Despite major advances in the biology of aging, there are still no interventions that clearly slow or reverse aging in humans. In contrast, modern medicine already depends on replacement to restore lost function, from artificial joints and cardiac devices to organ transplants and stem cell therapies. This session examines how a similar framework could be applied to aging: rather than repairing deteriorated cells and tissues, scientists and companies are exploring ways to replace them with newly generated, biologically young equivalents. The discussion will highlight emerging capabilities in engineered cell sources, scalable tissue fabrication, and programmable biology (instead of "integration") strategies that are redefining what can be rebuilt and replaced. New approaches are beginning to address long-standing challenges such as age-related signaling environments, vascularization, and even circuit compatibility in parts of the brain. Together, these advances point toward a future where rejuvenation is achieved through deliberate biological reconstruction. The session asks: How far can replacement take us, and could rebuilding youthful parts become a central path to extending healthy lifespan?

For over a century, antivenoms have relied on serum extraction from animals — a process that’s costly, inconsistent, and limited to specific snake species. Today, advances in synthetic biology and antibody engineering are pointing toward a different future: a universal antivenom capable of neutralizing toxins across the world’s deadliest snakes. This session dives into the science and story behind this breakthrough — from the man who endured more than 200 bites to generate a unique immune response, to the researchers using those antibodies to design broad-spectrum, recombinant therapies. Together, they’re charting the path from survival experiment to programmable immunity.

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.

T cells are no longer just killers. They are becoming fully programmable platforms that sense, compute, remember, and act inside the body. From next generation CAR and TCR therapies to in vivo reprogramming and AI designed receptors, a new wave of technologies is turning T cells into living software that can be updated, networked, and deployed against cancer, autoimmunity, infection, and beyond.This session brings together pioneers at the intersection of synthetic biology, immunology, and AI who are building the next generation of T cell therapies. We will explore how genome scale datasets, structural models, and large biological foundation models are transforming TCR and CAR design. We will dive into logic circuits, synNotch systems, and control layers that let T cells sense combinations of signals, avoid exhaustion, and adapt inside solid tumors. And we will ask the hard questions about safety, durability, manufacturability, and access as T cell engineering moves from bespoke autologous products to off the shelf and in vivo editing strategies.

As biology becomes programmable and AI accelerates discovery, startups are generating breakthrough innovations at unprecedented speed. Yet translating these advances into real-world therapies still depends on effective collaboration with global pharmaceutical organizations. This session explores how the innovation ecosystem connects early-stage breakthroughs to scalable development, bringing together leaders from startup incubation, external innovation, and pharma strategy. Speakers will examine how AI-native biotech companies engage with pharma today: how startups become “pharma-ready,” how external innovation teams evaluate and structure partnerships, and what collaboration models are emerging as biology and computation converge. From early ecosystem support and venture building to strategic alliances and co-development pathways, the discussion will provide a practical look at how ideas move from discovery to patient impact in the AI era.

Food is no longer just sustenance—it’s becoming a programmable interface with human biology. Advances in synthetic biology and foodtech are enabling the design of bioactive molecules that target specific health outcomes: regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, strengthening cardiovascular resilience, and even enhancing cognitive performance. From engineered microbes that secrete beneficial metabolites to programmable synbiotics tuned to the gut, this session will explore how programmable biology is transforming food into a therapeutic platform. Panelists will ask: what if the next breakthroughs in managing obesity, dementia, and heart disease don’t come from pharmaceuticals, but from intelligently designed foods and functional ingredients?

Mitochondria are often pigeon-holed as the "powerhouse of the cell", giving the false impression that their primary role is as an ATP generator passively responding to the energetic demands of their environment. This is far from the truth. The mitochondria exist as a dynamic network that senses, integrates, and transduces biochemical, energetic, and physical signals, and these signals shape cell fate, lifespan, cancer risk, and more. This session explores emerging tools and methods to edit the small, maternally-inherited, circular mitochondrial genome present in dozens-to-hundreds of copies per cell as a means to prevent mitochondrial disease and optimize metabolic fitness. Additionally, we will discuss the promise of mitochondrial transplantation methodologies as a therapeutic intervention and to discuss the possible routes for mitochondrial metabolic engineering and a range of synthetic developments.

AI is reshaping how biopharma discovers and engineers therapeutic proteins. But with dozens of platforms and models emerging, R&D leaders face a strategic crossroads: should they build internal AI capabilities, buy turnkey software, or partner with platforms that integrate computational design and wet-lab validation? This session brings together pharma R&D executives and AI platform leaders to explore how software-first, closed-loop AI workflows are transforming the speed, success rate, and economics of biologics development. Speakers will share real-world outcomes—from 12× faster lead optimization to multiparameter protein design pipelines that integrate seamlessly into existing discovery organizations.

ARPA-H Program Managers are charting some of the most ambitious trajectories in biomedical innovation — from tissue regeneration and whole-body replacement strategies to ultra-scalable manufacturing, programmable immunity, cognitive resilience, and next-generation diagnostics. In this high-velocity block of lightning talks and roundtable, PMs will unveil the problems they’re trying to solve, the technical leaps they believe are now possible, and the kinds of audacious proposals they want from the community. It’s a rare, fast-paced look into the “high-risk, high-reward” experiments that could shift the boundaries of what medicine can do.