Bay Area Biotechnology Topical Conference at the 2016 AIChE Annual Meeting

American Institute Of Chemical Engineers, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal requests funding for a conference to be held in conjunction with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting to take place in San Francisco, CA, November 16, 2016. The Conference is entitled "Bay Area Biotechnology Topical Conference" with the goal to create a unique environment for companies and small businesses operating at the forefront of synthetic biology to come together share ideas, network with AIChE affiliates, and interface with students to educate and recruit the next generation of scientists and engineers in this area. In addition, this will include a SBIR/STTR program workshop and networking event to include current SBIR grantees and prospective small businesses interested in learning more about the SBIR/STTR programs. The proposed conference offers a unique opportunity for companies to showcase their capabilities to a diverse audience of chemical engineers from academia and industry while also identifying potential partnerships. The Workshop on SBIR/STTR grant opportunities will allow start-up companies dominating the synthetic-biology space to learn about obtaining seed funding from the NSF. Finally, through the speaker presentations, students and post-docs in attendance will connect academic exploration of synthetic biology into commercial ventures and the challenges of creating business models and identifying appropriate markets.