Member Meeting Sessions and Agenda

The BioMADE Member Meeting will feature two full days of keynote speakers, expert panels, lightning talks, the Exhibit Hall, and networking sessions. Read on for session descriptions; click here for the at-a-glance agenda.

Schedule

• Tuesday, April 28: Check-in will open at 7:30 am; welcome and opening remarks will begin at 8:30. Opening remarks will feature Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer and VP, Innovation and R&D, at Cargill, and other special guests. There will be sessions all day, followed by happy hour sponsored by Procter & Gamble.

• Wednesday, April 29: Welcome and opening remarks will begin at 8:30. There will be sessions all day, followed by happy hour sponsored by MLC.

• Thursday, April 30: BioMADE Governance Committees meet, concluding by 1:00 pm.

Technical Sessions

• Scaling and Success in Industrial Fermentation

  Scaling a fermentation process from lab to commercial production is a well‑known challenge in bioindustrial manufacturing. Success requires understanding how bioreactor design, organism behavior, and operational constraints interact at scale and how to anticipate the surprises that inevitably arise. This session brings together experts who have navigated these complexities across diverse fermentation platforms to share practical lessons learned. Attendees will hear case studies across several common bioreactor designs, highlighting real‑world hurdles, effective strategies, and key decision points that shaped each team’s scale‑up outcomes as well as a discussion from the BioMADE Pilot Plant Network team on how the emerging network is being shaped to strengthen the ecosystem’s ability to scale successfully. A moderated panel discussion will synthesize insights across technologies to identify transferable best practices and common pitfalls. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to evaluate scale‑up risks, prepare a fermentation platform for scale, and leverage collective community knowledge to accelerate commercialization. 

• From Bench to Bioreactor: Engineering Microbial Strains That Scale

  What separates a promising strain from a commercially viable one? This panel digs into the real bottlenecks in strain development, from accessing and characterizing microbial diversity, to enabling advanced engineering approaches, to deploying strains within real-world manufacturing systems. Panelists will explore how to design strains with scale in mind, navigate pilot transitions, and avoid costly late-stage surprises. Walk away with practical strategies for accelerating strain development from lab success to commercial reality.

• Cell-Free: Where it is and Where it's Going

  This session is designed to provide insight into the nascent field of cell-free bioindustrial manufacturing. Hear from industry experts about different aspects of cell-free biomanufacturing, insights into recent technological advancements, and known benefits and hurdles. Learn how cell-free biomanufacturing can address key bottlenecks in the field, how to integrate cell-free alternatives into your processes, and about the initiative within the BioMADE ecosystem to generate a roadmap that addresses different applications of the technology.

• Bioprocess AI Innovation in Practice

  AI is a burgeoning field of interest in the broader economy and industrial biomanufacturing is no exception. Advancements are rapidly being made by BioMADE members to optimize key performance indicators and reduce operational costs in both upstream and downstream bioprocesses. This session will convene innovators in this space in a roundtable conversation to share how BioMADE members are using AI to bring value to their research and commercial operations.

• To Pivot or to Pilot: TEAs for Successful Pilot Campaigns and Future Risk Management

  Join this session to learn how techno-economic analyses (TEAs) are used to manage risk and transition across scales. How is it best to use TEA to make critical strategic decisions? Learn from industry experts who will provide examples of the techniques and analyses they employed to de-risk product investment.

• BioMADE Data Tools Portfolio: Accelerating Bioindustrial Innovation Through Digital Infrastructure

  The BioMADE Data Team will showcase a transformative suite of digital tools designed to overcome critical bottlenecks in biomanufacturing development and scale-up. We will talk about our portfolio of data products which includes:  

  • Digital Backbone: A centralized software platform to accelerate bioprocess intelligence  

  • Telescope: Intelligent supplier discovery and sourcing 

  • Domestic Infrastructure Database: A highly vetted database of domestic scale up facilities   

  We'll also share how we've used AI to prioritize applicable use cases across the synthetic biology industry. Dr. Blake Stamps, a senior scientist with Air Force Research Lab, will talk about how to collaborate with the government. 

Commercialization and Industry Perspective Sessions

• Smart Scaling: Considerations for Scaling Up Your Technology

  Moving new technologies from lab-scale to pilot-scale is an exciting step towards commercialization, and developing and executing a scale up plan can be a make-or-break activity at this critical stage in the technology development cycle. Attend this session to hear perspectives from companies who have navigated scaling up technology and come out the other side with lessons learned. Panelists will reflect on what went well, what could be done differently, and advice for others taking on similar challenges in scaling up their technology.

• Break It, Torch It, Pull It: Achieving MIL-SPEC Qualification

  Selling products or materiel to the Department of Defense requires passing rigorous military specifications testing. This government-led panel will bring together knowledgeable members who will share their expertise.  This includes members who are MIL-SPEC certified to run specific tests, and can share their resources throughout the process (testing, equipment, and calibration) and discuss partnership opportunities.  As well, members who have experience taking a product through the MIL-SPEC process will share insights and opportunities that came about through this process, including how long it took, how much material was required, and lessons learned. Go behind the curtain to learn what to expect from the MIL-SPEC process.

• The Talent Edge: Global Competition for a Biomanufacturing Workforce

  From China’s Manufacturing Innovation Centers to Europe’s portable apprenticeship systems and India’s high-volume up-skilling capability, workforce development is increasingly treated as strategic infrastructure. This session will benchmark global workforce models, assess what can translate to the U.S. context, and explore how BioMADE and its members can strengthen the American bioindustrial talent system to compete at scale, with implications for economic competitiveness and national security.

• Finding Your Full Patent-tial: How to Craft IP Strategy that Grows with You

  Navigating the landscape of intellectual property in bioindustrial manufacturing can be fraught with hazards and strategic questions. When to use trade secrets versus patents? When and how to disclose novel IP? How to safely partner, share or collaborate with other organizations while protecting IP. This session will host a conversation on how to approach primary IP decisions facing organizations both large and small.

• Policy in Practice: What Recent Bioeconomy Policy Developments Mean for Bioindustrial Manufacturing

  Biomanufacturing and biotechnology have been at the center of multiple recent policy developments elevating U.S. biotechnology leadership, driving funding for activities and infrastructure, and promoting adoption of bio-based products. During this session, attendees will hear from policy experts and bioindustrial leaders about key policy developments and how BioMADE members are responding to the moment and planning for the future.

• Matching Innovation with Demand: Developing Market-Viable Solutions for the Chemicals Value Chain

  This panel will bring together leaders across the chemicals value chain for personal care and beauty to discuss how innovators, offtakes, CPGs, and retailers can collaborate to better guide early-stage innovations toward commercialization. The panelists will provide insights into current market demand, cost-performance requirements, supply chain integration and how to work with tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, and guidance on product testing and formulation of mid-TRL technologies. Panelists will discuss innovation programs led by their companies and success stories of collaboration with emerging technology developers, highlighting themes of innovations that scaled more efficiently and products that had viable market demand. 

• Strategic Partnerships for Start-ups and Small Businesses

  This panel session will address how start-ups and small businesses can effectively build relationships with CPGs, Corporate Venture, and strategic partners. Panelists will discuss how start-ups and small businesses can diversify their growth strategy and build relationships with commercialization stakeholders. Topics will include R&D collaboration, joint development agreements, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and investment partnerships. Panelists will discuss how start-ups and small businesses can position their company as a valued partner, types of due diligence to plan for, how to integrate a strategic partnership into the company’s broader business plan, and red flags that may indicate a bad or mismatched partnership. 

Networking Opportunities

• Connect and Collaborate: Guided Networking Roundtables for Bioindustrial Leaders

  Dive deep into the trends shaping the bioindustrial landscape with this 45-minute guided networking roundtable. This session will connect industry and academic leaders through informal, high-impact conversations organized around specific industry sectors and shared areas of technical expertise.

  On Tuesday, stop by to meet others interested in TEA/LCA best practices, BioMADE’s domestic infrastructure database, AI’s impact on bioindustrial technology, building workforce development pipelines, and how to get involved with subcommittees.  

  On Wednesday, stop by the region-focused conversations to help you cultivate local partnerships, share geographic expertise, and strengthen the bioindustrial ecosystem in your area. 

• Financing Q&A Session 1: Engaging Strategic Advisors in Your Business Plan

  Learn from financing and business planning experts at these interactive Q&A sessions. Submit your questions in advance through the Member Meeting app and gain valuable insights on how to engage strategic advisors in your business plan or set your organization up for Series A/B fundraising success.    

  Come with your questions about:  

  • How to find a strategic advisor with relevant experience and a track record of success 

  • Leveraging your strategic advisor’s expertise in your R&D roadmap and business plan 

  • Best practices and effective strategies for mitigating risk 

  • Balancing company growth and cash burn 

  • Best practices and effective strategies operational efficiency 

• Financing Q&A Session 2: Planning for Series A/B Success in Challenging Times

  Learn from financing and business planning experts at these interactive Q&A sessions. Submit your questions in advance through the Member Meeting app and gain valuable insights on how to engage strategic advisors in your business plan or set your organization up for Series A/B fundraising success.    

  Come with your questions about: 

  • Mapping out your fundraising runway 

  • Data to demonstrate scalable revenue and return on investment (TEA, business plan, operations and capital expenditures) 

  • Current trends of successful Series A/B funding rounds 

  • How to leverage strategic partnerships to attract Series A/B investors 

Lightning Talks

Members are the heart of the Member Meeting – we want to feature you! This year, the Member Meeting will include sessions where members will present on their latest technologies, products, or research. If you are interested in presenting in one of these sessions, please indicate it on the registration form.

• Commercial Market-Ready Products

  Present your elevator pitch for your newest products in fibers and textiles, personal care, foods, materials or other products that will introduce consumers to bioindustrial manufacturing. Ideal for members looking for offtake agreements, brand partnerships, and end users. Be sure to include market insights and other relevant supporting data.

• Defense-Ready Products

  Share your latest products that are relevant to national security and defense, like biocement, fuels, warfighter protection, and more. Ideal for members looking to meet with representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense or larger defense contractors.

• Facilities, Equipment, and Services

  Do you have a contract manufacturing facility, downstream processing equipment, scale-up services, or infrastructure that’s available to members? Share your capabilities with potential partners through this session.

• Alternative Feedstocks

  If you’re working with alternative feedstocks like waste valorization, gas fermentation, agricultural waste, or something else, share your latest research advancements and capabilities.

• Innovations in Bioreactors, Sensors, and Modeling

  Share how your developments with new bioreactor design, novel sensors, or improved modeling are improving bioindustrial manufacturing through reduced costs, increased speed, or other benefits.

• Data and Analytics

  Do you offer software that improves product development, speeds up the search for strains, uses AI to improve biomanufacturing, or another innovative use of data? Share your tools with potential users! This session would also be relevant for companies offering Techno-Economic Analysis and/or Life Cycle Analysis services. 

• Other Emerging Technologies

  Would you like to present on something that doesn’t neatly fit into one of the categories above? Propose it here!