SynBioBeta Speaker

Luis Valencia

Co-Founder & CEO

AlkaLi Labs

May 2026, SynBioBeta

Speaker

Luis Valencia is the co-founder and CEO of AlkaLi Labs, a biomining company developing biosorbents to extract valuable metals from low-grade waste streams. Valencia earned a B.S. in biochemistry from University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from UC Berkeley in the Keasling Lab. His career focus has been on protein and metabolic engineering for industrial biosynthesis. Luis is passionate about applying biochemistry to challenges where conventional chemical methods fall short.

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Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

Beyond Static Predictions — AI for Protein Dynamics and Multi-Cell Models

AIxBIO

Draft Session

May 2026

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Confirmed Speakers

Pardis Sabeti

Harvard University

Professor

Pardis Sabeti

Harvard University

Professor

Bruce Friedrich

Good Food Institute

Founder & President

Bruce Friedrich

Good Food Institute

Founder & President

Sue Siegel

Align Technology, Illumina, and KFF

Board Director, Trustee, Chairman

Sue Siegel

Align Technology, Illumina, and KFF

Board Director, Trustee, Chairman

Jonathan Anomaly

Herasight

Professor & Founder

Jonathan Anomaly

Herasight

Professor & Founder

Paul Burton

Amgen

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Paul Burton

Amgen

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Jean Hebert

ARPA-H

Program Manager

Jean Hebert

ARPA-H

Program Manager

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Gabriele Corso

MIT

Boltz

Gabriele Corso

MIT

Boltz

Bill Tai

Venture Capitalist, Adjunct Professor

Bill Tai

Venture Capitalist, Adjunct Professor

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Douglas Crawford

MBC BioLABS, Mission BioCapital

General Manager, Managing Partner

Douglas Crawford

MBC BioLABS, Mission BioCapital

General Manager, Managing Partner

Alex Kyabarongo

George Mason University

MSc Biodefense Candidate

Alex Kyabarongo

George Mason University

MSc Biodefense Candidate

Krish Ramadurai

AIX Ventures

Partner

Krish Ramadurai

AIX Ventures

Partner

Oliver Dodd

Nucleate

Co-Founder & Exec. Director

Oliver Dodd

Nucleate

Co-Founder & Exec. Director

Liliana Nordbakk

NEVA SGR

Partner

Liliana Nordbakk

NEVA SGR

Partner

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital Pte Ltd

Founder

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital Pte Ltd

Founder

Amy Trejo

P&G

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

Amy Trejo

P&G

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder & CEO

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder & CEO

Max Unfried

The Thalion Initiative

Scientific Director

Max Unfried

The Thalion Initiative

Scientific Director

Avantika Lal

Genentech

Principal ML Scientist II

Avantika Lal

Genentech

Principal ML Scientist II

Colby Adolph

Evonik

Sales Director

Colby Adolph

Evonik

Sales Director

Jens Nielsen

BioInnovation Institute

CEO

Jens Nielsen

BioInnovation Institute

CEO

Ling Li

ADM

Director of Market Development, Precision Fermentation

Ling Li

ADM

Director of Market Development, Precision Fermentation

Sharrol Bachas

Onava

Co-founder & CSO

Sharrol Bachas

Onava

Co-founder & CSO

Niko McCarty

Asimov Press

Founding Editor

Niko McCarty

Asimov Press

Founding Editor

Tanja Kortemme

UCSF

Vice Dean of Research

Tanja Kortemme

UCSF

Vice Dean of Research

Yue Webster

Lilly

VP of Model-Driven Drug Discovery Platform

Yue Webster

Lilly

VP of Model-Driven Drug Discovery Platform

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Vaderlei Bellettini

ADM

VP, Precision Fermentation

Vaderlei Bellettini

ADM

VP, Precision Fermentation

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Neil Parry

Unilever

Director of the Home Care R&D, Biotech and Biosourcing team

Neil Parry

Unilever

Director of the Home Care R&D, Biotech and Biosourcing team

Ashoka Madduri

Sanofi

Global Head of Scientific Strategy & Intelligence, mRNA CoE

Ashoka Madduri

Sanofi

Global Head of Scientific Strategy & Intelligence, mRNA CoE

Laurence Ion

VitaDAO

Co-creator

Laurence Ion

VitaDAO

Co-creator

Elliot Hershberg

Amplify Partners

Partner, Author

Elliot Hershberg

Amplify Partners

Partner, Author

Jonathan Good

Scentian Bio

CEO & Co-founder

Jonathan Good

Scentian Bio

CEO & Co-founder

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

Kit McDonnell

Superorganism

Head of Ecosystem

Kit McDonnell

Superorganism

Head of Ecosystem

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Research Group Leader

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Research Group Leader

Richard Kenny

Hawkwood Biotech Partners

Founder & Managing Partner

Richard Kenny

Hawkwood Biotech Partners

Founder & Managing Partner

Le Cong

Broad Institute

Assistant Professor

Le Cong

Broad Institute

Assistant Professor

Andrew Hessel

Human Genome Project-write

Chairman

Andrew Hessel

Human Genome Project-write

Chairman

Jenny Rooke

Genoa Ventures

Managing Director

Jenny Rooke

Genoa Ventures

Managing Director

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder & CBO

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder & CBO

John Chodera

Achira

Co-founder & CEO

John Chodera

Achira

Co-founder & CEO

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Founder and Managing Partner

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Founder and Managing Partner

Dawn Musil

Hiveland

Founder & CEO

Dawn Musil

Hiveland

Founder & CEO

Nicole Richards

Allonnia Bio

CEO

Nicole Richards

Allonnia Bio

CEO

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Juliette Humer

Muse Bio

Founder & CEO

Juliette Humer

Muse Bio

Founder & CEO

Michael Weiner

Abbratech, Precision Biotools and Encodia

Founder

Michael Weiner

Abbratech, Precision Biotools and Encodia

Founder

Ewa Lis

Koliber Biosciences

Founder & CEO

Ewa Lis

Koliber Biosciences

Founder & CEO

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Samuel Jayakanthan

Vandstrom

Principal Scientist

Samuel Jayakanthan

Vandstrom

Principal Scientist

Birgit Cameron

Prism Bio

CEO, Co-founder

Birgit Cameron

Prism Bio

CEO, Co-founder

Per Falholt

21st Bio

CSO, Co-founder

Per Falholt

21st Bio

CSO, Co-founder

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17 LLC

Founder & CEO

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17 LLC

Founder & CEO

Arthur Gardner Smith

Reformation Hair

Founder & CEO

Arthur Gardner Smith

Reformation Hair

Founder & CEO

Laura Luebbert

FutureHouse AI-for-Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Laura Luebbert

FutureHouse AI-for-Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies

VP of R&D

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies

VP of R&D

Fan Yang

Capital O

Partner

Fan Yang

Capital O

Partner

Kiana Aran

Cardea Bio

Chief Scientific Officer and Professor

Kiana Aran

Cardea Bio

Chief Scientific Officer and Professor

Chase Denecke

Bootstrap Bio

CEO

Chase Denecke

Bootstrap Bio

CEO

Chris Kantrowitz

Quorum Earth

Founder & CEO

Chris Kantrowitz

Quorum Earth

Founder & CEO

Luis Valencia

AlkaLi Labs

Co-Founder & CEO

Luis Valencia

AlkaLi Labs

Co-Founder & CEO

Jake Miller

Marvel Labs

Co-founder & CEO

Jake Miller

Marvel Labs

Co-founder & CEO

Nima Alidoust

Tahoe Therapeutics

CEO & Cofounder

Nima Alidoust

Tahoe Therapeutics

CEO & Cofounder

Roya Amini-Naieni

Trilobio

CEO & Co-founder

Roya Amini-Naieni

Trilobio

CEO & Co-founder

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor, Founder

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor, Founder

Nick Edwards

Potato

Founder & CEO

Nick Edwards

Potato

Founder & CEO

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

COO

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

COO

Bijan Harandi

Health Tech Startup (Stealth)

Founder

Bijan Harandi

Health Tech Startup (Stealth)

Founder

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Geobiotech Lead

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Geobiotech Lead

Michael Ferrari

Moby

VP, Head of Research

Michael Ferrari

Moby

VP, Head of Research

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Aaron Blotnick

Saku Biosciences

Chief of Staff

Aaron Blotnick

Saku Biosciences

Chief of Staff

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director

Hector Garcia Martin

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Staff Scientist

Hector Garcia Martin

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Staff Scientist

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Research Group Leader

Douglas Crawford

MBC BioLABS, Mission BioCapital

General Manager, Managing Partner

Michael Weiner

Abbratech, Precision Biotools and Encodia

Founder

Dawn Musil

Hiveland

Founder & CEO

Ewa Lis

Koliber Biosciences

Founder & CEO

Ashoka Madduri

Sanofi

Global Head of Scientific Strategy & Intelligence, mRNA CoE

Elliot Hershberg

Amplify Partners

Partner, Author

Max Unfried

The Thalion Initiative

Scientific Director

Previous Speakers Include

Jennifer Doudna

UC Berkeley

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Jennifer Doudna

UC Berkeley

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Sam Altman

OpenAI

CEO

Sam Altman

OpenAI

CEO

Steve Wozniak

Fusion-io

Chief Scientist

Steve Wozniak

Fusion-io

Chief Scientist

Vinod Khosla

Khosla Ventures

Founder & Partner

Vinod Khosla

Khosla Ventures

Founder & Partner

Frances Arnold

Caltech

Nobel Laureate

Frances Arnold

Caltech

Nobel Laureate

Eric Schmidt

Schmidt Science

Chair & CEO

Eric Schmidt

Schmidt Science

Chair & CEO

Kate Rubins

NASA

Astronaut

Kate Rubins

NASA

Astronaut

Craig Venter

JCVI

Craig Venter

JCVI

Christina Smolke

Antheia

CEO and Co-Founder

Christina Smolke

Antheia

CEO and Co-Founder

George Church

Harvard & MIT

Professor

George Church

Harvard & MIT

Professor

Lisa Dyson

Air Protein

CEO

Lisa Dyson

Air Protein

CEO

Thomas Bostick

Global Strategies

Chairman

Thomas Bostick

Global Strategies

Chairman

Ro Khanna

U.S. Congress

Ro Khanna

U.S. Congress

Peter Diamandis

XPRIZE

Founder

Peter Diamandis

XPRIZE

Founder

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Professor

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Professor

Kevin Scott

Microsoft

CTO

Kevin Scott

Microsoft

CTO

Cathie Wood

Ark Invest

Founder & CEO

Cathie Wood

Ark Invest

Founder & CEO

Dean Kamen

ARMI

Executive Director

Dean Kamen

ARMI

Executive Director

Bryan Johnson

Don't Die

Founder & CEO

Bryan Johnson

Don't Die

Founder & CEO

Chris Voigt

MIT

Chris Voigt

MIT

D.A. Wallach

Time BioVentures

General Partner & Co-Founder

D.A. Wallach

Time BioVentures

General Partner & Co-Founder

Daphne Koller

insitro

Founder & CEO

Daphne Koller

insitro

Founder & CEO

Lord David Willetts

SynBioVen

Co-Chair

Lord David Willetts

SynBioVen

Co-Chair

Eben Bayer

Ecovative

CEO

Eben Bayer

Ecovative

CEO

Eleni Kounalakis

Lieutenant Governor of California

Eleni Kounalakis

Lieutenant Governor of California

Emily Leproust

Twist Bioscience

CEO

Emily Leproust

Twist Bioscience

CEO

Esther Dyson

Way to Wellville

Executive Founder

Esther Dyson

Way to Wellville

Executive Founder

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Solugen

Co-Founder & CEO

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Solugen

Co-Founder & CEO

Gavin Newsom

Governor of California

Gavin Newsom

Governor of California

George Whitesides

CA-27

Congressman

George Whitesides

CA-27

Congressman

Jason Kelly

Ginkgo Bioworks

Founder & CEO

Jason Kelly

Ginkgo Bioworks

Founder & CEO

Jay Keasling

UC Berkeley

Professor

Jay Keasling

UC Berkeley

Professor

Jennifer Holmgren

LanzaTech

CEO

Jennifer Holmgren

LanzaTech

CEO

Oliver Morton

The Economist

Senior Editor

Oliver Morton

The Economist

Senior Editor

Patrick Brown

Impossible Foods

Founder

Patrick Brown

Impossible Foods

Founder

RJ Kirk

Third Security

Chairman

RJ Kirk

Third Security

Chairman

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research

Professor

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research

Professor

Sean O'Sullivan

SOSV

Founder

Sean O'Sullivan

SOSV

Founder

Thomas Südhof

Stanford Medicine

Nobel Laureate

Thomas Südhof

Stanford Medicine

Nobel Laureate

Tim Kopra

Nanoracks

CEO

Tim Kopra

Nanoracks

CEO

Tim O'Reilly

Reilly Media

CEO

Tim O'Reilly

Reilly Media

CEO

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