2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting

The 2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with Experimental Biology, will take place in person April 2–5 in Philadelphia.

About EB
The Experimental Biology conference — hosted by five scientific societies supporting studies in biochemistry and molecular biology, anatomy, pharmacology, physiology and pathology — attracts thousands of researchers and exhibitors.

Starting in 2023, the five societies will be parting ways. So don’t miss this last chance to converse and forge collaborations with scientists from multiple disciplines with shared research interests.

For more information and to register, click here.

Climate and Sustainability Roadmap Virtual Writing Workshop 10

Wednesday, April 6th, 2022
12:00pm-3:00pm ET | 9:00am-12:00pm PT

Register here
Registration closes April 4th, 2021

Agenda: Coming Soon!

This virtual workshop will focus on filling in technical gaps and move us closer to completing the technical content of the Roadmap. Participants will review the identified technical gaps and fill in those gaps by drafting technical milestones, bottlenecks, and potential solutions.

This is anticipated to be the last technical writing workshop for the EBRC Climate & Sustainability Roadmap before we start the review and revision phase of the roadmapping process.

This workshop is open to participation from all stakeholders.

For more information about the roadmap or workshop, please contact Sifang Chen (schen@ebrc.org)

Keith Yamamoto

Dr. Keith R. Yamamoto is vice chancellor for science policy and strategy, director of precision medicine, and professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at UCSF. After earning his PhD from Princeton University, Yamamoto joined the UCSF faculty in 1976. His research has focused on signaling and transcriptional regulation by nuclear receptors; he uses mechanistic and systems approaches to pursue these problems in pure molecules, cells and whole organisms. He has led or served on numerous national committees focused on public and scientific policy, public understanding and support of biological research, science education, and diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism; he currently chairs the Coalition for the Life Sciences, co-chairs the NASEM Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Science, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Public Library of Science, the Board of Directors of Rapid Science, the Governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Board of Counselors for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, and the Advisory Board for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has chaired or served on many committees that oversee training and the biomedical workforce, research funding, and the process of peer review and the policies that govern it at NIH. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Academy of Microbiology, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Nathan Crook

Jeff Nivala

I’m Jeff Nivala, a Research Assistant Professor in the Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. I work closely with other faculty and students as part of the Molecular Information Systems Lab. My scientific interests are focused on technology development with molecular and synthetic biology. My post-doctoral work was performed in George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School. I was a graduate student fellow of the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) as a PhD student in the UCSC Nanopore Group with Mark Akeson, and a Washington Research Foundation Fellow in David Baker’s lab during my undergraduate work.

Climate and Sustainability Roadmap In-person Workshop

This workshop is by invitation only, with a limited number of attendants. The workshop will focus on reviewing and revising our technical research roadmap to advance engineering biology tools and technologies that respond to the urgency of the climate crisis and promote long-term sustainability.

Register here
April 11th, 2022: Registration closes; Deadline for hotel and travel arrangements by EBRC

Agenda Outline
Detailed Agenda Coming Soon!

Workshop Objectives
Review Technical Themes, Research Goals, and Milestones collectively and holistically to identify gaps and summarize the priorities, potential impacts, and the messages they portray.
Participants will work independently and in small groups to review, revise, and complete the content of the technical roadmap.
Identify Milestones in need of further discussion and revise identified Milestones based on the discussions.
Group review and discussion of case studies on Social and Non-Technical Considerations.

Travel Support and Meeting Hotel:
We anticipate covering travel expenses for academics, including students and postdocs. Please see EBRC’s full travel policy here.

We will be reserving a block of rooms at DoubleTree Hilton in Skokie, IL at a rate of $119/night. Please indicate on the registration page if you will need hotel accommodations. If your travel is not covered by EBRC, you can provide payment at check in. Please contact helix@ebrc.org with any questions rather than contacting the hotel directly.

Health and Safety:
We are committed to hosting a safe event. We will be closely watching CDC recommendations in addition to all relevant local and state guidelines leading up to the workshop and make any changes necessary for health and safety. Proof of vaccination will be required for attendance. A rapid antigen testing strategy may also be deployed depending on conditions.

For more information about the roadmap or workshop, please contact Sifang Chen (schen@ebrc.org)

For information on EBRC’s travel policies, please contact helix@ebrc.org.

Agricultural Crop Security: Exploring US Federal Readiness and Response Capabilities

Publication Date: September 2021 | Originally published in Health Security.

The consequences of a large-scale attack on US agricultural crops could have severe implications for food and economic security. Recognition, response, and recovery efforts from such an event would involve local, state, and federal plant health officials in addition to law enforcement. This paper, published in Health Security, describes federal preparedness and response capabilities within USDA and between federal agencies and recommends actions to strengthen federal readiness.

Making Security Viral: Shifting Engineering Biology Culture and Publishing

Publication Date: February 2022 | Originally published in ACS Synthetic Biology.

Consistent reflection on the implications of engineering biology tools and products can help direct and ensure their responsible development. In this paper, members of EBRC’s Security Working Group suggest that the publication stage of the research cycle is an important opportunity to consider the security implications of given work. They describe how such a process might be implemented.

EBRC SPA Presents Transitioning to Business Roles Post-PhD Panel

The EBRC Student and Postdoc Association is hosting a Transitioning to Business Roles Post-PhD panel event, where researchers can connect with professionals who work in venture capital, consulting, business development, and technology transfer following a biotech graduate education. Join us virtually on April 6th, 2022 (2:00-3:30pm ET |11:00-12:30am PT) on GatherTown by registering here. Our diverse panel includes a broad range of business perspectives that will provide insights on how graduate students can begin to differentiate in preparation for these career paths.

Click here to view our flyer.

Please contact Eric South (esouth@bu.edu) if you have any questions.

Panelist Biographies

Sarah R. Carter, Ph.D.
LinkedIn
Dr. Carter is the Principal at Science Policy Consulting LLC where she focuses on societal and policy implications of emerging biotechnologies. Trained as a scientist, she has a detailed understanding of synthetic biology and tracks advances in biotechnology as they arise. She has 10+ years of experience working with policy frameworks related to biotechnologies and the increasingly diverse biotechnology industry, and has contributed to many policy projects and processes, including those organized by U.S. government agencies, non-profit and academic institutions, and others. Previously, she worked in the Policy Center of the J. Craig Venter Institute and in the Obama Administration’s White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Dr. Carter is a former AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow and a former Mirzayan Fellow of the National Academies. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California-San Francisco and her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Duke University.

Travis D’Cruz, Ph.D., MSEM
LinkedIn
Dr. D’Cruz is a Senior Manager at Oncorus with an advanced background in life sciences research and several years of experience in facilitating technology commercialization. Travis is adept at spearheading partnership discussions to execute productive deals, along with experience in leading asset-focused partnering discussions with large pharma, supporting strategic collaborations from initial discussions through post-deal alignment, and supporting technology licensing deals to enhance company pipeline and platforms. Previously, Dr. D’Cruz led and managed all aspects of academic tech transfer for Tufts University’s life science portfolio, and assisted with patent strategy, IP licenses, routine contracts, and alliance management. Dr. D’Cruz earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Penn State University, a Master of Science in Engineering Management at Tufts University, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Drexel University.

Eric Keen, Ph.D.
LinkedIn
Dr. Keen joined Flagship Pioneering in 2022 following completion of Flagship’s 2021 Fellows Program. As part of Geoffrey von Maltzahn’s origination team, Eric works to conceive and develop transformative bioplatform companies which address key challenges in health and sustainability. Eric holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a B.S. in Biology with highest honors from the University of Miami, where he was a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. Outside of work, Eric enjoys hiking, biking, and almost anything else outdoors.

Anji Miller, Ph.D. CLP RTTP
LinkedIn

Dr Miller is a technology transfer professional with extensive experience of developing and translating early-stage translational research. Her current role at LifeArc involves working with academic and charitable establishments to identify, cultivate, fund, and commercialise early-stage healthcare technologies, focusing on rare diseases and advance therapies.

Prior to joining LifeArc, she worked for several leading establishments, including The Wellcome Trust and St George’s University of London, working at the forefront of academic translational research and knowledge transfer policy. A proponent for professional advancement in technology transfer, Dr Miller directs the LifeArc AUTM Tech Transfer Fellowship, a programme designed to train and assist scientists to become TT professionals, and she is the skills lead for the UK’s recently launched Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapy. An advocate of equality diversity and Inclusion, Dr Miller cofounded Global Equality, Diversity and Equality in Technology Transfer (GEDITT), an initiative missioned to raise awareness and promote EDI in the TT sector.

Dr Miller holds an M.Sc. in Human Molecular Genetics and Ph.D in Cancer Genetics from Imperial College, and M.Sc. and Certificate in IP Law from QMUL. She is a certified project manager, Registered Technology Transfer Professional and Certified Licensing Professional. Dr Miller serves as VP of Communities on the ASTP Board, a member of the BioIndustry Association (BIA) Cell & Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, and the AUTM Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity Committee.

Gregory Koblentz

Gregory D. Koblentz is an Associate Professor and Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The Biodefense Graduate Program is a multidisciplinary research and education program designed to prepare students to work on issues at the nexus of health, science, and security. He also directs the Summer Workshop on Pandemics and Global Health Security at the Schar School and is the Editor-in-Chief of The Pandora Report. Dr. Koblentz is a member of the Scientist Working Group on Biological and Chemical Security at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington, DC. He serves as a pro bono advisor for the Open Society Justice Initiative and DARPA, as a consultant for the Stimson Center on their cheminformatics program, and is a member of the Biothreat Advisory Board of Heat Biologics. Dr. Koblentz is the author of Strategic Stability in the Second Nuclear Age (Council on Foreign Relations, 2014) and Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security (Cornell University Press, 2009) and co-author of Mapping Maximum Biological Containment Labs Globally (London: King’s College London, May 2021), Editing Biosecurity: Needs and Strategies for Governing Genome Editing (George Mason University and Stanford University, 2018), and Tracking Nuclear Proliferation: A Guide in Maps and Charts (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1998). His research and teaching focus on understanding the causes and consequences of the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons to state and non-state actors and the impact of emerging technologies on international security. He received a PhD in political science from MIT and a MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.