Keynote Speaker: Christopher Voigt, Daniel I.C. Wang Professor & Head of the Department of Biological Engineering, MIT
Location:  University of Delaware, STAR Campus

Symposium Chair:  Aditya Kunjapur (Delaware)
Symposium Co-Chair:  Keith Kozminski (Virginia)

Description

This NSF-sponsored symposium showcases research and opportunities in all areas of synthetic biology across the Mid-Atlantic region, welcoming researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in academia, government, and the private sector who share a common interest in synthetic biology and its enabling technologies. The symposium will feature platform presentations, discussion panel, poster session, and time to network.

There is no registration fee.  The registration deadline is November 27.

Program Topics

• New to the Mid-Atlantic including Ophelia Venturelli (Duke), Sherry Gao (Penn)

• Fostering Regional Innovation including Kelvin Lee (Delaware)

• Building Communities (of Microbes) including Bill Bentley (Maryland), Corey Wilson (GA Tech)

• SynBio for Health including Johnny Blazeck (GA Tech), Larry Stern (USF)

• SynBio for Sustainability including Josh Michener (ORNL)

Schedule

Registration will open at 2:00pm on January 9, with Welcome Remarks beginning at 2:30pm.  The symposium will conclude by 4pm on January 10.  There will be a poster session the evening of January 9.  Check back at this site for program updates and poster requirements.

Location

The symposium will be held in The Audion at the Tower,  Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus,  University of Delaware, 100 Discovery Boulevard, Newark, Delaware.

Transportation and Parking

The University of Delaware is accessible by auto, train, and air.  The symposium venue is approximately 1 mile from I-95 (Delaware Exit 1B).  Free parking is available next to venue.  Please register your vehicle when you register for the symposium.   There are also Amtrak stations in Newark and Wilmington, with the Wilmington station having more robust service.  The closest airport is Philadelphia (PHL), approximately 45 min away by auto.  The regional rail system SEPTA connects PHL to the Newark and Wilmington train stations.

Accommodations

You may wish to spend the night of Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 at a hotel near the venue. We recommend the Courtyard Marriott at Newark – U. Delaware (not Newark NJ).   Rooms can be reserved at a rate of $134 per night, until December 10 or until sold out. To access this rate, please book using this link. There will be a shuttle service between the Courtyard Marriott and the Audion. Look to this site for the schedule.

Although there are other hotels within walking distance of the Audion, the recommended alternative is the Hyatt Place situated in Downtown Newark.