Organized by AIChE's Society for Biological Engineering (SBE), the 2026 Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution, & Design (SEED) Conference takes place June 15–18 in Denver, Colorado. As the field’s leading technical event, SEED brings together researchers, industry leaders, and innovators to explore advances spanning foundational science to commercial applications.
This year's program covers bio-design automation, synthetic genomes and cells, living medicines, microbiome engineering, and new chemicals and materials. It also examines how AI and machine learning are accelerating discovery and transforming how we design and engineer biological systems.
Peyton Greenside, CEO and Co-Founder of BigHat Biosciences, and Harris H. Wang, Associate Professor of Systems Biology at Columbia University, are chairing this year's program. We spoke with them about what makes SEED such an important gathering for the synthetic biology community and what attendees can expect this year.
What makes SEED an important conference for the synthetic biology community in 2026?
Peyton: Synthetic biology is at a pivotal moment as the field shifts from technology development to real-world deployment across therapeutics, agriculture, materials, and industrial biotechnology. Advances in AI and machine learning are transforming how we design and engineer biological systems, accelerating discovery and expanding what’s possible.
This conference provides a venue where the full ecosystem – including academic innovators, startup founders, industry leaders, and investors – can discuss both the scientific foundations and the practical challenges of scaling these technologies. As AI-driven design, high-throughput experimentation, and biological engineering platforms converge, gatherings like this play an important role in bringing the community together to share ideas, results, and new approaches.
Harris: The field is advancing at an extraordinary pace, fueled by major gains in AI and other computational tools. In 2026, SEED will be an especially important forum for highlighting these advances, fostering dialogue across sectors, and engaging the community around both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with rapid progress, including biosafety and biosecurity.
Who do you think should attend SEED this year, and what would they gain from being part of the conference?
Peyton: SEED is designed for anyone shaping the future of synthetic biology. Researchers and industry professionals, whether at startups or large companies, will find opportunities to connect with collaborators, partners, and mentors throughout the community. Whether early in your career or leading an established organization, attendees gain insight into emerging technologies, new ideas, and the evolving industry landscape.
Harris: SEED is valuable for anyone working in synthetic biology, including academic researchers, industry scientists, entrepreneurs, and trainees. For trainees and early-career researchers, it offers an opportunity to present work and receive real-time feedback from leaders in the field. For industry participants, it's a chance to connect with potential users, collaborators, and academic partners, while gaining visibility into new technologies, ideas, and translational opportunities.
SEED brings together leaders from research and industry. What sets this synthetic biology conference apart?
Peyton: What sets SEED apart is its combination of technical depth, scale, and breadth. While some meetings focus on specific sectors or high-level trends, SEED centers on the science and engineering that power synthetic biology, bringing together academic researchers and industry practitioners to discuss the technologies, methods, and data driving progress.
It also stands out for its scope, drawing participants from therapeutics, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and materials. This creates an environment where attendees can dive into the technology while seeing how advances in one area influence the broader field.
Harris: A defining strength of SEED is its community and the deep integration of academic innovation with industrial translation. The conference has built a unique network of researchers, companies, and emerging leaders collectively shaping the future of synthetic biology. SEED recognizes that moving discoveries from the lab into real-world applications is essential to the field's success, and it has become a key venue for building the partnerships that make translation possible.
If attendees could walk away with just a few key takeaways from SEED 2026, what would you hope those would be?
Peyton: I hope attendees leave SEED with a few key takeaways. First, excitement about the future of synthetic biology. Advances in AI and machine learning are rapidly expanding what’s possible in designing and engineering biological systems, and we’re only beginning to see their impact.
Second, a clearer understanding of the challenges ahead. Turning powerful technologies into reliable, scalable solutions requires continued innovation in engineering, data, and experimentation.
Finally, I hope attendees gain a deeper appreciation for how broadly synthetic biology is shaping the world, from therapeutics and agriculture to materials and sustainable manufacturing. Its influence will only continue to grow.
Harris: I hope attendees leave with a clearer sense of where the most exciting frontiers in synthetic biology are heading and how AI is poised to accelerate discovery and design. I also hope they leave inspired by the community's creativity, energized by new ideas, and better connected to potential collaborators, partners, funders, and enablers who can help turn those ideas into impact.
About SBE
Established in 2004, the Society for Biological Engineering is a technological community for engineers and applied scientists integrating biology with engineering. Members of SBE come from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines and share in SBE’s mission of realizing the benefits of bioprocessing, biomedical and biomolecular applications. Learn more about SBE.
