Thursday, November 13
8:00 am Coffee & Networking
8:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Morning Workshop: Driving Faster Enzyme Engineering & Smarter Decisions with AI Innovations
Synopsis
This interactive workshop explores how AI and machine learning are transforming biocatalysis and enzyme engineering. Through a practical case study, expert presentations, and a roundtable discussion, attendees will gain insights into integrating AI tools, improving data practices, and navigating challenges in predictive modeling. The session emphasizes real-world applications, smarter experiment design, and setting priorities for the future of AI in biocatalysis.
9:00 am Unlocking AI/ML Potential Through End-to-End Data Integration
Synopsis
- Identifying which data points and screening parameters provide the most impactful information for predictive modelling
- Integrating activity and stability data in high-throughput screening to improve model accuracy
- Designing experiments that facilitate smarter AI-driven enzyme optimization
9:30 am Smart, Scalable, and Scrappy: Building Affordable AI Workflows for Enzyme Engineering with Techno-Economic Impact in a Startup Environment
Synopsis
- Making AI-driven enzyme engineering more affordable for screening of larger libraries, generating richer datasets, and improving models for higher-quality outcomes
- Building effective screening strategies within multi-enzyme cascades and using data to drive techno-economic decision making
- Navigating the IP landscape and leveraging open-source tools to enable flexible and compliant AI-driven enzyme engineering
10:00 am Session Reserved for Scala Biodesign
10:10 am Roundtable Discussion: Making Sense of AI in Biocatalysis Today & Setting Priorities for Tomorrow
Synopsis
- Examining the current limitations and challenges in AI methods for enzyme and protein design
- Exploring how companies are overcoming hurdles to make AI more practical and predictive
- Assessing the real-world viability of AI technologies and identifying next steps for advancement
10:55 am Morning Break & Networking
Exploring Untapped Enzymes & Improving Engineering Success to Enhance Industrial Biocatalysis
11:30 am Exploring Untapped Enzyme Classes for New Industrially Relevant Reactions
Synopsis
- Expanding substrate scope to unlock reactivity in underexplored enzyme classes or clades
- Leveraging high-throughput screening and engineering to develop biocatalysts for industrial applications
12:00 pm Microheterogeneity on Enzyme: Formation, Analysis and Effects of Structural Variants
Synopsis
- Understanding common mechanisms that lead to microheterogeneity, such as post-translational modifications (PTMs), degradation and modifications by reactive metabolites and excipients
- Recognizing why microheterogeneity often goes undetected and learning analytical strategies to accurately assess protein quality
- Discussing strategies to improve the success of enzyme engineering efforts by controlling microheterogeneity
12:30 pm Lunch Break
Combining Biocatalysis & Chemical Catalysis to Expand Synthetic Capabilities
1:30 pm Biocatalytic & Chemo-Enzymatic Strategies to Access Novel Amino Acids & Medicinally Relevant Small Molecules
Synopsis
- Harnessing the unique selectivity of enzymes to solve longstanding challenges in chemical synthesis
- Leveraging recent breakthroughs in enzyme engineering and genome mining to unlock new synthetic possibilities
- Developing innovative hybrid strategies that integrate biocatalysis with modern chemical methodologies for the synthesis of noncanonical amino acids and medicinally relevant molecules
2:00 pm Bridging Biological and Chemical Approaches with Chemoenzymatic Catalysis
Synopsis
- Expanding the chemical space for synthetic co-factors and engineering enzymes to utilize these novel tools
- Integrating chemical and enzymatic catalysis to develop advanced chemoenzymatic pathways
- Bridging biocatalysis with applications in commodity chemicals and pharmaceuticals to achieve shared industrial goals
2:30 pm Afternoon Break & Networking
Advancing Biocatalytic Processes for Peptide Drugs Using Protein Engineering & Cascade Reactions
3:30 pm Protein Engineering Unlocks Biocatalytic Processes for a Peptide Drug
Synopsis
- Details TBC
4:00 pm A Scalable Enzyme Cascade for the Synthesis of Non-Canonical Amino Acids in Peptide Drug Development
Synopsis
- Developing a toolbox that allows for the rapid development of non-canonical amino acids
- Leveraging cascade reactions to yield time and cost savings
- Showcasing this reaction at the 50-100g scale