SynBioBeta Speaker
Eriona Hysolli
Manhattan Genomics
Co-founder
Eriona Hysolli completed her PhD work at Yale University - Genetics Department, working on derivation and characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the role of microRNAs in this process. She went on to do postdoctoral training in George Church’s lab where she published studies on genomically-recoded bacteria - mammalian cells co-culture systems, multiplex genome engineering approaches for human genome recoding. Furthermore, in his laboratory, she derived the first reprogrammed African elephant iPSCs, and led the woolly mammoth de-extinction efforts, work that she carried forward at Colossal Biosciences as Head of Biological Sciences. There she led the efforts to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, working on Proboscidean comparative genomics and reference genome assemblies, including a first attempt at the woolly mammoth reference genome with long-read sequencing, multiplex editing in embryo for trait engineering and de-extinction, first ever generation of Asian elephant iPSCs, as well as biobanking efforts for elephant conservation. She is now a co-founder and CSO of Manhattan Genomics, a company with a mission to prevent genetic diseases by targeting disease alleles for correction at the embryo stage. Eriona is also a Time100 Next recipient.
SynBioBeta 2026 Tickets are Live
Confirmed Speakers
Sessions Featuring
Eriona
This Year
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Human Health
Editing Inheritance: Is Human Germline Engineering Back?
Once viewed as reckless experimentation, germline gene editing is re-emerging as a serious scientific frontier. With base and prime editing now able to correct single-letter mutations with remarkable precision, researchers are beginning to demonstrate embryo edits that could one day eliminate devastating inherited diseases. The stakes, however, are profound: these are permanent, heritable changes passed to every future generation. This session examines the cutting edge of germline engineering—how far the science has advanced since CRISPR’s clumsy early days, what challenges remain around mosaicism and long-term safety, and where the ethical boundaries must be drawn. Should we consider germline editing only for rare, fatal conditions when no other reproductive options exist? Or is there a pathway to broader medical use under strict safeguards? Join leading scientists, ethicists, and policymakers as we debate whether rewriting inheritance is an act of compassion—or a step too far.
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Featuring
Amy Dockser Marcus
The Information
Reporter
Eriona Hysolli
Manhattan Genomics
Co-founder
Embryo gene-correction CSO, Time100 Next honoree.
Jonathan Anomaly
Herasight
Professor & Founder
Philosopher-communicator at the frontier of polygenic embryo screening.
Chase Denecke
Bootstrap Bio
CEO
Embryo gene-editing startup CEO pushing ethical boundaries.
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Human Health
Editing Inheritance: Is Human Germline Engineering Back?
Once viewed as reckless experimentation, germline gene editing is re-emerging as a serious scientific frontier. With base and prime editing now able to correct single-letter mutations with remarkable precision, researchers are beginning to demonstrate embryo edits that could one day eliminate devastating inherited diseases. The stakes, however, are profound: these are permanent, heritable changes passed to every future generation. This session examines the cutting edge of germline engineering—how far the science has advanced since CRISPR’s clumsy early days, what challenges remain around mosaicism and long-term safety, and where the ethical boundaries must be drawn. Should we consider germline editing only for rare, fatal conditions when no other reproductive options exist? Or is there a pathway to broader medical use under strict safeguards? Join leading scientists, ethicists, and policymakers as we debate whether rewriting inheritance is an act of compassion—or a step too far.
Purchase Pass
Featuring
Amy Dockser Marcus
The Information
Reporter
Eriona Hysolli
Manhattan Genomics
Co-founder
Embryo gene-correction CSO, Time100 Next honoree.
Jonathan Anomaly
Herasight
Professor & Founder
Philosopher-communicator at the frontier of polygenic embryo screening.
Chase Denecke
Bootstrap Bio
CEO
Embryo gene-editing startup CEO pushing ethical boundaries.
Session lineup still growing
Purchase Pass
Featuring
Speaker Coming Soon
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Human Health
From Cells to Patients: Solving the Scale Mismatch in Virtual Biology
Drug discovery often measures biology at the cell level while interventions work at the tissue, organ, or whole-patient scale. This mismatch can make accurate cell-level predictions irrelevant in the clinic. This session dives into strategies to bridge that gap: multiscale modeling that nests single-cell dynamics within organ-level simulations, spatial transcriptomics that preserve context, and surrogate models that translate cell-level outputs into clinical biomarkers. Speakers will ask: how do we ensure virtual biology reflects not just what cells do in isolation, but how biology behaves in the real complexity of patients?
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Featuring
Speaker Coming Soon
