Guest Speakers
2025
Kato Sebunya Emmanuel
Founder | SynBio4All Africa
SynBio4ALL Africa is a non for profit organization, founded in 2022 with an aim of promoting and improving research and literacy in synthetic biology and other emerging technologies across the African continent. Currently we are in over 30 African countries and we have successfully conducted 2 synthetic biology courses in beginners and intermediate of synthetic biology with over 300 students finalizing and receiving our certificates and over 700 enrolled students from all over Africa.
We are also venturing in engaging and collaborating with academic institutions and government agencies across Africa and we are also engaging policy makers to draft policies which will favor development of synthetic biology innovations in the continent and attract investors to improve the African bioeconomy. You can collaborate with us by contacting us via email synbioforall@gmail.com or our social media LinkedIn: SynBio4ALL Africa, X: @synbio4allA and YouTube. See more of what we do on our website: https://synbio4all.wixsite.com/synbio4all.
We are looking for potential collaborators and sponsors for our work and plans we have. If interested in promoting synthetic biology in Africa and doing research on the continent we are open for collaborations.
Dr. Tae Seok Moon
Full Professor | J. Craig Venter Institute
SynBYSS Chair, EBRC Council Member & Moonshot Bio Founder
Editor-in-Chief of New Biotechnology (Elsevier)
Executive Editor of Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (Elsevier)
The past decade has witnessed the tremendous power of systems and synthetic biology in the creation of genetic parts, devices, and systems, which helps understand complex biological systems. However, its potential for real-world applications has not been fully exploited. One of its promising applications is the construction of programmable cells that integrate multiple environmental signals and implement synthetic control over biological processes. My research interests are focused on developing microbes and microbiota that can process multiple input signals and generate user-defined outputs. Specifically, I aim to build genetic programs to control various bacterial processes such as gene expression, chemical reactions, and evolution. I will present published and unpublished results of my selected research projects by discussing the potential and challenges of systems and synthetic biology to address global problems, including plastic and agricultural waste issues, non-invasive diagnostics and disease treatment using smart probiotics and microbiota engineering, sustainable bioproduction, and biocontainment of genetically engineered microbes.
Dr. Fayaz SM
Associate Professor | Department of Biotechnology at Manipal Institute of Technology
He received a B.Tech. In Biotechnology, M.Tech. in Bioinformatics and Ph.D. in Computational biology. His lab focuses on understanding the various disease-causing mechanisms and targeting them through systems biology and synthetic biology approaches.
Dr. Jenny Molloy
Senior Research Associate |
Cambridge University
Dr. Jenny Molloy is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge and Group Leader at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB, Trieste, Italy), where she develops open technologies for engineering biology. Her research focuses on the potential for local, distributed biomanufacturing of enzymes to enhance access to diagnostics and build capacity for biological research in the global South. Dr. Molloy co-founded four social enterprises and communities, collaborating with partners in Africa, Latin America, and other regions to promote an open, sustainable, and equitable global bioeconomy.
Dr. Josh Atkinson
Assistant Professor of Civil and
Environmental Engineering |
Princeton University
Dr. Atkinson's research aims to use approaches from synthetic biology, protein engineering, biophysics and electrochemistry to understand and control how microbes and proteins transport electrons. The Atkinson Lab seeks to elucidate the critical role electron transport plays in energy and information processing in cells and microbial communities and to use this knowledge to engineer new biotechnologies that address societal challenges in environmental monitoring & remediation and resource recovery & extraction. Areas of current emphasis are the development and application of design rules for (i) how microorganisms use proteins to regulate electron transfer in metabolic networks, (ii) how electron flows shape the structure of microbial communities that impact geochemical cycles, and (iii) how living electronic materials can be built that couple the information processing and catalytic capabilities of biology with electrochemical devices.
Dr. Mario Escobar
After a heart attack, the heart loses energy, which results in the heart function being reduced and eventually leading to heart failure. This happens because there's a decrease in the number and function of energy-producing structures in the cells called mitochondria. Dr. Escobar's research focuses on the creation of genetic tools that allow scientists to control the number and function of mitochondria. Through his research, he expects to develop new methods to control the energy levels in the heart and ultimately create therapies to help patients with heart failure.
Assistant Research Professor
Bioengineering | Rice University
Surgery | Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Li Chieh Lu
Assistant Professor of Microbiology |
Gordon College
Li Chieh is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Gordon College and a co-founder of the Global Open Genetic Engineering Competition (Gogec). Li Chieh pursued an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of Oxford. Subsequently. Li Chieh completed his Ph.D. at Rice University where he applied synthetic biology to soil microbes to create novel microbial biosensors. He has taught a variety of classes about molecular biology and microbiology and is constantly exploring ways to better communicate synthetic biology to undergraduate-level students.