Important Notice: Given the close proximity to the conference start date, hotel availability is likely to become very limited over the coming weeks. We are still currently able to accept registrations; however, this may change, so we would encourage prompt registration and payment to secure your accommodation. Once registration has been completed, please allow us up to 3 working days to confirm your hotel reservation with you. If there are any issues in accommodating, we will reach out promptly to discuss alternative options. A reminder: your hotel reservation is not secured until payment has been received in full.

Natural products have the potential to solve global challenges in medicine, agriculture, energy and materials. We have only characterized and harnessed a fraction of this potential, and genome sequencing has revealed an enormous untapped biosynthetic capacity. Synthetic biology tools are being applied to translate this encoded diversity of biosynthetic pathways into their respective compounds; many of which are novel. AI is beginning to be applied to novel prediction and innovative design of natural products. The Synthetic Biology of Natural Products conference will integrate these disciplines with the goal of generating new platforms, tools, and technologies to capture, manipulate and engineer natural product genes and pathways. Converting this vast untapped genomic diversity into novel chemical leads for biomedical, bioproduct and agricultural applications will require breakthroughs in design, scale and biologics that currently limit the field.

"The conference was very valuable. It was small enough to allow in-depth discussions while still being large enough to provide opportunities to network with international participants. One networking interaction led to an international collaboration with another laboratory, enabling knowledge sharing, a research exchange, and the development of a joint project. Additionally, following my presentation, I received two informal job offers, which was particularly encouraging as I was nearing the end of my PhD". Scarlet Ferrinho

Key Sessions

• (Meta)Genomics-Enabled Natural Product Discovery
• Artificial Intelligence Tools and Approaches for Natural Products
• Synthetic Biology to Access and Optimize Natural Products
• Novel Chemistry and Enzymology of Natural Products and their Analogues
• Scaling up Natural Products Development
• Bringing Natural Products to the Market

Keynote Speaker

Jay Keasling (University of Berkley, California)
REWRITING PLANT CHEMISTRY IN YEAST: SECURING THE SUPPLY OF LIFE-SAVING MEDICINES
Mo Seyedsayamdost (Princeton University)
DISCOVERY AND BIOSYNTHESIS OF SELENIUM-CONTAINING NATURAL PRODUCTS

Invited Speakers

Constance Bailey (University of Sydney)
APPLICATIONS OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TO PRODUCE PEPTIDE NATURAL PRODUCTS
Leah Bushin (Standford University)
GROWTH-COUPLED MICROBIAL BIOSYNTHESIS OF THE ANIMAL PIGMENT XANTHOMMATIN
Ken Clevenger (Corteva Agriscience)
FROM OMICS TO GROWERS: NATURAL PRODUCT DISCOVERY FOR CROP PROTECTION
Mehdi Davari (Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry)
MACHINE LEARNING GUIDED ENZYME MINING AND ENGINEERING FOR NEXT-GENERATION BIOCATALYSIS
Katherine Duncan (Newcastle University)
BIODISCOVERY FROM EXTREME ECOSYSTEMS 
Nancy Keller (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
SMALL MOLECULES, BIG MYSTERIES: ISOCYANIDES IN FUNGI
Joleen Masschelein (KU Leuven)
BACTERIA AS TUNABLE DRUG PRODUCTION FACTORIES
Conor McClune (Stanford University)
ELUCIDATING AND ENGINEERING THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF THE CANCER DRUG TAXOL
Doug Mitchell (Vanderbilt University)
ANTI-CANCER LASSO PEPTIDES
Elizabeth Parkinson (Purdue University)
UTILIZING BIOCATALYSIS AND SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY TO ACCESS NEW NATURAL PRODUCTS
Jeffrey Rudolf (University of Florida)
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY OF BACTERIAL TERPENOIDS: NOVEL SKELETONS, NEW NATURAL PRODUCTS
Yi Tang (UCLA)
NEW ENZYMOLOGY IN FUNGAL NATURAL PRODUCT BIOSYNTHESIS
Wilfred Van Der Donk (University of Illinois)
BIOSYNTHESIS AND ENGINEERING OF MACROCYCLIC PEPTIDES
Justin Van Der Hooft (Wageningen University)
CONNECTING THE DOTS IN OMICS-BASED NATURAL PRODUCTS DISCOVERY: TOWARDS EFFECTIVE SHARING, ANNOTATING, AND ANALYZING OF PAIRED GENOMICS AND METABOLOMICS DATASETS
Tilmann Weber (Danish Technical University)
OMICS AND CRISPR TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE DISCOVERY OF NOVEL BIOACTIVES
Nadine Ziemert (University of Tübingen)
ENGINEERING NATURAL PRODUCTS FROM METAGENOMES, FROM PROSPECTING TO PRODUCTION

Target Audience

Synthetic biology researchers and companies looking to learn the latest engineering and synthetic biology technologies for natural product discovery and development. Topics discussed during the conference will span the experimental spectrum from molecular biology, microbiology, chemistry, metabolic engineering, advanced computation, drug discovery, biocontrol and pharmacology; from discovery to commercial development.

Educational Need

A new generation of tools and technologies is needed to convert the vast biodiversity found in natural product pathways into bioactive compounds and treatments. The Synthetic Biology of Natural Products conference will bring together a broad spectrum of researchers from academia, government and industry interested in learning about the latest developments in this new field.