Guest Speakers
2026
Kato Sebunya Emmanuel
Founder | SynBio4All Africa
Sebunya Emmanuel Kato is the founder of SynBio4ALL Africa, a nonprofit non governmental organization dedicated to awakening the sleeping genius within Africa through capacity building in synthetic biology and other emerging technologies. Under his leadership, the organization has trained and inspired young scientists across the continent, launched community-driven biotech programs, and supported regional teams. His work focuses on making high-quality, hands-on biotech education accessible, empowering Africans to develop local solutions for health, food security, climate resilience and others. Kato envisions a continent where innovation thrives from within, communities solve their own problems, and Africa becomes a global leader in sustainable biotechnology.
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 I will present published and unpublished results of my selected research projects by discussing the potential and challenges of systems and synthetic biology to address global problems, including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. Alex Ditzel
Chairman and Founder of Gogec
Dr. Alex Ditzel is a synthetic biology researcher and the founder and chairman of the Gogec. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, where his work centers on synthetic bacteriophage engineering. Dr. Ditzel earned his Ph.D. from Rice University and is committed to building inclusive, globally accessible scientific communities.
Kshitij Raj
Synthetic Biology Researcher
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.
