Eric Schmidt, George Church, Frances Arnold to Explore Frontiers of Tech and Biology at SynBioBeta 2019

Pioneers of tech and biology will take the stage at synthetic biology's premier industry event Oct. 1-3 in San Francisco, joining leading innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs

​​Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Chairman of Google, will take the stage at SynBioBeta 2019, the leading industry conference bringing together biological engineers, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to build a better world with biology. Mr. Schmidt will be joined by George Church, a groundbreaking researcher and leading voice in synthetic biology. The two will explore advances in biology and technology -- a field known as synthetic biology -- and how it can lead to human progress and a new bio-industrial revolution.

Eric Schmidt is one of the world’s most successful business leaders. As CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011, he is arguably one of the Internet’s most important people. Mr. Schmidt is also a well-known philanthropist, particularly in the areas of science and natural resources. In 2010 he co-founded Innovation Endeavors, an early-stage venture capital firm that believes recent advances in science and technology will create exponential rates of change and emergent ecosystems in a new world.

George Church is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Church is widely recognized for his innovative contributions to genomic science and his many pioneering contributions to chemistry and biomedicine. He developed the first direct genomic sequencing method and helped initiate the Human Genome Project, leading to a revolution in science and medicine whose impact is still being realized.

SynBioBeta will also recognize three individuals’ significant contributions to the synthetic biology field.

Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold of Caltech will be recognized as a Pioneer in Synthetic Biology for her groundbreaking work in engineering biology to evolve useful enzymes for a more sustainable planet.

Twist Biosciences CEO Emily Leproust and her company are being recognized for IPO of the Year, following a very successful public offering and performance this year.

Megan Palmer will be recognized by SynBioBeta for Biostrategy and Leadership for her ongoing work to explore emerging safety and security practices as biotechnology becomes mainstream.

Other speakers at the industry’s premier annual event include Space Station Commander Tim Kopra, synthetic biology legend Drew Endy, Daphne Koller of insitro, Senti Biosciences’ Timothy Lu, Oliver Morton of The Economist, Karin Strauss of Microsoft, and Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, Lenny Mendonca.

“Visionaries like Frances Arnold, Eric Schmidt, and George Church are the best people in the world to show us how to build a better world with biology,” said SynBioBeta founder and CEO John Cumbers. “Synthetic biology is ready to turn today’s industry on its head and revolutionize the way we do business. In the same way that every company today is in some way an Internet company, every company will one day be a biology company. With insights from the likes of these tech and bio-pioneers, SynBioBeta 2019 is the place to get ahead of the curve.”

This year’s conference will explore how engineered biology will disrupt consumer products, food, agriculture, medicine, chemicals, materials, and more. Talks and panels will examine how the future will be written in DNA, how synthetic biology can improve agriculture and re-balance the nitrogen cycle, what investment opportunities exist throughout the industry, and why all companies need to create a biostrategy to stay competitive in the coming bioeconomy.

About SynBioBeta. SynBioBeta is the leading community of innovators, investors, engineers, and thinkers who share a passion for using synthetic biology to build a better, more sustainable universe. We create and energize innovation communities to make the impossible possible via unparalleled opportunities for growth, networking, storytelling, and learning.

Through international synthetic biology conferences and events that bring the entire community together throughout the year, we give innovators the opportunity to meet with other bright minds building and shaping the bioeconomy. We showcase cutting-edge synthetic biology research and technologies that are transforming how we feed, fuel, heal, and build the world.

SynBioBeta offers a weekly industry digest, a podcast, a quarterly magazine (coming soon), and educational courses. We also provide our world-class partners with opportunities for advertising, partnership, trade show exhibition, strategic consultation, and promotion. For more information, visit www.synbiobeta.com.

Contact: Amanda Prieto (707) 344-8279 Amanda.Prieto@synbiobeta.com

Source: SynBioBeta