in Synthetic BiologySpeakers: Jay Keasling (Univ. California, Berkley) Christopher Savile (Willow Biosciences) | Plenary |
| Coffee Break & Poster Session | |||
| 01b | 15:00 – 16:45 | Part 2: Next Generation Industrial BiotechnologySpeakers: George Guo-Qiang Chen (Tsinghua University) Akihiko Kondo (Kobe University) Yasuhisa Asano (Toyama Prefectural University) | Plenary |
| Coffee Break & Poster Session | |||
| 01c | 17:15 – 18:30 | Part 3: Trends in Pharma IndustrySpeakers: Hanspeter Rottensteiner (Gene Therapy, Takeda) Christian Eckermann (Boehringer Ingelheim) | Plenary |
| 02 | 18:30 – 19:30 | Podium Discussion | Plenary |
| 21:00 | Chilling Life ScienceDom im Berg |
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| ID | Hour | Session | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORKSHOP SESSION 1 | |||
| 03 | 9:00 – 11:00 | CO2 – the Next Generation Feedstock for valuable ProductsIncreasing release of carbon dioxide (CO2) has a dramatic impact on global climate. The utilization of CO2 as a carbon resource is coming into focus of R&D. Which products could be derived from CO2? What are the economic, ecologic and energy-political issues that should be linked to scientific agendas? Join in and get a clearer picture of the key stakeholders in a circular economy to create value from CO2.Speakers: Anastasios Perimenis (CO2 Value Europe) Björn Heijstra (Lanzatech) Yagut Allahverdiyeva-Rinne (Univ. of Turku) | Parallel Workshop |
| 04 | 9:00 – 11:00 | Virtual Bioprocessing – the Future of Quality by DesignSmart facilities and Industry 4.0 are becoming reality in various industry fields. Connectivity of data, accessibility of information and process understanding – all leads to more automated and better controls of manufacturing. However, the modelling of processes or the creation of a digital twin are still lacking. What are suitable models to understand production processes? What is required by authorities such as FDA or EMEA? Get informed about new trends in the sense of the Quality by Design (QbD) approach.Speakers: Julita Panek (Siemens AG) Moritz von Stosch (GlaxoSmithKline) Mark Dürkop (Novasign GmbH) | Parallel Workshop |
| 05 | 9:00 – 11:00 | Designing Cell Factories for a Circular EconomyUsing the tools of synthetic biology, metabolic pathways can be redesigned in microbes to construct cell factories that produce high value molecules for diverse applications. The extensive use of omics data, bioinformatic tools and metabolic modelling are common features of many projects that aim to construct such cell factories. A panel of selected H2020 projects discuss their central question: How to engineer cell factories to enable them to use sustainable carbon sources and to increase yields?Speakers: Eduard Kerkhoven (Chalmers Univ. Sweden, CHASSY) Eriko Takano (Univ. Manchester, TOPCAPI) Markus Herrgard (Novo Nordisk Foundation, DD-DeCaf) | H2020 Special Workshop |
| 06 | 9:00 – 11:00 | Novel Food and Cosmetics Ingredients – What are the Quality Requirements of Tomorrow?How do we have to think next generation product quality? What needs to be taken into account for a future product viable between regulatory demands (novel food, health claims, REACH etc.) and customer awareness or policy influence (product environmental footprint, maybe even social life cycle assessment). Get up-to-date information from validation authorities and experts in the field, listen to their insights and get inspired by new product and process design trends.Speakers: Gerald Renner (Cosmetics Europe) Nicoleta Pasecinic (Pen&Tec Consulting) Marisa Vieira (PRé Consultancy) | Parallel Workshop |
| IV | 9:00 – 11:00 | KETBIO WorkshopKETBIO, a H2020 funded CSA project involving 7 partners across Europe, aims to reduce time to market and speed up commercial outcomes from EU-funded Biotechnology projects by various mechanisms and establishing a novel biotechnology cluster.In this workshop you will hear about the KETBIO aims and deliverables and how you can benefit from joining the cluster and online platform. The latest, innovative IB projects, encompassing novel feedstocks and process technologies to new bio-based products and emerging trends will be showcased. | Special Session |
| Coffee Break | |||
| 07 | 11:15 – 12:00 | Science FlashYou have an idea you want to place on the market? You have an outstanding new finding you want to present? be precise and be to the point in a powerful speed presentation. | Plenary |
| Lunch Break & Poster Session | |||
| WORKSHOP SESSION 2 | |||
| 08 | 13:30 – 15:30 | Valorizing Oil and Fat Streams through Next Generation BiocatalysisBiological oils and fats are a high-energy and high-volume production stream stretching beyond the food and feed sectors. Enzymatic modification of (un)saturated fatty acids yields in fuels, flavours & fragrances, pharmaceuticals, skin care products, materials, and plastics that are typically derived from fossil resources. How much of crude oil will next generation bioproduction - based on microbial/algaeal fermentation and enzymatic upcycling – can be replaced during the next decade?Speakers: Andreas Schirmer (Genomatica) Andrew Munro (Univ. of Manchester) Kai Baldenius Johannes Kabisch (TU Darmstadt) | Parallel Workshop |
| 09 | 13:30 – 15:30 | Artificial Intelligence in Biotechnology – the Future of BioprocessesHandling of big data becomes a key element for biotechnology, bioprocess engineering and medical healthcare. Modern artificial intelligence allows to analyze large volumes of data in many domains, in ways that were inaccessible until now. How can we use artificial intelligence and machine learning in different fields (eg pharma, diagnostics, drug development)? Join in and get ready for modern biotechnology research.Speakers: Christian Gruber (Innophore) Andreas Persidis (Biovista Inc.) Andreas Posch (Ares Genetics GmbH) | Parallel Workshop |
| 10 | 13:30 – 15:30 | Converting Projects of Today into Products for the Market of TomorrowProjects under the H2020 framework program strongly focused on impact. In practice, EU project participants are facing the challenge of taking the ideas from the projects to market. Is there any formula for success? What are the recommendations of those, who have been successful? Get some practical advice for making the best out of your project.Speakers: Daniel Lopez (CSIC, Rafts4Biotech) Irina Borodina (DTU, OLEFINE/PACMEN) Bruno Ferreira (Biotrend, YEASTDOC) Aoife Mangan (EIC) | H2020 Special Workshop |
| 11 | 13:30 – 15:30 | Next Generation Microbials – the Potential of Microbiome ResearchThe microbiome is strongly connected with sustainable production in agriculture and industry, our food chain, and 'one health' issues. Moreover, it is currently one of the most important research fields emerging within different disciplines. What are the promising approaches for meeting the demands of the European bioeconomy strategy? Project leaders and industry pioneers in the field of microbiome science share their experience and knowledge.Speakers: Anders Gram (Indigo AG) Lise Korsten (Univ. of Pretoria) Michael Schloter (HMZ/TU München) | Parallel Workshop |
| Coffee Break | |||
| WORKSHOP SESSION 3 | |||
| 12 | 16:00 – 18:00 | Next Generation Biocatalytic ProductionVarious biocatalytic reactions (e.g. asymmetric ketone reduction, asymmetric amination of ketones) have become state of the art in industry as well as in academia. For selected cases enzyme engineering was required to adapt the enzyme to the process, which is today’s approach in contrast to old time adapting the process to the enzyme. What are the current challenges for biocatalysis? What are the next reactions to be transferred to industrial scale? What is the state for using light and electricity as energy source for biocatalytic reactions? Get an update.Speakers: Nick Turner (Univ. Manchester) Radka Snajdrova (Novartis) Volker Sieber (TU München) Bruno Bühler (UFZ Leipzig) | Parallel Workshop |
| V | 16:00 – 18:00 | Challenges in Design and Production of Next Generation VaccinesClimate change, emerging and re-emerging viruses are becoming an urgent threat for animal and human health. New concepts for the development of Next-Generation vaccines are highly needed. Our experts highlight recent technologies for production, up-scaling and downstream processing for industrial demands. How long does it take from test tube to patient? Get informed about mandatory steps on the long way to market authorization.Speakers: Lee Smith (GreyRigge, UK) Miriam Klausberger (BOKU Vienna) Dieter Palmberger (acib GmbH) Patricia Aguilar (BOKU Vienna) Katrin Reiter (acib GmbH) | acib/BOKU Special Workshop |
| 13 | 16:00 – 18:00 | Next Generation Start-up BootcampYou started up with your own company? First mission accomplished. But how to proceed to bring your success to the next level? Which competences are essential? Take the opportunity to learn from a business angel and to meet some biotech start-ups at different stages of their foundation. Find out how the others dealed with fundings, marketing activities and building up networks.Speakers: Tina Gruber-Mücke (Univ. Applied Sciences Lower Austria) Christian Burgard (ArthroKinetics) Barbara Sladek (myBioma GmbH) Martin Kern (Merck GmbH) Ayla Arslan (Univ. Sarajevo) Christoph Gasser (usePAT GmbH) | Parallel Workshop |
| 14 | 16:00 – 18:00 | Producing Trends in Open Schooling – InteractiveBubbling with ideas? Let’s talk about them! This year we will talk about efficient ways to attract the “next generation biotechnologists”. Discuss your insights and concepts. Stimulate each other during lively face-to-face discussions in small groups. Be guest in our World Café, take a seat and be part of producing future trends.Speakers: Brigitte Gschmeidler (OpenScience) Maria Strommer (akzente) | World-Café |
| Poster Session & Get-together | |||
| 15 | 18:15 – 19:45 | Science Meets EconomyAre you looking for new collaborative partnerships? A guided matchmaking event organised by the SFG and the Enterprise Europe Network is a unique opportunity to generate new business contacts and to develop new ideas. Select interesting prospective partners and pre-book 15-minute meetings with them in advance of the event. The Science Meets Economy B2B event has a separate website. For more details and registration please visit https://esib2019.b2match.io/ | Matchmaking |
| 20:30 | Gala AcademiaSchloßbergrestaurant | Social | |
| ID | Hour | Session | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 – 10:00 | Biotech Breakfast & Poster SessionLet the day begin! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so let’s get together and start the last day of our summit with a delicious, typical styrian breakfast to delight body & soul. | Social & Poster Session | |
| WORKSHOP SESSION 4 | |||
| 16 | 10:00 – 12:00 | Continuous Downstream Processing for Biomolecules of the FutureContinuous Downstream Processing is nowadays making its way into the process development departments for biomolecules. We review the current status of integration of continuous downstream processing and look at the future challenges of what’s still missing for a fully continuous process. For which unit operations is the technology already available, for which unit operations are we missing important technologies, and to what extend is the integration of different unit operations into one seamless process possible?Speakers: Gorazd Hribar (Lek/Novartis) Michael Philipps (Merck Millipore) Jason Walther (Sanofi) Ana Azevedo (IST Lisboa) | Parallel Workshop |
| 17 | 10:00 – 12:00 | Next Generation Biopolymers - the Materials of the Future?Yesterday there was plastic made of oil. Today we focus on recycling. What will be tomorrow? How can upcycling provide a greener future? Does polylactic acid really change the world of packing materials? What is the potential of biotechnology and enzymes in this context? The number of innovative ideas of creating biopolymers out of new resources and development of coating or surface activation systems seem to be endless. Join a selected bunch of experts in a journey to the engineers never never land.Speakers: George Guo-Qiang Chen (CSSB, China) Ale Pellis (Univ. of York) Manfred Zinn (HES-SO Valais-Wallis) Andreas Künkel (BASF) | Parallel Workshop |
| 18 | 10:00 – 12:00 | Novel Biorefinery and Biotechnology conceptsIn order to produce materials and chemicals sustainable biorefinery concepts are of importance.How to implement a sustainable and circular bioeconomy? How can bioeconomy concepts be introduced into different market segments spanning from cosmetics to cement industry? In this session different industry sectors are presenting their bioeconomy strategy. Which concepts and solutions are economically viable and what limiting barriers can be identified? Is a high oil price the only critical parameter for a successful business model? What other advantages do products have which are produced by a sustainable and circular biorefinery? Speakers: Anja Ebenschweiger (Lafarge) Nic Lindley (A* Star) Markus Ellersdorfer (Montan Univ. Leoben) Peter Pucher (BDI-BioLife Science GmbH) Paola Branduardi (Univ. of Milano) | Parallel Workshop |
| VI | 10:00 – 12:00 | Computer-aided design of cell factoriesCell factory development projects often use omics data and modeling to identify bottlenecks and suggest new design strategies. However, the software platforms that are currently available for data-driven modeling and design support only limited use of data and are not end-user friendly. What are newest developments in computer-aided cell factory design? How can cutting edge software tools help you in developing your next cell factory? Join this workshop to learn hands-on skills for employing computer-aided cell factory design in your projects.Participation conditions: binding registration until 15th October 2019; for equipment please use your own laptop. Speakers: Nikolaus Sonneschein, Technical University of Denmark Markus Herrgård, Technical University of Denmark | Special Session |
| Coffee Break | |||
| 19 | 12:15 – 13:00 | Science FlashYou have an idea you want to place on the market? You have an outstanding new finding you want to present? be precise and be to the point in a powerful speed presentation. | Plenary |
| Lunch Break & Poster Session | |||
| 20 | 14:00 – 15:30 | Closing Lecture “Bridging Tomorrow”Join in and have a look to the upcoming trends in biotechnology for the next decades. What are the visions of the industry and which disruptive technologies might influence or support the missions of tomorrow? Let’s shed a light on innovative views from representatives in the field of industrial biotechnology.Speakers: Marcel Wubbolts (Corbion) Thomas Haas (Evonik Creavis) | Plenary |
| 15:30 | Closing Remarks | ||
 | Allahverdiyeva-Rinne YagutProfessor at University of Turku (Finland)Obtained a PhD degree in Azerbaijan in 2001. Research interests have been mainly focused on basic and applied photosynthesis. More Information |
 | Arslan AylaProfessor at International University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)Ayla Arslan was born in Istanbul in 1974. She received her MS degree in Biotechnology at the Middle East Technical University. Then, she was awarded by PhD scholarship (DFG, Germany) and completed her doctorate at Heidelberg University in the field of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience. She has been engaged in research and/or university teaching in Europe, Turkey and USA. At present she is Associate Professor at Genetics and Bioengineering Program, International University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The expertise and interests of Dr. Arslan range from Molecular Neuroscience, Research strategies in psychiatry to Science and Society, with a specific focus on bio-entrepreneurship.More Information |
 | Azevedo AnaAssistant Professor at University of Lisbon (Portugal)Ana Azevedo is assistant professor at the Department of Bioengineering of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon. She graduated in Chemical Engineering from IST-ULisbon in 1996 and obtained a PhD degree in Biotechnology in 2004. She is also senior investigator of the Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) where she coordinates several projects and PhD thesis in downstream processing. Her current research interest are integrating bioseparations and microfluidics to speed process development.More Information |
 | Borodina IrinaGroup Leader, Senior Scientist, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)CTO, BioPhero ApS (Denmark) Dr. Irina Borodina is Senior Scientist and Group Leader at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Her research focuses on advancing the methodologies for metabolic engineering of yeast cell factories for the sustainable production of bulk and high-value chemicals. She received a Chemical Engineering degree from Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania in 2001 and her PhD degree in Biotechnology from DTU in 2007. Dr. Borodina has authored 44 peer-reviewed articles, which have been cited over 2,300 times, she is co-inventor of 12 patent applications. She is also co-founder and Director of a start-up biotech company BioPhero ApS. Dr. Borodina received 2016 Jay Bailey Young Investigator Award in Metabolic Engineering, 2019 Equinor Prize, and was selected a 2019 EU Women Innovator. More Information |
 | Branduardi PaolaProfessor in Chemistry of Fermentation and Industrial Microbiology at the University of Milano (Italy)Paola Branduardi graduated cum Laude in Biological Sciences at the University of Milano, Italy, and received a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Milano, with an internship at the Vienna BioCenter, working on the yeast cell cycle progression. She moved in 2000 at the University of Milano Bicocca as Post-Doc, where she started to work on Industrial Biotechnology where she is now full professor in Chemistry of Fermentation and Industrial Microbiology. Her research aims at the development of sustainable microbial-based bioprocesses, mainly valorizing residual biomasses as in the concept of biorefineries. This is pursued by tailoring microbial strains, mainly but not exclusively Saccharomyces and non- Saccharomyces yeasts, for the production of heterologous proteins, fine and bulk chemicals, biofuels, nutraceuticals. Synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, flow cytometry, screening protocols and adaptive laboratory evolution are the approaches used to leverage microbial potential, including robustness against stress, to match industrial requirements. She published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, 7 book chapters, and she is (co-)inventor of 10 patent applications, 6 of which obtained the PCT status, and 5 subsequently licensed. She is co-founder and president of Galatea BioTech srl, a University spin-off company active in the production of bio-based biodegradable materials. She acts as coordinator of the PhD programme in Converging Technologies for Biomolecular Systems, as member of the teaching board of the Master in Circular Bioeconomy “Biocirce”, and as beneficiary of past and present MSCA ITN programmes: principles and concepts of Open Science and RRI are embedded both in her researches as in her teaching and communication activities.More Information |
 | Bühler BrunoGroup leader at the UFZ in Leipzig (Germany)Professor at the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany) Bruno Bühler studied biology and biotechnology and did his PhD at ETH Zurich (2003), where he was awarded the ETH medal for outstanding PhD theses. After a postdoctoral period at ETH, he joined the TU Dortmund as group leader for habilitation. In 2015, he became Professor in a common appointment of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig and the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg.More Information |
 | Burgard ChristianCSO, Chief Scientific Officer at Arthro Kinetics Biotechnology GmbH (Austria)Christian Burgard studied chemistry at the University of Kaiserslautern and made his thesis at the University Hospital of Homburg. He has been working in medical technology for 19 years, ia. at Stryker and Aesculap, and for 15 years in biotechnology. Since 2010 at Arthro Kinetics Biotechnology GmbH. At AKI, as CSO, he is also responsible for spin-offs.More Information |
| Chen George Guo-QiangFunding Director at the Center of Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University (China)Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University (China) Chair Professor at Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (England) Professor George Guo-Qiang Chen received his BSc and PhD from South China University of Technology in 1985 and Graz University of Technology (Austria) in 1989, respectively. He also conducted research in 1990-1994 as a postdoc at University of Nottingham in UK and University of Alberta in Canada, respectively. He has been focusing his research on microbial materials polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) metabolic engineering, synthetic biology and PHA biomaterial application since 1986. After joining Tsinghua University in 1994, he has been actively promoting the microbial Bio- and Material Industries in China. More Information |
 | Dürkop MarkCEO NovasignPostdoctoral researcher at the University of Natural Resources and Life Science Vienna (Austria) With more than nine years of experience, Mark is a passionate scientist in the field of biopharmaceutical process development. Together with his team, he is currently developing a software for both up and downstream processes. This software utilizes process data and first principle models (hybrid models) to quickly predict critical quality attributes from critical process parameters. Hereby, bioprocess development and characterization is accelerated significantly while simultaneously a better process understanding is gathered. From this research project the company “Novasign” was founded in 2019. More Information |
 | Ebenschweiger AnjaHead of Building Segment Lafarge Zementwerke GmbH (Austria)Following her study of Gesteinshüttenwesen at the Montanuniversität Leoben her professional life has taken her through various positions at Lafarge Zementwerke GmbH in Austria including quality and environment management for the cement plant, product portfolio management and product development for a country cluster up to her current main project that deals with the cement based mineral insulation called AIRIUM. More Information |
| Eckermann ChristianSenior Vice President and Site Head Biopharma (Austria)Dr. Christian Eckermann has 20 years of experience in Biopharmaceutical Research, Development, Manufacturing and Quality. He is currently heading the Biopharma Site in Vienna, Austria and responsible for all microbial CMC development and large scale production activities for BI own products (New Biological Entities) and Contract Manufacturing Business. More Information |
 | Ellersdorfer MarkusAssistant Professor at the Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria)Markus Ellersdorfer is assistant professor at the Chair of Process Technology and Industrial Environmental Protection at the Montanuniversität Leoben. He finished his PhD on process technology in 2012, where he investigated the feasibility and technical limits of biogas production in combination with cement works. After a short post-doc period he established the research area “Renewable Materials Processing” at the Montanuniversität Leoben, which he heads as assistant professor since 2016. The research group is focused on the processing and utilization of biogenic residues and their components as renewable resources for industrial processes. More Information |
 | Emerencia NeloDirector Programming at Bio-based Industries Consortium (Belgium)After a career in the multinational chemicals industry, Nelo Emerencia became Director Programming at the Bio-based Industries Consortium in April 2015. In addition, within the framework of the EU Thematic Smart Specialisation platforms for interregional innovation projects, he coordinates the Bio-Economy partnership. More Information |
 | Ferreira BrunoCEO of Biotrend SA (Portugal)Bruno Sommer Ferreira is co-founder and CEO of Biotrend. He is a chemical engineer and holds a PhD in biotechnology. He gained more than 20 years experience in the development, optimization and scale-up of bioprocesses based on biological systems as diverse as microalgae, bacteria, yeasts and animal cells. He performed research at the Technical University of Lisbon and the University of Toronto. At the moment he is a consultant and advisor for private and governmental organizations in the topic of industrial biotechnology and bio-based products. More Information |
 | Gasser ChristophApplication Consultant at usePAT GmbH (Austria)Christoph Gasser was trained as an analytical chemist at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). He conducted his PhD research in the field of on- and inline vibrational spectroscopy, mainly Raman and mid-Infrared spectroscopy. He co-founded the usePAT GmbH in 2018 as a TU Wien spin-off and presently serves there as application consultant. Exploiting ultrasonic fields usePAT aims to improve industrial in-line, real-time measurements in respect of sensitivity, selectivity and stability. The application of usePAT ultrasound technology holds great promise for process control purposes in combination with various methods ranging from novel PAT spectroscopy methods to established sensors like turbidity, O2 or pH electrodes. More Information |
 | Gram AndersHead of process and product development at Indigo Ag (USA)Anders Gram studied chemical engineering and obtained his PhD in 1987 from the Danish Technical University in collaboration with Novo Industri A/S. More Information |
 | Gschmeidler BrigitteManaging director of Open Science – Life Sciences in Dialogue (Austria)Brigitte Gschmeidler is managing director of Open Science – Life Sciences in Dialogue, a non-profit association fostering dialogue between science and the public. She has been managing projects for Open Science since 2006 and has experience with a variety of public engagement formats and topics. Furthermore, she is a university lecturer for science communication and project management at the University of Vienna. Brigitte holds a master’s degree in microbiology/genetics, a doctoral degree in public health and a postgraduate degree in public relations. More Information |
 | Haas ThomasVice President Science & Technology Evonik Creavis GmbH (Germany)Dr. Thomas Haas was born in Viernheim, Germany. He earned a diploma and PhD in technical chemistry from Darmstadt Technical University. He completed his post-doctoral studies at the Queen Mary College and Imperial College in London. More Information |
 | Heijstra Björn D.Director Process Validation at LanzaTech (USA)Björn is a microbiologist, studied Molecular Microbiology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, NL and obtained a PhD from Auckland University, NZ. Currently leads the Process Validation team at LanzaTech on the northside of Chicago, USA. Over the last 10 years he has been involved in the development and scaling up of the LanzaTech gas fermentation process. This accumulated into the first full commercial facility startup in May 2018 at a Shougang steel mill in China. The next commercial plant is under construction near Gent, Belgium. More Information |
 | Herrgard MarkusProfessor and Director of Data Science and Automation at Novo Nordisk (Denmark)Markus Herrgard is Director of Data Science and Automation at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability. In this role he is responsible for developing data science and automation infrastructure to support basic and commercialization-oriented research. His research work is focused on data science for cell factory development including high-throughput omics data generation, mining and visualization of big biological datasets, and genome-scale modeling for cell factory design. More Information |
 | Höglinger AndreaHead of Division European and International Programmes at FFG (Austria)Andrea Höglinger is Head of Division European and International Programmes at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and acts as the Austrian NCP-Coordinator (National Contact Point Coordination) for Horizon 2020. She is an expert in European research funding programmes and worked for almost 10 years as National Contact Point for the Social Sciences and Humanities at an European level. Andrea Höglinger holds a degree in Social and Economic Sciences from the University of Vienna. Before she joined the FFG she had worked for a private research organisation in Austria for serveral years.More Information |
 | Hribar GorazdHead of Bioprocess in DS Bioproduction (Slovenia)Gorazd Hribar has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which he received in 2009 at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He joined Novartis in 2012, where he held several research roles with increased responsibility in Technical Development Biologics, such as principal scientist in Downstream Process Development and also project manager of EU funded project entitled ‘’Next-generation biopharmaceutical downstream process’’. Currently he is Head of Bioprocess in DS Bioproduction at Menges site. Previously he was employed as a researcher at National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia, where he was also vice-president of Board of Governors. His current focus is on development and manufacturing of biosimilars and continuous manufacturing. He is also a co-founder of biotech company Ichorlabs.More Information |
 | Kerkhoven EduardProject leader at Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden)Dr. Eduard Kerkhoven is project leader in computational metabolic engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. His research is focused on model-driven analysis of experimental (omics-)data to understand, predict and engineer biology, bridging the gap between in silico prediction and in vivo implementation through genetic engineering. With the general aim to improve productivity of sustainable microbial cell factories, he has been working on a range of microorganisms, including oleaginous yeasts and antibiotic producing bacteria. More Information |
 | Kern MartinManaging Director and Site Director MSD Animal Health (Austria)DI Dr. Martin Kern has been Site Director and Managing Director of MSD Animal Health's Danube Biotech GmbH in Krems since 2017. From 1998 to 2008 he was Head of Manufacturing at Octapharma Vienna and responsible for the manufacture of blood plasma derivatives for final formulation, aseptic filling, lyophilization, secondary and final packaging. In 2011, he became Site Director at Hermes Pharma in Wolfsberg and was responsible for oral solid dosage forms, specialized to effervescent products. From 2011 to 2015 Martin was Site Director and Managing Director of MSD Animal Health in Unterschleissheim (DE) and from 2015 bis 2017 Site Director for the four UK production sites of MSD Animal Health.More Information |
 | Klausberger MiriamPostdoc at the Department of Biotechnology, BOKU Vienna (Austria); Project leader at the Mechnikov Research Insistue for Vaccines and Sera in Moskow (Russia)Miriam did her PhD in the frame of the international PhD-programme in Protein biotechnology ("BioToP") where she was working on the pre-clinical evaluation of insect cell-expressed bird-flu influenza VLPs as well as recombinant protein-displayed conserved influenza epitopes. Currently, Miriam leads a FWF-funded bilateral joint project with the I. Mechnikov Research Insistue for Vaccines and sera in Moskow, Russia, with the focus of assessing the off-target effects of immunization with different influenza antigens, presented in a VLP format, in the context of postinfluenza secondary bacterial infections. More Information |
 | Künkel AndreasVice President at BASF, Biopolymer Research (Germany)Andreas Künkel is head of biopolymer research of BASF. The focus of biopolymer research is the fundamental understanding of the biodegradation process in different environments and the development of new biodegradable and biobased polyesters and compounds for different applications. More Information |
 | Lindley NicDirector A*STAR Biotransformation Innovation Platform (Singapore)Senior CNRS Research Director at Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (France) Dr. Lindley has been actively developing an integrated pipeline coupling strain development via metabolic engineering to process technology innovation for many years and was leading the Toulouse LISBP laboratory until 2015. He then moved to Singapore where he developed the A*STAR Biotransformation Innovation Platform taking it from a concept to a functional 50-person research entity, undertaking industry-facing R&D for food and consumer care speciality ingredients. From August 2019, he splits his time between the laboratories in Toulouse (TBI and TWB) and Singapore (BioTrans).More Information |
 | Mangan AoifePolicy and Communications Officer at EIC (Belgium)As a unit in European Innovation Council Taskforce of DG for Research and Innovation, we serve European citizens by designing, coordinating and governing the overall strategic direction of EIC funding for innovation, with the objective of enhancing EU level support for breakthrough, market-creating innovation. We drive innovation at EU level in line with the priorities of the Commission and strive to ensure that innovation is also promoted across EU policies. We ensure a strong, clear and constant connection between new policy initiatives, effective implementation and proven impact. The unit, which is the secretariat of the EIC Pilot Advisory Board, and in the future will support the work of EIC Programme Managers, is in close contact with high-level individuals from the innovation and research world. The unit will also increase awareness of the programme and in turn ensure the correct calibre of EIC beneficiaries with the design and implementation of the EIC communication strategy.More Information |
 | Munro AndrewProf. of Molecular Enzymology at. Univ. Manchester (UK)Prof. Andrew Munro is an enzymologist working at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. He has his expertise in areas including protein engineering, structural biology, biocatalysis, spectroscopic methods and enzyme mechanism. Recent research includes development of a new method for pravastatin production (with DSM), structural/mechanistic analysis of peroxygenases and other redox enzymes, and use of fragment screening methods for generating potent inhibitors of key cytochrome P450 enzymes in M. tuberculosis. More Information |
 | Palmberger DieterSenior Scientist at acib GmbH (Austria)Dieter Palmberger is a Senior Scientist at acib GmbH dealing with upstream bioprocess development. He has deep knowledge in development of scalable platform processes for the production of viral vaccines and in process development for the production of clinical phase III material. Before, he was a PostDoc at BOKU, where he also finished his PhD and where he was working on systems development in baculovirus and insect cells. From 2012 to 2016 he was holding a FWF grant for “Influenza HA and the importance of glycosylation”.More Information |
 | Panek JulitaConsultant Pharma Siemens AG (Austria)Julita Panek completed her PhD at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna in the field of biotechnology under supervision of Prof. Alois Jungbauer. Julita has been involved in process development, manufacturing production and PAT activities for the past 10 years at Bristol Myers Squibb, Sandoz and Shire. In her last position in the biopharmaceutical industry, Julita was responsible for establishment of global PAT strategy. Her current focus at Siemens is support and consulting for biotech and pharma manufacturers in development and implementation of long-term strategic digitalization concepts. More Information |
 | Pasecinic NicoletaRegulatory Affairs Manager at Pen & Tec Consulting S.L.U. (Spain)Nicoleta Pasecinic is a nutritionist by background, having graduated in Food and Human Nutrition from Newcastle University, UK. She also holds a Bachelor degree in Marketing, specialising in B2B sales. Nicoleta has over 2 years’ experience with working in the food and feed regulatory industry, helping clients worldwide to bring their products onto the global market as fast and as economically as possible. Nicoleta is an expert in EU novel food authorisations and novel food consultations as well as successfully leading novel food enzyme applications in the EU and achieving approval of probiotic strains in the US. She has experience in study design, data analysis and interpretation and is an author of two published scientific studies. More Information |
 | Pellis AlePost doctoral research associate, Erwin Schrödinger fellow (Austria)Ale Pellis made is PhD at the BOKU Vienna and is part of Ernst Schrödinger program at the University of York. Here he is researching in chemo-enzymatic synthesis of bio-based polymers and their post-polymerization functionalization. His major research interests are enzymatic synthesis, degradation and surface functionalization of polymers, biocatalyst immobilization, optimization and characterization and chemo-enzymatic post-polymerization functionalization techniques. More Information |
 | Pereira Aguilar PatriciaPhD Student (staff scientist) at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria)Patricia has a Bachelor and Master degree in Biotechnology at the University of Beira Interior (Covilhã, Portugal). Currently she is finalizing the PhD within the International PhD Program in Protein Biotechnology (BioTop) at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. Supervised by Professor Alois Jungbauer, the project aims to understand the partitioning of virus-like particles in charged hydrogels and establish directed process development for virus-like particles downstream.More Information |
 | Perimenis AnastasiosCarbon Capture & Utilisation Officer, CO2 Value Europe (Belgium)Anastasios Perimenis holds degrees in Chemical Engineering (M.Sc., Greece), Environmental Engineering (M.Sc., Germany) and Bioengineering (PhD, Belgium). He has more than 10 years research experience in sustainable low carbon economy subjects and in European and international funding. As of September 2019, he is the Carbon Capture and Utilisation Officer of CO2 Value Europe, focusing on technology intelligence and coordination of innovation activities. More Information |
 | Persidis AndreasCEO Biovista (USA)Andreas Persidis is the co-founder and CEO of Biovista Inc. Dr. Persidis has conducted research in the fields of machine learning and applied Artificial Intelligence and has led the launch of multiple international research projects. More Information |
 | Phillips MichaelDirector of the Next Generation BioProcessing R&D team at Merck (Germany)Dr. Michael Phillips is currently the Director of the Next Generation BioProcessing R&D team at Merck focused on Applications and Innovation supporting the BioContinuum™ Platform. He is responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing innovative upstream and downstream processing technologies, novel process analytical technologies and sensors, and advanced software and automation that enable process intensification for mAb processing, including integrated, connected, and continuous processing. Dr. Phillips has more than 28 years of experience at Merck developing new bioprocess technologies and applications. Dr. Phillips holds a PhD in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.More Information |
 | Posch Andreas E.CEO Ares Genetics GmbH (Austria)Andreas is the founding CEO of Ares Genetics, a developer of artificial intelligence powered infectious disease diagnostics since 2017. Prior to his current position, he was responsible for global bioinformatics R&D at Siemens Healthcare where he developed Ares Genetics’ core technology for next-generation sequencing based drug response detection. He has an academic background in bioinformatics and biotechnology and his work was recognized by international awards and several million Euro funding from competitive research grants. More Information |
 | Pucher PeterHead of BDI-Bioenergy International GmbH (Austria)Dr. Peter Pucher studied process engineering at the Graz University (TUG) and graduated as a doctor in the field of "Photocatalytic Gas Cleaning". He worked several years active as an assistant at the Institute for Mechanical Process Engineering (TUG). Since 2009 he became head of R&D for the research area biomass to liquid (BtL) at BDI-Bioenergy International GmbH and since 2012 he is head of R&D for the area BioLife Science with focus on microalgae cultivation. More Information |
 | Reiter KatrinJunior Scientist at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria)Katrin obtained her Master degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. She wrote her Master thesis in method development on UHPLC for quantitative determination of vitamins in milk. She is currently finalizing her PhD at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna under the supervision of Professor Alois Jungbauer. Aim of the thesis is the establishment of a downstream process of influenza virus-like particles produced in insect cell culture.More Information |
 | Renner GeraldDirector Technical Regulatory & International Affairs at Cosmetics Europe (Belgium)Dr. Gerald Renner was born in Graz in 1967. His basic scientific training was in engineering chemistry at the Technische Universität Graz, where he graduated in 1993. After that he specialised in biochemical engineering and completed his PhD on the isolation of new bacterial strains for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates at the Technische Universität Graz, and the Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal. After additional courses in animal cell culture techniques and immunology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, he joined the scientific department of the Brussels based European Industry Association for Cosmetics and Personal Care products “Cosmetics Europe” (previously Colipa), at the end of 1996. Since 2001 he is Cosmetics Europe’s Director of Technical Regulatory Affairs and since 2010 also responsible for International Regulatory Affairs. More Information |
 | Rottensteiner HanspeterHead of Research Gene Therapy, Drug Discovery (Austria)Dr. Hanspeter Rottensteiner currently serves as Head of Research Gene Therapy at Takeda’s Drug Discovery Center Austria. He is a biochemist by training with more than 20 years of experience in conducting scientific research in academia and industry. Over the last 10+ years he contributed to the development of biologics for hematology indications and is now leading research for Takeda’s gene therapy programs for hemophilia and other rare diseases. More Information |
| Savile ChrisVice President, Commercial Operations Willow Biosciences Inc. (USA)Chris Savile joined Willow Biosciences in 2019 as Vice President of Commercial Operations, where he is focused on developing and commercializing microbial fermentation routes to plant-derived compounds. Chris received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry with a focus in Biocatalysis from McGill University (Montréal, Québec) in 2005. In 2006, he joined Codexis, Inc. where he was a Staff Scientist and then Senior Scientist in the HTP Assay Development Group, and then Associate Director of Business Development in their Pharmaceuticals business unit. He then joined Intrexon’s Industrial Products Division in 2015, where he led their Fine Chemicals programs as Executive Director of Commercial Operations.More Information |
 | Schirmer AndreasResearch Fellow at Genomatica (USA)Andreas Schirmer is an Industrial Microbiologist. After graduating from the Georg-August University of Göttingen, Germany, he was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School before he joined industry. He has worked in the Biotechnology Industry for 20 years with Kosan Biosciences, LS9, REG Life Sciences and now Genomatica. He has in-depth knowledge of microbial fatty acid, hydrocarbon, polyketide and polyhydroxyalkanoate metabolism, which he has extensively applied to engineer microbes to produce fatty-acid derived fuels & chemicals. He is an inventor on over 200 patents and pending patent applications worldwide.More Information |
 | Schloter MichaelHead of Department for Comparative Microbiome Analysis at the Helmholtz Zentrum (Germany)Michael Schloter is heading the Department for Comparative Microbiome Analysis at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich and hold a Professorship for Microbiology at the Technical University of Munich. His major interest is to improve the understanding on general principles of microbiome formation as well as host - microbe imteractions. His main research focus is the analysis of interactions of environemta- and human microbiomes as well as consequences for human health.More Information |
 | Sieber VolkerRector at TU Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Substainability (Germany)Professor Sieber studied chemistry at the University of Bayreuth and the University of Delaware. After obtaining his doctorate he went to the California Institute of Technology as a research fellow. Following a brief sojourn at McKinsey & Co., Professor Sieber held a number of positions in the chemicals industry between 2001 and 2008 (Degussa, Süd-Chemie). He has been a full professor at TUM since late 2008. Since 2009, he has built up the Fraunhofer Institute’s branch BioCat, which he currently directs. More Information |
 | Sladek BarbaraCEO and Founder of myBioma GmbH (Austria)Barbara Sladek has a PhD in biochemistry at University of Oxford. She gained experience as business manager at Siemens Healthineers. Barbara Sladek founded myBioma GmbH together with Dr. Nikolaus Gasche.More Information |
 | Smith LeePrincipal Consultant & Managing Director of GreyRigge Associates Ltd. (UK)Dr. Lee Smith’s experience spans biopharmaceutical CMC, process, analytical, formulation pre-clinical and clinical assay development as well as experience in product characterisation and regulatory submissions and interactions. He is regularly involved in applying QbD and advising on the use of DoE and data analysis for processes, formulation and assays, with a particular expertise in bioassays. This includes the development, optimisation and validation of both biopharmaceutical processes and methods. More Information |
 | Snajdrova RadkaGroup leader at Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (Switzerland)Radka obtained her PhD from Vienna University of Technology and Institute of Chemical Technology Prague in 2007 where she worked on the asymmetric synthesis of lactones using a combination of chemical and biocatalytic approaches. She received an Erwin-Schroedinger Fellowship and spent 1 year of postdoctoral study at York University in the UK, exploring the development of novel biocatalysts for organosilane chemistry. In 2009, Radka moved to University of Greifswald, Germany as a senior postdoctoral fellow to develop a high-throughput screening approach for in vivo selection and cell sorting, with the primary goal of identifying novel enantioselective enzymes. More Information |
 | Takano ErikoProfessor of Synthetic Biology at University of Manchester (UK)Eriko Takano has been Professor of Synthetic Biology in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Manchester since 2012. In 2014, she was appointed as one of the three directors for the EPSRC/BBSRC-funded Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre, SYNBIOCHEM and in 2018, she was appointed as the deputy head of School of Chemistry. Eriko graduated from Kitasato University in Japan and did her undergraduate project with Prof Satoshi Omura (2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine), before working at a R&D facility for a company, Meiji Seika Kaisha, for several years. After leaving industry, she obtained her PhD at the John Innes Institute, Norwich, UK, in 1994. Before her arrival in Manchester, she had been Associate Professor at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and Assistant Professor (C1) at the Department of Microbiology / Biotechnology, University of Tübingen, in Germany. More Information |
 | Turner NicholasProf. in Chemical Biology at the University of Manchester (UK)Nicholas Turner is Professor of Chemical Biology, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Biocatalysis (CoEBio3), Director of BIOCATNET and co-Director of SYNBIOCHEM. His research interests are in biocatalysis, directed evolution of enzymes and synthetic biology. He has published >300 papers/patents with an H-index of 62 and ca. 13,000 citations. He is a member of several Scientific Advisory Boards and consults widely. He has received many awards for his research achievements and currently holds an ERC Advanced Grant (2017-2022). More Information |
 | Vieira MarisaPrincipal consultant at PRé Sustainability (The Netherlands)Marisa Vieira holds a PhD in Fossil and Mineral Resource Scarcity in LCA, and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Technology. Marisa combines a hands-on, scientifically robust environmental metrics expertise with an eye on business applications. Marisa’s experience is focused on life-cycle-related solutions, more recently with a special focus on Environmental Footprinting. At PRé, she manages complex consultancy projects with a wide variety of organisations. She also outlines the strategy of the Consultancy team. More Information |
 | von Stosch MoritzDirector of Process Validation at GSK Vaccines (Belgium)Moritz von Stosch leads the Process Systems Biology and Engineering Center of Excellence at the Technical R&D department of GSK Vaccines, Belgium. He is a process systems engineer by education with a Diplom in Chemical Engineering from the RWTH-Aachen University and PhD in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Porto. Before joining GSK, Moritz worked as a Lecturer at Newcastle University, where his research focused on the development of novel hybrid modeling methods that combine process understanding with data knowledge as well as their application to enable more efficient process operation/design. More Information |
 | Walther JasonAssociate Director at Sanofi Framingham (USA)Jason Walther is an Associate Director in Biologics Development at Sanofi in Framingham, Massachusetts. He has spent time in both cell culture and purification departments, and has been involved in the creation of a high‑productivity integrated and continuous biomanufacturing (ICB) platform for protein therapeutics. Most recently, he has led the process development and tech transfer for the first molecule in Sanofi applied to this platform. Before working at Sanofi, Jason graduated in 2004 with a BS and MS from Stanford in Chemical Engineering and then received a PhD in 2010 from MIT in Chemical Engineering, where he constructed models and algorithms for nonstationary metabolic flux analysis. More Information |
 | Zinn ManfredProf. in Biotechnology, Groupleader of Biotechnology and Sustainable Chemistry (Switzerland)Prof. Manfred Zinn heads the research group Life and Bioresource Technologies at HES-SO Valais (Sion, Switzerland) and is mainly interested in microbial bioprocesses with prokaryotes and eukaryotes (yeasts and microalgae), as well as their optimization using PAT. One of his core competence is the bacterial biosynthesis of tailor-made polyhydroxyalkanoates for industrial and medical applications. He published 86 articles and is a specialty editor of Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology – Bioprocess Engineering. More Information |
