Ferment - Annual Biotechnology Conference

PERFORMANCES  •  COCKTAILS  •  PANEL DISCUSSIONS  •  DEVELOPER TALKS  •  PRODUCT DEMOS  •  PERFORMANCES  •  COCKTAILS  •  PANEL DISCUSSIONS  •  DEVELOPER TALKS  •  PRODUCT DEMOS  •  
PERFORMANCES  •  COCKTAILS  •  PANEL DISCUSSIONS  •  DEVELOPER TALKS  •  PRODUCT DEMOS  •  PERFORMANCES  •  COCKTAILS  •  PANEL DISCUSSIONS  •  DEVELOPER TALKS  •  PRODUCT DEMOS  •  
audience photo from Ginkgo Ferment 2023 during talk titled "Catalyzing Innovation in Health and Medicine"
GINKGO BIOWORKS PRESENTS

Ferment 2024

Thursday April 11th, 2024 8am – 7pm ET

SoWa Power Station | Boston, MA

Register

Experience our platform

Join us for a day of talks, takes, demos, and data by the petabyte: Ginkgo style.

Hear from developers on the newest synthetic biology applications; learn the latest AI & ML developments in programming biology; see exclusive demos from our Foundry and Automation teams; and engage with industry leaders influencing the R&D renaissance. Experience the convening power of our ecosystem and cultivate new connections and collaborations that strengthen your industry.

photo of large, inflatable art installation at ferment 2023, attendees sit inside and chat
photo of abstract art installation at ferment 2023
photo of audience at Ginkgo Ferment 2023 conference
photo of light installation at ferment 2023 conference, the lights are designed to look like molecules
photo of 'revolution' exhibit at ferment synthetic biology conference

Calling all cell developers

Discover how our partners apply biology across industries

photo from inside endoplasmic reticulum-inspired art installation from Ginkgo Ferment 2023 conference
RUN OF SHOW

Agenda

Panels, Lightning Talks, and Platform Presentations

Time
Event
Speakers
Type
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
4:15 pm
World Building with Vesper
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Moderated by Christina Agapakis

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
8:00 am
Doors Open
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Check in, Breakfast, Networking

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
9:30 am
Welcome Keynote
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Chief Executive Officer of Ginkgo Bioworks

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
9:55 am
Data is Queen: Biopharma & AI
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Moderated by Anna Marie Wagner

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
10:15 am
Applications: Light Bio, ImaginDairy, Centrient, and Verb Biotics
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
To be announced

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
10:30 am
Break & Networking
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
11:00 am
Platform Presentation
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Biosecurity

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
11:15 am
Global Biosecurity
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
To be announced

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
11:30 am
Applications: Bayer Crop Science, Factorial Bio, Microba, OneOne Biosciences
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
12:00 pm
Lunch
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
1:30 pm
Platform Presentation
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
To be announced

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
1:40 pm
The State of Biopharma R&D
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
Challenges, Opportunities & Trends

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
2:10 pm
Applications: Allonnia X Greenlab, BioWeg, BiomEdit
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
To be announced

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
2:20 pm
Break & Networking
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
3:20 pm
To Be Announced
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
3:40 pm
Applications: AQUA Cultured Foods, Zymtronix, Vivici, Ayana Bio
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT
To be announced

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
4:45 pm
Closing Remarks
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
5:00 pm
Cocktail Party
No items found.
Keynote
PLATFORM PRESENTATION
PANEL
LIGHTNING TALKS
FIRESIDE CHAT

photo of presenter at Ginkgo Ferment 2023 conference. projected behind her is an illustration of earth from space
PROGRAM

Speakers

Aaron Schacht
Aaron Schacht
Chief Executive Officer of BiomEdit
Aaron Schacht
Chief Executive Officer of BiomEdit
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Aaron Schacht is the CEO of BiomEdit. Founded in 2022, BiomEdit is an emerging animal health biotechnology company that leverages a unique platform combining the leading science of the microbiome with synthetic biology to innovate novel animal health products to address challenges in livestock production and pet health. Aaron retired in 2021 from Elanco Animal Health where he led research and development (R&D), regulatory affairs and business development since 2015. While there, he led the strategic acquisition of Bayer Animal Health, Aratana Therapeutics and Kindred Biosciences and his R&D teams delivered more than a dozen new products to the market. Aaron was also a member of the founding executive team that completed the carve-out and IPO of Elanco from Eli Lilly and Company in 2018. Prior to his time at Elanco, Aaron spent the first 25 years of his career in the industry at Lilly, beginning as a discovery research chemist and playing a variety of roles across R&D, strategy, external innovation and product development. Aaron currently serves on the boards of Redux Bio, Gallant Therapeutics, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute and Agrinovus Indiana (Chairman Emeritus). In 2022, BiomEdit was recognized by S&P Global Animal Health as Best Start-up in Animal Health and Aaron as 2023’s Visionary CEO in its annual animal health industry awards. He received his bachelor's degree in chemical sciences from the University of Illinois. Aaron is married with 3 grown children, celebrating more than 30 years of marriage to his wife Pamela.

Alexis Perrin
Alexis Perrin
Producer of Vesper and the Co-Founder of Logical Pictures
Alexis Perrin
Producer of Vesper and the Co-Founder of Logical Pictures
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Alexis Perrin is the co-founder of Logical Pictures and President of the production company Rumble Fish, an international production studio that creates auteur genre films with a unique visual style and global appeal. Alexis was formerly an Executive Producer for VFX powerhouse BUF where he collaborated on iconic features such as The Grandmaster, Nymphomaniac, Life of Pi, Thor, The Lobster. Based in France, Alexis produced Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper’s sci-fi fairytale VESPER, in co-production with Lithuania and Belgium, which premiered at Karlovy Vary and was released in North America by IFC Films.

Benoit Hartmann
Benoit Hartmann
Head of Biologics R&D Senior Vice President, Bayer CropScience
Benoit Hartmann
Head of Biologics R&D Senior Vice President, Bayer CropScience
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As head of biologics research and development (R&D) for Bayer CropScience, Benoit Hartmann leads the company’s effort to identify and develop innovative biological solutions for global agriculture markets. He serves as a senior vice president and is a member of the global R&D leadership team at Bayer. His 25 years of experience with Bayer includes leading teams involved in the development and commercialization of fungicides and insecticides for horticulture and row crops, he most recently headed the company’s global fungicide research activities. Benoit excels in translating complex business problems into R&D strategies bringing together different partners across the innovation ecosystems, with a passion for new solutions helping to transform agriculture to become more sustainable. Benoit is the author of more than 60 publications and patents and has given 20 lectures at universities and international conferences. He earned a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Grenoble in France, did postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas in Austin, TX.

Bruno Samper
Bruno Samper
Director of Vesper and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Nedd
Bruno Samper
Director of Vesper and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Nedd
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Bruno Samper is an entrepreneur, writer, director, and creator of the award-winning feature film “Vesper” (2022). The science-fiction film premiered in the 56th Karlovy Vary IFF and received critical acclaim and a worldwide release. In addition to his film work, Bruno is the co-founder and CEO of Nedd - an Immersive marketing agency specializing in XR experiences. Based in Paris and Montpellier, France, Nedd is renowned for its innovations and successful projects. In 2018 Bruno created an award winning augmented reality experience “Enter the room” for the International Committee of Red Cross which was featured in numerous festivals, such as Siggraph. Currently, Bruno Samper is collaborating with production companies Natrix Natrix and Rumble Fish to develop a new science fiction feature “Crystal Island” which is planned to be a French - Lithuanian co-production.

Debora "Debbie" Marks, PhD
Debora "Debbie" Marks, PhD
Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School
Debora "Debbie" Marks, PhD
Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School
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Debora is a mathematician and computational biologist with a track record of using novel algorithms and statistics to successfully address unsolved biological problems. She has a passion for interpreting genetic variation in a way that impacts biomedical applications. During her PhD, she quantified the potential pan-genomic scope of microRNA targeting and combinatorial regulation of protein expression and co-discovered the first microRNA in a virus. As a postdoc she and her colleagues cracked the classic, unsolved problem of ab initio 3D structure prediction of proteins using a maximum entropy probability model for evolutionary sequences. She has developed this approach to determine functional interactions, biomolecular structures, including the 3D structure of RNA and RNA-protein complexes and the conformational ensembles of apparently disordered proteins. Her new lab at Harvard is interested in developing methods in deep learning to address a wide range of biological challenges including predicting the effects of genetic variation and sequence design for biosynthetic applications.

Eyal Afergan
Eyal Afergan
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ImaginDairy
Eyal Afergan
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ImaginDairy
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Eyal Afergan is Co-Founder and CEO of ImaginDairy, a food-tech startup that is trailblazing a new future for the dairy industry by producing sustainable, animal-free dairy proteins via precision fermentation. With extensive experience in executive roles for biotechnology companies like Enzymotec and Algatechnologies, Eyal brings his wide-ranging education to the forefront leading the helm at ImaginDairy. His specialities in nanoscale drug delivery systems development and scale-up management skills are supported by his Ph.D in Pharmaceutics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a BSc in Biochemical Engineering from Technion- Israel Institute of Technology.

Jason Kelly
Jason Kelly
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Ginkgo Bioworks
Jason Kelly
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Ginkgo Bioworks
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Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. Headquartered in Boston, Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. Ginkgo is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Jason chairs the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, which evaluates how advancements in emerging biotechnology will shape current and future activities of the Department of Defense. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering all from MIT.

Jen Wipf
Jen Wipf
Head of Commercial, Ginkgo Bioworks
Jen Wipf
Head of Commercial, Ginkgo Bioworks
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Jennifer oversees cell engineering business development activities and execution against the existing book of business, managing the intersection of commercial activity and technical progress. Her team is responsible for signing new commercial deals as well as managing relationships with existing customers, tracking progress against technical milestones, and ensuring projects are appropriately resourced. Prior to Ginkgo, Jennifer spent 13 years at Merck, where she was ultimately the Director of Strategy Realization for US Market Commercial Operations. Jennifer holds a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Arizona.

John Wells
John Wells
Chief Executive Officer of Factorial Biotechnologies
John Wells
Chief Executive Officer of Factorial Biotechnologies
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John is the CEO of Factorial Biotechnologies, which he founded in 2020. Prior to Factorial, John was Director of Bioinformatics and System Integration at Agilent Technologies. John joined Agilent as part of their acquisition of Lasergen, where he was an early employee. At Lasergen, John led software, hardware and strategic collaborations.

Julien Sylvestre, PhD
Julien Sylvestre, PhD
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, OneOne Biosciences
Julien Sylvestre, PhD
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, OneOne Biosciences
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Julien is a seasoned biotech executive with over 15 years of experience across various sectors within the industry. Motivated by the pressing need to build scalable solutions to address climate change and the global nitrogen crisis, he founded OneOne Biosciences in January 2022. OneOne, based in Paris, France and Norwich, UK, aims to provide farmers with innovative agricultural biologicals that benefit their soils, their crops and their bottom line. Prior to founding OneOne Biosciences, Julien contributed significantly to Esco Lifesciences Group, a global life science tools and medical devices manufacturer based in Singapore. As Director of Corporate Development, he played a key role in securing a $200 million Series A funding, leading M&A strategies and operations, transforming the company’s four business units and supporting itsIPO preparations. Julien also brought his expertise to an early-stage VC fund operating in Boston, Shanghai and Singapore, EVX Ventures, serving as a London, UK-based Senior Advisor and Venture Partner, Europe/UK. There, he focused on identifying investment and venture creation opportunities in fast-growing verticals such as cell and gene therapy bioprocessing automation and deep science such as single-molecule proteomics. His earlier entrepreneurial activity in France included founding PhotoFuel, a former cleantech company, and acting as Director, Innovation at ML State (a tech startup acquired by Wallix) and Director, Biorefinery Solutions at Biométhodes (an industrial biotech venture later merged with NC-based Arbiom). Julien authored 9 peer-reviewed publications and 15 patents. His academic background includes an engineering diploma from AgroParisTech and a postgraduate degree in Biomathematics; his doctoral work, conducted at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, followed by a PhD in physical chemistry from ESPCI in Paris, France, pioneered aspects of then-nascent droplet biology.

Karen Wilson
Karen Wilson
Co-Founder & CEO, Greenlab
Karen Wilson
Co-Founder & CEO, Greenlab
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Karen Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of GreenLab. GreenLab is a biotech startup on a mission to green industry with next-generation plant biotechnology. GreenLab’s biotech platform transforms a cornfield into the factory of the future, open today. Prior to GreenLab, Karen founded multiple start-ups and served in senior executive roles at Fortune 500 companies in the technology, media, and healthcare sectors. In the course of her work, she has generated over $300MM in strategic partnerships and alliances with companies such as Pearson Publishing and Compaq. As a start-up founder in Silicon Valley, she successfully raised $50M in private equity from seed financing through Series C.

Keith Wood, PhD
Keith Wood, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Light Bio
Keith Wood, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Light Bio
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Dr. Keith Wood is the CEO and co-founder of Light Bio, a company dedicated to enriching lives through the enchanting glow of bioluminescent plants. With a career spanning over four decades, Dr. Wood has been a leader in applying synthetic biology to the field of bioluminescence. Starting at UC San Diego, he identified the gene for firefly bioluminescence, which has become a fundamental tool of life science discovery. As Head of Research at Promega Corporation, he led development of diverse bioluminescent technologies for cell metabolism and drug action. Among his distinguished accomplishments are the NanoLuc technologies, which greatly increase light production in a more compact design.

Kristina Buožytė
Kristina Buožytė
Director of Vesper and Chief Executive Officer NATRIX NATRIX
Kristina Buožytė
Director of Vesper and Chief Executive Officer NATRIX NATRIX
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KKristina Buožytė is a Director and CEO of audiovisual company NATRIX NATRIX which develops elevated genre films and immersive experiences. In 2022, Natrix Natrix developed and produced Lithuanian- French-Belgium Sci-fi feature “Vesper”, a sci-fi drama that premiered in the 56th Karlovy Vary IFF and was released globally. Kristina is a creator of 3 award winning features – “Vanishing waves” and “Collectress”. The movies have since won around 30 prizes in international film festivals.

Marcus Schindler, PhD
Marcus Schindler, PhD
Executive Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer, Novo Nordisk
Marcus Schindler, PhD
Executive Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer, Novo Nordisk
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Marcus holds a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Cambridge (UK) and has nearly 25 years of experience in leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry. He has worked for international large pharma and biotechnology companies, including AstraZeneca (Sweden), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), and (OSI) Prosidion (UK and US). He has (co-)authored more than 50 peer-reviewed research papers and is the inventor of 25 international patent applications. Marcus is also an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). In 2018, Marcus joined Novo Nordisk as SVP for External Innovation & Strategy, and later became the lead of Global Drug Discovery. Since March 2021, he has led the Research and Early Development (R&ED) EVP area with accountability for driving scientific innovation, from idea generation to human proof-of-concept. In his current role, Marcus has transformed Novo Nordisk's drug discovery approach into a "human-centric" one across all therapy areas, from diabetes and obesity to newer areas such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and metabolic dysfunction- associated steatohepatitis (MASH). He has expanded the portfolio's focus on new modes of action and novel treatment modalities, including cell therapy and RNAi. Marcus places a strong emphasis on external innovation through collaborations and licensing deals. He has led the establishment of novel organizational set-ups that enable innovation, such as Transformational Research Units (TRUs), including the Cell Therapy R&D and the BioInnovation Hub in Boston. He has also initiated a set of initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion as an essential part of early research.

Matt McKnight
Matt McKnight
General Manager of Biosecurity, Ginkgo Bioworks
Matt McKnight
General Manager of Biosecurity, Ginkgo Bioworks
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Matt leads Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE:DNA). Biosecurity is Ginkgo's business unit focused on national security and global pandemic response. Prior to building the Biosecurity business, Matt spent 4 years as Ginkgo’s Chief Commercial Officer and 7 years as an investor at IndUS Growth Partners where he was also the President and COO of Decision Resources Group. Matt has worked supporting business development at Palantir Technologies and is an active venture investor. Early in his career, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Matt completed a degree in History at Dartmouth College and is a graduate of the joint degree program at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he was a Zuckerman Fellow.

Molly Gibson
Molly Gibson
Origination Partner, Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Generate Biomedicines
Molly Gibson
Origination Partner, Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Generate Biomedicines
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Molly is an Origination Partner at Flagship Pioneering, working as part of a venture-creation team to found and grow companies at the intersection of biology and machine learning. Molly serves as co-founder & chief strategy and chief innovation officer of Generate:Biomedicines, a Flagship Pioneering company, where she has served many roles from R&D to corporate strategy, platform and data strategy, and launching an innovation group, called G:Labs that explores novel applications of The Generate Platform. Through her role in Flagship Labs, Molly has contributed to the launch and growth of Tessera Therapeutics and Cobalt Biomedicines, which was merged into Sana Biotechnology. Molly’s work has resulted in multiple pending patents and publications, including articles in Science and Nature. Molly was honored in 2020 in Endpoints News' 20 under 40 list in biopharma and in 2021 in Business Insiders’ list of 12 young serial entrepreneurs building the next generation of biotech startups. Molly received a PhD in computational and systems biology from Washington University in Saint Louis in the Center for Genome Sciences, with the support of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. At Washington University, Molly collaborated with St. Louis Children's Hospital to study the effects of early life interventions on development of the preterm infant gut microbiome and health outcomes.

Nicole Richards
Nicole Richards
Chief Executive Officer, Allonnia
Nicole Richards
Chief Executive Officer, Allonnia
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Nicole is the CEO of Allonnia, the bio-ingenuity company dedicated to extracting value where others see waste. She has over 28 years of industry experience leading business strategy, sales and marketing initiatives within water treatment, mining and industry chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and more. Formally head of Strategy, Growth and M&A at DuPont Water Solutions and Global Director at Solvay, Nicole has deep industry knowledge and experience with companies tackling critical industrial and environmental issues. She believes that biotechnology will revolutionize the way we can leverage waste as a resource.

Prateek Mahalwar
Prateek Mahalwar
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BIOWEG
Prateek Mahalwar
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BIOWEG
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Prateek serves as the Founder and CEO of BIOWEG, a pioneering company dedicated to providing the personal care and agriculture industries with ingredients free from fossil fuels, leveraging zero-waste circular methodologies, advanced fermentation techniques, innovative formulations, and the principles of green chemistry. Before establishing BIOWEG, Prateek's professional journey included a significant period in strategy consulting at EY-Parthenon. His scholarly pursuits reached a zenith with a Ph.D. from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, under the tutelage of Nobel laureate Prof. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.

Professor Trent Munro
Professor Trent Munro
Senior VP of Therapeutics, Microba
Professor Trent Munro
Senior VP of Therapeutics, Microba
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Professor Munro has over 25 years’ research and development experience, including at Amgen where he held executive roles focussed on the translation of molecules from research, through clinical trials, regulatory approval, and global licensure. This portfolio included a diverse range of programs spanning novel biologics, small molecules, nucleic acid-based, cell-based and gene-based therapies. As Senior Vice President of Therapeutics at Microba Life Sciences, Professor Munro leads the Company’s therapeutic strategy to progress its drug development programs and pharma partnering engagements. Professor Munro completed postdoctoral studies in cell biology and developmental genetics at Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge and has a PhD in Protein Biochemistry from the University of Queensland.

Stefan K. Baier, PhD
Stefan K. Baier, PhD
Chief Science Officer, Aqua Cultured Foods, Inc.
Stefan K. Baier, PhD
Chief Science Officer, Aqua Cultured Foods, Inc.
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Dr. Stefan K. Baier, Dipl. -Ing., FRSC serves as the CSO of Aqua Cultured Foods, Inc. and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, School of Chemical Engineering, in Brisbane, Australia. Stefan is a member of the Journal of Texture Studies editorial board, member of the scientific advisory board for Food Oral Processing and an associate editor with Frontiers | Food and Soft Materials. Stefan received his undergraduate degree in Food Engineering & Technology from the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität in Bonn, Germany and his Ph.D. in Food Science from UMass Amherst. Formerly the Head of Food Science & Technology for the Bühler Group AG, Senior Director of Food Science at Motif FoodWorks, R&D Fellow with PepsiCo and a Senior Scientist at Cargill, Stefan has over 21 years in the Food Industry.

Stephan van Sint Fiet
Stephan van Sint Fiet
Chief Executive Officer, Vivici
Stephan van Sint Fiet
Chief Executive Officer, Vivici
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Stephan joined Vivici as CEO in March 2023, bringing 20 years of experience in the biotech industry to the role. Prior to that he led the Dairy Cultures & Food Enzymes business unit at IFF, building on the experience gained in the food enzymes business at Novozymes. Stephan has worked in and helped scale two start-ups: Evolva, a company producing high-value natural products through fermentation, and Biognosys, an advanced protein analytics company. Stephan is a senior strategic leader passionate about building organizations that innovate with purpose, whether they are start-ups or large market leaders. In his tenure in the biotechnology and food industry Stephan has gained experience across sales, marketing, business development, R&D and business unit leadership. Stephan holds a Master in Protein Engineering and PhD in Biotechnology from the ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and an MBA from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

Stéphane Corgié
Stéphane Corgié
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Zymtronix
Stéphane Corgié
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Zymtronix
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Stephane has over 20 years of academic and corporate R&D experience of environmental and industrial biotechs. During his PhD, he developed new molecular tools to optimize plant-microbe interactions applied to the biodegradation of recalcitrant pollutants like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). For his postdoctoral work in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, he developed new tools and systems ranging from the control of single molecules to industrial processes. As Founder and CEO of Zymtronix he has created the company’s core technology, directed the company’s product development, and fostered investor and corporate partnerships.

Todd Beckman
Todd Beckman
Chief Executive Officer, Verb Biotics
Todd Beckman
Chief Executive Officer, Verb Biotics
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Todd Beckman leads the Verb Biotics vision and team to apply biotechnology, advanced science, and intentional development to deliver microbiome health ingredients that advance human health. He has over 30 years’ experience leading food technology and industry-disruptive consumer product brands. At Verb, his mission is to deliver function-first microbiome health solutions where consumers can truly say “I feel the effect;” moving microbiome science from labs to lives. Prior to Verb Biotics, Todd was the Co-Founder and President, COO, CEO at the well-loved probiotic drink brand, GoodBelly. In this role, he headed brand innovation, sales, and supply chain operations. Prior to launching GoodBelly, he was an integral part of the success at White Wave, where he was a key executive on the scaling of Silk Soymilk products prior to the acquisition by Dean Foods. After the acquisition, Todd was responsible for strategic planning and integration of the White Wave, Horizon Organic and Dean National brands.

Weslee Glenn, PhD
Weslee Glenn, PhD
Vice President of Innovation at Ayana Bio
Weslee Glenn, PhD
Vice President of Innovation at Ayana Bio
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Dr. Weslee Glenn has spent his career studying plants–how they make molecules we co-opt as medicines, how they respond to stress, and how they can be protected from insects. To date, he has co-authored several patent applications and scientific publications, including work that Plant Physiology designated as a “Breakthrough Technology.” As Vice President of Innovation at Ayana Bio, Wes designs cellular technology to produce plant bioactives. His goal is to develop modern clean methods that harness nature’s nutrients and conserve the environment. Prior to joining Ayana Bio, Wes was the Director of Metabolic Engineering at Provivi, where he led a team of strain engineers and bioinformatics scientists to develop natural pest control molecules. There, he also volunteered with several service groups, including the Environmental Advisory Commission for the City of Pasadena, California. Wes earned his Ph.D. from MIT and was supported by a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. Following his doctoral studies in chemistry, Wes ventured to Caltech’s chemical engineering department where he conducted independent research as a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and a UNCF/Merck Postdoctoral Fellow.

4:15 pm
World Building with Vesper
8:00 am
Doors Open
9:30 am
Welcome Keynote
9:55 am
Data is Queen: Biopharma & AI
10:15 am
Applications: Light Bio, ImaginDairy, Centrient, and Verb Biotics
10:30 am
Break & Networking
11:00 am
Platform Presentation
11:15 am
Global Biosecurity
11:30 am
Applications: Bayer Crop Science, Factorial Bio, Microba, OneOne Biosciences
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm
Platform Presentation
1:40 pm
The State of Biopharma R&D
2:10 pm
Applications: Allonnia X Greenlab, BioWeg, BiomEdit
2:20 pm
Break & Networking
3:20 pm
To Be Announced
3:40 pm
Applications: AQUA Cultured Foods, Zymtronix, Vivici, Ayana Bio
4:45 pm
Closing Remarks
5:00 pm
Cocktail Party
TRAVELING TO BOSTON?

Hotel Blocks

We’ve reserved room blocks within walking distance of SoWa Power Station for 4/10 and 4/11.

Cambria Hotel Boston

Booking cutoff: March 11th

Booking link
AC Hotel Boston Downtown

Booking cutoff: March 11th

Booking link
WHAT IS FERMENT LIKE?

Highlight Reel

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photo of audience at Ginkgo Ferment 2023 conference
FERMENT OVER THE YEARS

Access Past Years’ Recordings

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FAQ

Who attends Ferment?

Ferment brings together the entire synthetic biology ecosystem: Ginkgo's community of customers, investors, academics, industry leaders, media, policymakers, Bioworkers, artists and more.

How do I register for Ferment?

We're thrilled you'd like to join us! Ferment is a free (and popular) event so to ensure the best experience for all participants, we have to limit access to registration. If you're already a part of our ecosystem, please look out for an invite soon.

However, if you're new to Ginkgo or Ferment, don't worry! We're excited to welcome newcomers and will be releasing public registration for the event in early 2024. In the meantime, feel free to stay connected with us through Ginkgo's newsletter and social media to get the latest updates and news about the conference.

I can’t make it. Will there be a livestream?

Yes! More details to come.

What are Ferment's accessibility offerings?

Ferment will be held at SoWa Power Station, built to code in 2021, under historic building guidelines of the city. 

Accessibility: The venue has grounded (non-raised) curbs and an accessible elevator.

Lactation Room: There will be a clean, private and comfortable space for lactation at Ferment. Guests should bring their own parts and equipment to pump, and refrigeration will be available.

Dietary Accommodations: Catering throughout the day will include vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options.

If there are any specific questions regarding inclusive event notes please get in touch via Ferment@ginkgobioworks.com.

I have more questions!

Please get in touch via Ferment@ginkgobioworks.com.