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The �鶹��Ѱ����� will host the 18th annual��(IWBDA) on June 18-20. IWBDA will be held immediately following the Synthetic Biology: Engineering, Evolution & Design (SEED) Conference, which will be held in Denver from June 15-18.

Graduate and undergraduate students at a synthetic biology outreach event led by the Genetic Logic Lab at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder.��

“Hosting IWBDA is a great opportunity for our faculty and students to engage with world-class researchers and industry leaders in the emerging field of synthetic biology,” said Chris Myers, department chair of electrical, computer and energy engineering. “We look forward to forming new collaborations that will move this exciting field forward.”

Synthetic biology involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities. Scientists around the world are harnessing synthetic biology to solve the pressing problems in medicine, manufacturing and agriculture.

For example, microorganisms can be engineered to clean pollutants from water, soil and air that are essential in the fight against environmental contamination. In agriculture, scientists have modified rice to produce beta-carotene, a nutrient typically associated with carrots, helping to prevent vitamin A deficiency in populations that rely heavily on rice as a dietary staple.

However, synthetic biology faces a significant challenge where the field has lagged behind other industries when it comes to adopting computational and digital solutions. Unlike software engineering, where standardized tools and workflows are common, biological systems are highly complex and variable. A solution that works for one organism or process often must be completely redesigned for another.

This is where biodesign automation (BDA) comes in. BDA applies the principles of engineering and computer science to streamline and accelerate biological research and development.��

By developing innovative software tools, standardized components and automated workflows, researchers aim to make synthetic biology faster, more reproducible and accessible.��

IWBDA pushes the mission forward bringing synthetic biology, systems biology and design automation communities together for stronger collaboration.��

What to expect at the SEED conference

(SEED) is the premier technical conference for the synthetic biology community, serving as a global venue to share transformative breakthroughs across academia and industry.��

The conference highlights how advances such as artificial intelligence and biological engineering are accelerating the field faster than ever.

Covering synthetic biology from its scientific foundations to its commercial applications, SEED offers attendees insight into development strategies from leaders in research, biomanufacturing and product innovation.��

Whether participants focus on research and development, commercialization or bringing discoveries into real-world impact, SEED provides significant networking opportunities for those engaged in the synthetic biology community. ��

By attending both SEED and IWBDA, participants gain an opportunity to engage in technical workshops, as well as hands-on design automation strategies for individuals in research, academic and industry.

Get the scoop about IWBDA 2026

IWBDA aims to bring academic researchers and industry partners together to lead the field of biodesign automation for synthetic biology forward.

This year’s��, led by the��Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering (ECEE), takes place immediately following the SEED conference, held in Boulder which is less than 40 miles from Denver, making the two events a natural pairing for attendees traveling to Colorado for the week.

IWBDA will include presentations and poster talks selected from submitted abstracts, Birds of a Feather discussions and interactive breakout sessions.��

Topics will span artificial intelligence and machine learning in synthetic biology, biosecurity considerations in lab automation, the growing role of biofoundries, computer-aided design tools and synthetic biology education and outreach.

Keynote speakers include Dr.�� of MIT and Dr.�� of Duke University, both prominent researchers in the intersection of engineering and biological sciences.

Hands-on tutorials

For those who want to dive deeper before the main workshop, IWBDA tutorials will be held June 13-14 in Boulder.��

These two days hands-on sessions are designed to give faculty, researchers, industry members and students practical experience with synthetic biology software tools and to close the gap between tool developers and experimental biologists.

Parallel tracks will be offered for both users and developers, allowing attendees to tailor their experience to their skill level and interests.

The user track will guide participants through a complete synthetic biology workflow using open-source tools, while the developer track will introduce libraries and resources for building standard-enabled synthetic biology software.��