BIO Announces Plenary Sessions at the 2018 World Congress in July

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today released the list of speakers for plenary programs at the 2018 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. The programs will feature executives and experts from the biofuels, biobased products, and agricultural industries who will discuss technologies revolutionizing industrial biotechnology, the evolution of biobased consumer products and the future of the biobased economy. The world’s largest conference on industrial biotechnology and partnering event will be held July 16-19, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental at BIO, stated, “The plenary sessions at the 2018 BIO World Congress will focus largely on the new innovations that are transforming industrial biotechnology. From advanced biofuels to biobased materials to gene editing, each plenary program will include unique perspectives from experts on how innovation has grown, and will continue to strengthen, the biobased economy.”

The plenary program will kick-off Tuesday, July 17, with welcome remarks from the Honorable James Greenwood, President and Chief Executive Officer, BIO. Plenary sessions at the 2018 BIO World Congress include:

CRISPR and Gene Editing Tools to Advance Industrial Biotechnology
Tuesday, July 17, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Moderator: Roger Wyse, PhD, Managing Partner, Spruce Capital Partners
Speakers:

  • Doane Chilcoat, PhD Director, Applied Science & Technology, Corteva Agriscience™, agriculture division of DowDuPont™
  • Stephen Herrera, Vice President, Strategy and Public Affairs, Evolva
  • John Melo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Amyris, Inc.
  • Sylvia Rowe, President, SR Strategy, LLC

Biobased Materials Redesigning Consumer Markets and Fashion Trends
Sponsored by DuPont Biomaterials
Wednesday, July 18, 8:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Moderator: Jim Lane, Editor and Publisher, The Digest
Speakers:

  • Kimberly Falkenhayn, President, Okabashi Brands
  • Jens Klein, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, AMSilk
  • Christophe Schilling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Genomatica, Inc.

Industrial Biotech Thought Leaders: Winners of the George Washington Carver and Rosalind Franklin Awards
Sponsored by Intrexon Corporation
Wednesday, July 18, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Moderator: Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental, BIO
Speakers:

  • Vonnie Estes, Consultant, Estes Consulting (2017 Rosalind Franklin Award recipient)
  • Patrick Gruber, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Gevo, Inc. (2008 George Washington Carver Award recipient)
  • Krysta Harden, Vice President, External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, Corteva Agriscience™, agriculture division of DowDuPont™ (2018 Rosalind Franklin Award recipient)
  • Sang Yup Lee, PhD, Distinguished Professor and Dean, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2018 George Washington Carver Award recipient)

Industrial Biotechnology Innovation for Feedstock Production Applications
Co-sponsored by DSM
Thursday, July 19, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Moderator: Paul Zorner, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Locus Agricultural Solutions
Speakers:

  • Richard Broglie, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Pivot Bio
  • Matt McKnight, Chief Commercial Officer, Ginkgo Bioworks
  • Jenny Rooke, PhD, Founder and Managing Director, Genoa Ventures
  • Shawn Semones, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Concentric

For more information about Plenary Sessions at the 2018 BIO World Congress, please visit https://www.bio.org/events/2018-plenary-program

All programs and sessions at the 2018 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology are open to members of the media. Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.

For more information on the conference, please visit https://www.bio.org/worldcongress. For assistance, please contact worldcongress@bio.org.

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

Upcoming BIO Events

 

BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology
July 16-19, 2018
Philadelphia, PA

 

   

BIO Latin America Conference
September 4-5, 2018
Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

BIO Investor Forum
October 17-18, 2018
San Francisco

 

   

BIO Patient and Health Advocacy Summit
October 25-26, 2018
Washington, DC