More than 2,000 biotechnology experts from around the world, including four leading scholars, are gathering in Jeju to discuss the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, as well as the future of a sustainable bioindustry.
The Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering is hosting the '2026 Fall Academic Conference and International Symposium' at the Jeju International Convention Center, which runs until October 2.
The symposium, themed 'AI STAR (AI Integrated Sustainable Transformations for Advanced Robust Biotechnology),' is expected to attract over 2,000 experts from academia, industry, and government in the biotechnology field. More than 900 recent research findings will be presented across 33 specialized sessions, alongside an exhibition featuring bio companies and research institutions.
Keynote speakers include Professor Huimin Zhao from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Professor Shoji Takeuchi from the University of Tokyo, Professor Gregory Stephanopoulos from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Professor Seok-Cha Ok from Seoul National University.
Professor Zhao will present research achievements in synthetic biology, enzyme engineering, and biofoundry. His talk will cover the evolution of synthetic biology from directed evolution to AI-based autonomous experimentation, artificial enzyme design, AI-driven enzyme and metabolic engineering, and the establishment of autonomous biofoundries.
Professor Takeuchi will discuss biohybrid technologies that integrate living cells and tissues into engineered systems. His presentation will highlight the latest research in tissue engineering, 3D tissue fabrication, biohybrid robots, and cell-based biosensors.
Professor Stephanopoulos, a leading figure in metabolic engineering, will outline the future directions of biotechnology with a focus on sustainability. He will also discuss the impact of AI, next-generation sensors, and bioprocesses under unconventional conditions on industrial and medical biotechnology.
Professor Ok will focus on protein and molecular design and drug development using AI. He will introduce advancements in protein structure prediction and protein-antibody design technologies, suggesting that AI could evolve as a partner in scientific discovery by aiding in understanding biological phenomena and designing experiments.
The academic program will cover a wide range of advanced biotechnology fields, including AI, synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, and precision medicine.
A joint international symposium involving researchers from South Korea and Taiwan will discuss sustainable innovations through the convergence of AI and biotechnology. International sessions will also cover topics such as enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, cell-free synthetic biology, microbial and enzyme engineering, C1 gas utilization, and next-generation microbial engineering.
Key agenda items will include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production technologies based on biofoundries, smart material-based nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine, and technologies for controlling cellular microenvironments.
Domestic sessions will address topics such as cell culture engineering based on digital transformation, greenhouse gas reduction biotechnology, cell and gene therapy with precision delivery technologies, protein nanocage engineering, and life cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable bioresources. The AI-based biomanufacturing session will explore technologies applicable in industrial settings, from enzyme design to digital twins of bioprocesses.
A special media session organized by the Korean Science Journalists Association and the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering will feature discussions on the ethics of science reporting, biological clocks and healthy aging, and public communication of science and technology.
Han Seong-ok, president of the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, stated, "This academic conference serves as a platform for knowledge sharing to explore innovative directions for sustainable advanced biotechnology through the convergence of AI and biotechnology. We aim to contribute to the advancement of the domestic bioindustry through lectures from world-renowned scholars and exchanges among academia, industry, and research institutions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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