SynBYSS

The International SynBYSS Conference is focused on bringing together the synthetic biology community with the explicit goal of developing young scientists worldwide. As early-career synthetic biology researchers begin their own research, there are few conferences that provide an opportunity for them to express their ideas, network effectively, or collaborate widely. Moreover, these young practitioners are an increasingly diverse group without obvious representation.

The 3rd International SynBYSS Conference will be held May 29 – June 1, 2028 at Kobe University Convention Hall in Kobe, Japan. Mark your calendar!

Thank you to Nozomu Yachie, Tomohisa Hasunuma and colleagues for hosting us! Additional details will be posted here as they become available.

Previous conferences

The SynBio Young Speaker Series (SynBYSS) was started as a virtual weekly seminar in August 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic by Tae Seok Moon, Ph.D. to highlight contributions by synthetic biology postdocs and junior faculty. Each SynBYSS session features a rising star, paired with a luminary like Jim Collins, Jay Keasling, or Frances Arnold. The series has now evolved to include an in-person conference. Among the goals of the seminar series and conference are to highlight the contributions of and provide networking opportunities for early-career synthetic biologists.

The SynBYSS Seminar Series takes place weekly, highlighting the contributions by synthetic biology postdocs and junior faculty. Each SynBYSS session features a rising star, paired with a luminary like Jim Collins, Jay Keasling, or Frances Arnold. The series was born out of the need to provide a platform for young researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, most of the limited talk spots were given to senior faculty members, depriving young researchers of the opportunity to share their work in conferences and seminars.

The series was started in August 2021, and has allowed nearly 200 young researchers with talk opportunities. It has been enthusiastically supported by global pioneers in the community (including a Nobel laureate and 21 National Academy members), 23 US/EU government and private funders, 9 high-impact journals, and 20 editors-in-chief. The weekly, free seminar series will continue at least until 2025. An archive of past talks is available on YouTube.