Name:
LIVE at SynBio - May 25, 2023
Description:
LIVE at SynBio - May 25, 2023
Thumbnail URL:
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Duration:
T00H08M27S
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Upload Date:
2023-10-19T00:00:00.0000000
Transcript:
Language: EN.
Segment:0 .
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KEVIN DAVIES: As we've done a few times earlier this year, we are catching up with GEN's Deputy Editor, Julianna Lemieux, on the road this time this week at SynBioBeta, the conference in Oakland, California. I'm Kevin Davies with GEN. Julianna, great to see you. How are things going?
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Hi, Kevin. Great to see you, too. Yep, I'm here in Oakland at SynBioBeta. And it's day three. Actually, we're almost done, but it's been a great conference so far. And yeah, just looking forward to wrapping it up and coming home.
KEVIN DAVIES: I know SynBioBeta is one of your favorite conferences from before pandemic times. It had a bit of a blip last year, as it's been fairly well documented. There was a change in management. COVID didn't help, of course, but John Cumbers, the founding executive director, is back in control. And it sounds like things are-- normal service has been resumed, I guess.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Absolutely, Kevin. I mean, you said it. SynBioBeta is back. It's back in full swing. It is bigger in every way this year and just really been terrific. There's many more people here, I think, than in years past. At least, it seems like it. I'm in-- sitting in a networking area right now, which is just like buzzing with all of these little tables full of people just meeting each other and networking.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: It's one of the best parts of SynBioBeta. There's been more talks, more panels, more companies on the sponsor floor, the expo floor. So just like-- it's just a-- yeah, just very busy.
KEVIN DAVIES: All right. Well, we've got a few minutes with you. So what are some of the big highlights that you will be taking home back to the East Coast with You
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Yeah, I mean, I think that one thing that struck me as pretty different this year is the focus at the meeting and the content of the meeting on human health and the role that SynBio is playing in drug development and other aspects of human health. I would say in years past, it's been here but not with the same emphasis. So right out of the gate, first thing on the first-- the first panels, ARPA-H was introduced and that's a new government funding structure for like big moonshots in human health.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: And SynBio's a really critical piece of that component of that, also a big panel on human health. And then also my own one, I did two panels here at SynBioBeta, but one of them was also focused on really getting into the nuts and bolts of how some of these SynBio tools can make a difference. bit.bio is on that panel and talking about their cells, also DNA writing techniques for gene therapy. And Ginkgo Bioworks was also on that panel.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: So I would say that that has been something, and I guess the other thing that's been really-- there's been a lot of attention on, at least from my perspective this year, is the DNA writing space.
KEVIN DAVIES: Yeah.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: So there's like been the traditional historic way to write DNA in the phosphoramidite chemistry, but now there's a ton of new enzymatic synthesis companies coming up and other companies that are not even falling under each of those categories. So there's a lot of DNA writing companies here, a lot of talks on DNA writing. And I just was in one earlier on the biosecurity aspect of writing DNA and what that's going to mean and how we need to think about all these aspects of growth.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: So that's another big, big thing going on here.
KEVIN DAVIES: So does it feel different from previous years? Does it feel like the field is maturing or expanding and pushing into new areas that perhaps weren't much discussed in previous years?
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: I would say a lot-- well, I think a lot of the areas are the same. I mean, there's still-- I know we just talked about those, too, but there's still a lot of talks and information going on around SynBio and food- making food, climate change, fashion, personal care products, and changing all those things. But one thing that's the same is the enthusiasm and the energy here. I mean, there's really the energy that we all go home with to just use SynBio to-- and really, as everybody says, use biology to make things more sustainable in our world and to change the world for the better is just like very palpable here.
KEVIN DAVIES: Yeah, do you have a favorite-- did you have a favorite talk or favorite panel that you participated in or attended?
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Well, I mean, I love all of the ones that get-- kind of dig into the science. But one that I really liked-- so if you don't know John Cumbers who runs SynBio Beta and worked at NASA for many years and has a real deep affection for space travel and that world-- and so, there's actually three astronauts here at SynBioBeta, and they had a panel.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: I think it was last night or the night before. I can't remember. And oh my gosh, just talking about both using not just science in general, but SynBio, in particular, the neutrals coming up in SynBio on Earth to improve what's going on for astronauts in space, but also doing research in space to improve things here on Earth. It pretty much blew my mind.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: And I really, really enjoyed that one, yeah.
KEVIN DAVIES: I understand there are some celebrity sightings as well.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Yeah, yeah, of course. So-- well, last night, Tom Middleditch was on a-- had a fireside chat with Seth Bannon and actually. And--
KEVIN DAVIES: And who is Tom Middleditch, for those who--
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Yeah, he's in a show called Silicon Valley. But both Seth and Tom are really interested in promoting and investing SynBio, especially in like the climate change space and things like that. So they had a really very fun-- Tom's like very funny, and so it was a very fun, great light conversation. So yeah, that was really fun.
KEVIN DAVIES: So I'm sure you're already looking forward to next year's conference. What are some of the big themes? Or what are your hopes for next year? And if you were given the option to moderate another session, what would you like that to be on?
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Oh, yeah. Well, so John has mentioned a couple of things about next year. I think keeping a couple close to his chest, but it's going to be in San Jose. So that's a change from the last two years in Oakland.
KEVIN DAVIES: Yeah.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: It's going to be in a much bigger venue. So I think he's planning-- I think he has really big plans for it. He was talking about how they're going to have an AI pavilion. So I think he'll have different things like that. I should also mention that another panel that I hosted was with the founder of a company called Opentrons. And they make like automation robots, and so that's been another big theme this year that I didn't really mention.
KEVIN DAVIES: Yeah. Yeah.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: What would my-- if I could pick a panel next year--
KEVIN DAVIES: Why not? I'm sure he's watching.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: Oh wow, that's-- I mean, you know me. Anything, I guess. It's all so cool. It's I-- yeah, I could, and it's-- I like talking about the things that I know things about because I've learned about them and written about them. I also like-- with the Opentrons, I like learning the new things, too.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: So--
KEVIN DAVIES: But it's really great that you're not only reporting on the-- such an exciting conference for GEN. But you have a good relationship with the organizers, and you're able to feature on the stage and bring your flair to the program as well, which I'm sure they appreciate. So Julianna, safe travels. Thanks so much for reporting, and we'll catch you on the road next time.
JULIANNA LEMIEUX: OK, see you soon, Kevin. Thanks.
KEVIN DAVIES: Bye-bye. [MUSIC PLAYING]
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