Engineering biology

Jason Chin is a Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRCLMB), where he is also Head of the Centre for Chemical & Synthetic Biology (CCSB). He is a Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at the University of Cambridge, and holds a joint appointment at the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry. He is also a fellow in Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge. Jason is a native of the UK. He was an undergraduate at Oxford University, where he worked with Professor John Sutherland on Cephalosporin biosynthesis. He obtained his PhD as a Fulbright awardee from Yale University, working with Professor Alanna Schepartz. He was a Damon Runyon Fellow at The Scripps Research Institute with Professor Peter Schultz where he developed the first approaches to systematically expand the genetic code of eukaryotic cells and pioneered approaches, that are now widely used, for defining protein interactions by genetically encoding photocrosslinking amino acids. Jason’s work has been recognized by a number of awards, including: the Francis Crick Prize (Royal Society), the Corday Morgan Prize (Royal Society of Chemistry), European Molecular Biology Organization’s (EMBO) Gold Medal, Louis-Jeantet Young Investigator Career Award, Sackler International Prize in the Physical Science. He is in the European Inventors Hall of Fame, a member of EMBO, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a Fellow of The Royal Society. Jason’s early work provided a foundation for Ambrx and he is the founder and CSO of Constructive Bio. He is also a non-executive director at the UK Government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

Sara completed a PhD in chromosome engineering before working as a postdoctoral researcher for eight years in yeast molecular biology. She has been at Potter Clarkson as a patent attorney for the past ten years, working mostly with scientist founders and SMEs in biotechnology, with a particular focus on synthetic biology. Because of her academic background, she is keen to increase knowledge of IP and the crucial role it plays in getting our research out of the lab into the real world.

Whilst studying at the John Innes Centre for my PhD in Plant Pathology, I began volunteering for the Science Art and Writing (SAW) Trust. SAW is an education charity that brings together scientists, artists and writers to take stories out of research labs and into classrooms and public spaces for people to explore current research themes through practical science, poetry and visual arts. I transitioned from postdoctoral research at JIC to become the full-time programme manager for the trust in 2012 where I oversee all aspects of SAW, from project design and delivery to fundraising, social media and engagement. Funded by charities, organisations and research councils (incl. Heritage Lottery Fund, Carnegie UK, Wellcome Trust, The Royal Society, Festival Republic, UK Research and Innovation), we have successfully delivered projects on a wide range of topics from climate change and wellbeing to food production and engineering biology.

Joyce Tait (Director, Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh) has an interdisciplinary systems analysis background linking natural and social sciences to support the delivery of innovative technologies with economic and societal benefits. She works on: industry strategic planning for innovation; responsible innovation; policies, regulation and standards; and new approaches to stakeholder engagement about technological innovation.

She is currently a member of the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) and other recent appointments include: the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology; the Synthetic Biology Leadership Council (and Chair of its Governance Subgroup); and Governing Board of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde. She has been involved in the development of the RHC reports on Regulating Quantum Technology Applications, The Regulation of Hydrogen Fuel Propulsion in Maritime Vessels, Neurotechnology, and Genetic Technologies. She was also technical author of the BSI PAS 440 Guide to Responsible Innovation.

Sarah Cunningham-Burley is Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. The NCOB  works to inform policy and public debate by identifying, analysing and advising on ethical issues raised by developments in biomedicine and health and to embed ethics at the centre of decisions, so we all benefit.

Sarah is Professor of Medical and Family Sociology and Co-director of the Wellcome supported Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh. This is an interdisciplinary social science and humanities research centre focusing on developments in health-related science and care. Her own research interests span the social and ethical aspects of personalized medicine, health-related AI and data science, and the integration of patient and public perspectives in research and policy.

Damian holds a BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Surface Science & Catalysis and a PhD in Tribology from the University of Cambridge. Upon graduation Damian joined the Croda Graduate Development Programme in 2001. Over the past 16 years Damian has held several positions across different Croda markets, divisions and functions including Personal Care Sales Manager for Latin America, Performance Technologies Business Development Manager for North America and Life Sciences Vice President for Europe with both Technical and Commercial responsibility. Damian is presently Head of Global Research & Development for all Croda sectors, based at Croda’s manufacturing site in Widnes, Cheshire. Damian is also the technical lead for Croda’s Technology Investment Group which is responsible for the acquisition and licensing of new technologies that match the needs of all Croda’s end markets.

Christopher Kaminker, PhD, Managing Director, is Head of the Sustainable Investment Research & Analytics (SIRA) team within the BlackRock Investment Institute (BII). SIRA comprises the BSI Intel, Climate & Sustainability Research and APAC Sustainable Investment Research teams. He is as well, the Deputy Head of Sustainable and Transition Solutions (STS). He is a member of BlackRock's Sustainable and Transition Investment Committee, and EMEA Investments Committee.

Prior to joining BlackRock, Chris was Group Head of Sustainable Investment at Lombard Odier, a Swiss private bank and asset manager. He led a group responsible for sustainable investment research, data science and analytics, product development, portfolio strategy and stewardship. Chris is an energy economist and economic geographer by training, a Visiting Business Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He received his PhD from Oxford University and masters from Columbia University (SIPA).

Professor Paul Freemont is the co-founder of the Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation and co-founder and co-director of the National UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre for Synthetic Biology (SynbiCITE - since 2013). His research is focused on developing automation and biofoundries and cell-free systems for specific synthetic biology applications. He is a council member of the US Engineering Biology Research Consortium and co-chair of the newly formed UK Governments Engineering Biology Steering Group and sits on the UK Governments Biosecurity Leadership Council. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Synthetic Biology and is currently leading a US-funded Task Force on Engineering Biology Metrics and Technical Standards for Global Bioeconomy. He is also co-founder and founding chair of the Global Biofoundry Alliance. He is a passionate advocate for the commercialisation of engineering biology and is co-founder of the Imperial spin-out Solena Materials Ltd developing designer protein fibres and also of SynBioVen Ltd, an early-stage seed investment company for engineering biology start-ups in the UK. 

Angie is developing an ARIA research programme in the area of Programmable Plants. Angie's background is in plant biology, where her research career has focused on investigating the responses of crop plants to environmental stresses, such as drought and extreme temperature. Angie's research united a range of disciplines including plant physiology, biochemistry and remote sensing to understand what limits plant growth. Angie worked as a Consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the USA and a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, before joining ARIA in 2023.

Jason is a scientist and entrepreneur, passionate about translating innovative technologies into better patient outcomes. 

As CEO and Co-Founder of Start Codon, a UK-based accelerator, he aims to discover the most disruptive life science, BioTech and healthcare founders and help them translate their innovations into successful ventures. This is achieved through a combination of seed funding and a bespoke venture-building programme, which taps into the exceptional resources of the Cambridge cluster as well as the global network and knowledge of Jason and the Start Codon team. 

Previously, he was CEO of Cambridge Epigenetix (now Biomodal) and Business Development Manager for Horizon Discovery’s diagnostics division. He also served as an associate for Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer office of the University of Cambridge. 

Jason had completed his PhD in Medicine at the University of Cambridge and is also a visiting Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, and lives in Cambridge with his husband and sons.

Angela McLean is a mathematical biologist at Oxford University where she is a Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College and Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Zoology Department. Her research interests concern understanding how fast infections spread, both within individuals and between individuals.  In addition to her own academic work she has played a sustained role in advising government on the use of scientific evidence in making good policies.  At the Royal Society she Co-Chairs the Data Community of Interest and Chairs the steering group for the series of public lectures on artificial intelligence, You and AI.

Damian holds a BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Surface Science & Catalysis and a PhD in Tribology from the University of Cambridge. Upon graduation Damian joined the Croda Graduate Development Programme in 2001. Over the past 16 years Damian has held several positions across different Croda markets, divisions and functions including Personal Care Sales Manager for Latin America, Performance Technologies Business Development Manager for North America and Life Sciences Vice President for Europe with both Technical and Commercial responsibility. Damian is presently Head of Global Research & Development for all Croda sectors, based at Croda’s manufacturing site in Widnes, Cheshire. Damian is also the technical lead for Croda’s Technology Investment Group which is responsible for the acquisition and licensing of new technologies that match the needs of all Croda’s end markets.