SynBioBeta Speaker

Rongzhen Tian

Co-Founder & CEO

Okapi Bioscience

May 2026, SynBioBeta

Speaker

Rongzhen Tian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Okapi Bioscience Ltd, which leverages, accelerates, and extends the power of evolution in living systems to make products more sustainably, and to make new classes of products. Together with scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, he developed an orthogonal DNA replication system that now provides the scientific foundation for application and commercialization at Okapi. He is also a Principal Investigator at the Generative Biology Institute (EIT) and an Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford.

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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

David Eagleman

Neosensory

Co-founder and CEO

David Eagleman

Neosensory

Co-founder and CEO

Pardis Sabeti

Sherlock Biosciences

Professor

Pardis Sabeti

Sherlock Biosciences

Professor

Bruce Friedrich

The Good Food Institute

Founder & President

Bruce Friedrich

The Good Food Institute

Founder & President

Sue Siegel

Align Technology Inc

Board Director, Trustee, Chairman

Sue Siegel

Align Technology Inc

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

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Program Manager

Jean Hebert

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Program Manager

Michael Koeris

DARPA

Director, BTO

Michael Koeris

DARPA

Director, BTO

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Kim Branson

GlaxoSmithKline

SVP, Global Head

Relly Brandman

A-Life

Moonshot Lead

Relly Brandman

A-Life

Moonshot Lead

Gabriele Corso

Boltz

CEO

Gabriele Corso

Boltz

CEO

Bill Tai

ACTAI Global

Chairman, Co-founder

Bill Tai

ACTAI Global

Chairman, Co-founder

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

John Robson

BioOra

Managing Director

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Jessica Owens

Initiate Ventures

Managing Partner

Douglas Crawford

Mission Bay Capital

General Manager, Managing Partner

Douglas Crawford

Mission Bay Capital

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

Founder

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital

Founder

Amy Trejo

Procter & Gamble Company

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

Amy Trejo

Procter & Gamble Company

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder & CEO

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder & CEO

Max Unfried

Thalion

Scientific Director

Max Unfried

Thalion

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

Sharroll Bachas

Onava AI

Co-founder & CSO

Sharroll Bachas

Onava AI

Co-founder & CSO

Niko McCarty

Asimov

Founding Editor

Niko McCarty

Asimov

Founding Editor

Tanja Kortemme

University of California, San Francisco

Vice Dean of Research

Tanja Kortemme

University of California, San Francisco

Vice Dean of Research

Yue Webster

Eli Lilly

VP Research IT

Yue Webster

Eli Lilly

VP Research IT

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Ivan Jaubert

SynBioBeta

Director of Entrepreneurship

Vanderlei Bellettini

ADM

VP Precision Fermentation Operations Lead

Vanderlei Bellettini

ADM

VP Precision Fermentation Operations Lead

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Peter Clark

Novo Nordisk

VP, Computational Drug Design

Neil Parry

Unilever

R&D Director Biotechnology and Biosourcing

Neil Parry

Unilever

R&D Director Biotechnology and Biosourcing

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

Kit McDonnell

Superorganism

Head of Ecosystem

Kit McDonnell

Superorganism

Head of Ecosystem

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

Leibniz Institute for New Materials

Research Group Leader

Shrikrishnan Sankaran

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

Stanford University

Associate Professor

Le Cong

Stanford University

Associate Professor

Andrew Hessel

Human Genome Project-write

Chairman

Andrew Hessel

Human Genome Project-write

Chairman

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder & CBO

Stephanie Wisner

Centivax

Co-founder & CBO

John Chodera

Achira Labs

Co-founder & CEO

John Chodera

Achira Labs

Co-founder & CEO

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Founder and Managing Partner

Georgia Lu

Magnet Ventures

Founder and Managing Partner

Dawn Musil

New Bloom

Co-founder

Dawn Musil

New Bloom

Co-founder

Nicole Richards

Allonnia

CEO

Nicole Richards

Allonnia

CEO

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Max Jamilly

Hoxton Farms

CEO & Co-founder

Juliette Humer

MuseBio

Founder & CEO

Juliette Humer

MuseBio

Founder & CEO

Michael Weiner

Abbratech

Founder & CEO

Michael Weiner

Abbratech

Founder & CEO

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, Inc.

CEO, Co-founder

Birgit Cameron

Prism Bio, Inc.

CEO, Co-founder

Per Falholt

21st.BIO

CSO, Co-founder

Per Falholt

21st.BIO

CSO, Co-founder

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17

Founder & CEO

Megan Thomas

Ladder 17

Founder & CEO

Arthur Gardner Smith

[Re]formation Hair

Founder & CEO

Arthur Gardner Smith

[Re]formation Hair

Founder & CEO

Laura Luebbert

FutureHouse

Postdoctoral Fellow

Laura Luebbert

FutureHouse

Postdoctoral Fellow

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies Inc.

VP of R&D

Eileen Spindler

Alta Resource Technologies Inc.

VP of R&D

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Victoria Mascetti

University of Bristol

Assistant Professor

Fan Yang

Capital O

Partner

Fan Yang

Capital O

Partner

Kiana Aran

University of California, San Diego

Associate Professor

Kiana Aran

University of California, San Diego

Associate 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

Hector Garcia Martin

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Staff Scientist

Hector Garcia Martin

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Staff Scientist

Matt Angle

Paradromics

Founder & CEO

Matt Angle

Paradromics

Founder & CEO

Jacob Becraft

Strand

CEO & Co-founder

Jacob Becraft

Strand

CEO & Co-founder

Bryan Walsh

Vox Media

Senior Editorial Director

Bryan Walsh

Vox Media

Senior Editorial Director

Jory Bell

Playground Global

General Partner

Jory Bell

Playground Global

General Partner

David Welch

Synthesis Capital

CSO and Co-Founder

David Welch

Synthesis Capital

CSO and Co-Founder

Onye Ahanotu

Ikenga Wines

Founder

Onye Ahanotu

Ikenga Wines

Founder

David Sinclair

Harvard Medical School

Professor, Department of Genetics

David Sinclair

Harvard Medical School

Professor, Department of Genetics

Michael Ferrari

Moby

VP, Head of Research

Michael Ferrari

Moby

VP, Head of Research

Rajesh Krishnamurthy

Laurus Bio

CEO

Rajesh Krishnamurthy

Laurus Bio

CEO

Tim Schnabel

Switch Bioworks

Founder and CEO

Tim Schnabel

Switch Bioworks

Founder and CEO

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Geobiotech Lead

Jayme Feyhl-Buska

Homeworld Collective

Geobiotech Lead

Takashi Ebihara

GeneFrontier

COO

Takashi Ebihara

GeneFrontier

COO

Mariëlle van Kooten

Powerhouse Biology | Stanford University

CEO

Mariëlle van Kooten

Powerhouse Biology | Stanford University

CEO

Xuecheng Jiao

Asymchem

Executive Director

Xuecheng Jiao

Asymchem

Executive Director

Vineet Rajgarhia

Erg Bio

Co-Founder & CEO

Vineet Rajgarhia

Erg Bio

Co-Founder & CEO

Aaron Blotnick

SynBioBeta

Bay Area Community Manager

Aaron Blotnick

SynBioBeta

Bay Area Community Manager

Nick Edwards

Potato

Founder & CEO

Nick Edwards

Potato

Founder & CEO

Eriona Hysolli

Manhattan Genomics

Co-founder

Eriona Hysolli

Manhattan Genomics

Co-founder

Gordon Freedman

MitoWorld

Publisher

Gordon Freedman

MitoWorld

Publisher

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor

Jeanne Loring

Scripps Research, Aspen Neuroscience

Professor

Matthew Osman

Polyphron

Co-Founder & CEO

Matthew Osman

Polyphron

Co-Founder & CEO

Callie Chappell

Stanford University

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology

Callie Chappell

Stanford University

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology

Kaihang Wang

Caltech

Assistant Professor

Kaihang Wang

Caltech

Assistant Professor

Bijan Harandi

Grivpan Space

Founder

Bijan Harandi

Grivpan Space

Founder

Ellen Chang

CapZone

Managing Director

Ellen Chang

CapZone

Managing Director

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

COO

Julie O'Shaughnessy

Vivodyne

COO

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director

Laura Kliman

Impossible Foods

Senior R&D Director

Alexandra Boelrijk

Kerry Group

Global Senior R&D Director ProActive Health

Alexandra Boelrijk

Kerry Group

Global Senior R&D Director ProActive Health

Tim Friede

Centivax

Director of Herpetology

Tim Friede

Centivax

Director of Herpetology

Jim West III

BioTools Innovator

Associate Director

Jim West III

BioTools Innovator

Associate Director

Sierra Lore

Buck Institute

Doctoral Student

Sierra Lore

Buck Institute

Doctoral Student

Samuel King

Stanford University

Bioengineering Phd Candidate

Samuel King

Stanford University

Bioengineering Phd Candidate

Huafeng Xu

Atommap

Founder and CEO

Huafeng Xu

Atommap

Founder and CEO

Aryé Elfenbein

Wildtype

Co-founder

Aryé Elfenbein

Wildtype

Co-founder

Kid Parchariyanon

SeaX Ventures.

Managing Partner

Kid Parchariyanon

SeaX Ventures.

Managing Partner

Vayu Hill-Maini

Stanford University

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Vayu Hill-Maini

Stanford University

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Vanessa Braunstein

Eli Lilly

Sr. Director, Tunelab

Vanessa Braunstein

Eli Lilly

Sr. Director, Tunelab

Adrian Woolfson

Genyro

President and CEO

Adrian Woolfson

Genyro

President and CEO

Nathan Wolfe

Advanced Research and Invention Agency

Programme Director

Nathan Wolfe

Advanced Research and Invention Agency

Programme Director

Colwyn Headley

Stanford University

Instructor

Colwyn Headley

Stanford University

Instructor

Jon Brestoff

University of Washington

Asst. Professor

Jon Brestoff

University of Washington

Asst. Professor

David Hallett

Recursion

Chief Scientific Officer

David Hallett

Recursion

Chief Scientific Officer

Rongzhen Tian

Okapi Bioscience

Co-Founder & CEO

Rongzhen Tian

Okapi Bioscience

Co-Founder & CEO

Karl Handelsman

Codon Capital

Managing Partner

Karl Handelsman

Codon Capital

Managing Partner

Omri Amirav-Drory

NFX

General Partner

Omri Amirav-Drory

NFX

General Partner

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Eric Bennett

Frontier Bio

CEO

Jacob Glanville

Centivax

CEO

Jacob Glanville

Centivax

CEO

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Hoover Institution Science and Senior Fellow and Martin Family Fellow in Undergraduate Education for Bioengineering

Drew Endy

Stanford University

Hoover Institution Science and Senior Fellow and Martin Family Fellow in Undergraduate Education for Bioengineering

Jenny Rooke

Genoa Ventures

Managing Director

Jenny Rooke

Genoa Ventures

Managing Director

Ola Wlodek

Constructive Bio

CEO

Ola Wlodek

Constructive Bio

CEO

Pardis Sabeti

Sherlock Biosciences

Professor

John Cumbers

SynBioBeta

Founder & CEO

Douglas Crawford

Mission Bay Capital

General Manager, Managing Partner

Isabelle Decitre

ID Capital

Founder

Amy Trejo

Procter & Gamble Company

Director, Hair Care Sustainability

Relly Brandman

A-Life

Moonshot Lead

Jamie Bacher

Huxley Project

Principal

Kit McDonnell

Superorganism

Head of Ecosystem

Previous Speakers Include

Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer

Jennifer

Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer

Jennifer

Sam Altman

Sam

Sam

Sam Altman

Sam

Sam

Steve Wozniak

Steve

Steve

Steve Wozniak

Steve

Steve

Vinod Khosla

Vinod

Vinod

Vinod Khosla

Vinod

Vinod

Frances Arnold

Frances

Frances

Frances Arnold

Frances

Frances

Eric Schmidt

Eric

Eric

Eric Schmidt

Eric

Eric

Kate Rubins

Kate

Kate

Kate Rubins

Kate

Kate

Craig Venter

Craig

Craig

Craig Venter

Craig

Craig

Christina Smolke

Christina

Christina

Christina Smolke

Christina

Christina

George Church

George

George

George Church

George

George

Thomas Bostick

Thomas

Thomas

Thomas Bostick

Thomas

Thomas

Ro Khanna

Ro

Ro

Ro Khanna

Ro

Ro

Peter Diamandis

Peter

Peter

Peter Diamandis

Peter

Peter

Drew Endy

Drew

Drew

Drew Endy

Drew

Drew

Kevin Scott

Kevin

Kevin

Kevin Scott

Kevin

Kevin

Cathie Wood

Cathie

Cathie

Cathie Wood

Cathie

Cathie

Hermann Hauser

Hermann

Hermann

Hermann Hauser

Hermann

Hermann

Oliver Morton

Oliver

Oliver

Oliver Morton

Oliver

Oliver

Daphne Koller

Daphne

Daphne

Daphne Koller

Daphne

Daphne

Pardis Sabeti

Pardis

Pardis

Pardis Sabeti

Pardis

Pardis

Emily Leproust

Emily

Emily

Emily Leproust

Emily

Emily

Jay Keasling

Jay

Jay

Jay Keasling

Jay

Jay

Thomas Knight

Thomas

Thomas

Thomas Knight

Thomas

Thomas

Eben Bayer

Eben

Eben

Eben Bayer

Eben

Eben

Esther Dyson

Esther

Esther

Esther Dyson

Esther

Esther

Jim Collins

Jim

Jim

Jim Collins

Jim

Jim

Lora Kolodny

Lora

Lora

Lora Kolodny

Lora

Lora

D.A. Wallach

D.A.

D.A.

D.A. Wallach

D.A.

D.A.

Gavin Newsom

Gavin

Gavin

Gavin Newsom

Gavin

Gavin

George Whitesides

George

George

George Whitesides

George

George

Eleni Kounalakis

Eleni

Eleni

Eleni Kounalakis

Eleni

Eleni

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Gaurab

Gaurab

Gaurab Chakrabarti

Gaurab

Gaurab

Jeanne Loring

Jeanne

Jeanne

Jeanne Loring

Jeanne

Jeanne

Alison Snyder

Alison

Alison

Alison Snyder

Alison

Alison

Jason Kelly

Jason

Jason

Jason Kelly

Jason

Jason

Ron Weiss

Ron

Ron

Ron Weiss

Ron

Ron

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