| DAY 1 : July 23, 2025 | Activity | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 am – 8:30 am | Arrival & Registration | ||
| 8:30 am – 8:45 am | Self Introduction | ||
| 8:45 am – 8:55 am | Welcome Address | Geoffrey Otim | |
| 8:55 am – 9:00 am | Opening remarks by the Planning Committee Chair | Dr. Eric Ondari | |
| 9:00 am – 9:30 am | Partners and Stakeholder’s remarks | ||
| 9:30 am – 9:40 am | Guests of Honor Remarks | Prof. Samuel Okware Dr. Martin Kimemia Gathiru | |
| 9:40 am – 9:55 am | Special Guest of Honor Address | ||
| 9:55 am – 10:30 am | Keynote Lecture: From Lab to Market: Leveraging on safe Innovation in Synthetic Biology and AI for Africa’s Bioeconomy | Dr. Nelson Ndahiro | |
| 10:30 am – 11:00 am | Team Break & Group Photograph | ||
| SESSION 1 : Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security, Environment & Climate Solutions | |||
| 11:00 am – 11:20 am | Bridging science and society: Biotechnology driven solutions for food security and sustainable agriculture in Rwanda | Dr. Athanase Nduwumuremyi | |
| 11:20 am – 11:40 am | Biodesign for Food Resilience: Navigating the Frontiers of Synthetic Biology and Agricultural Biosecurity | Dr. Judith Okoro | |
| 11:40 pm – 12:00 pm | Progressive Synergies in Environmental and Synthetic Biology | Dr. Charlotte Ndiribe | |
| 12:00 pm – 12:20 pm | Q&A Session | ||
| 12:20 pm – 12:30 pm | Networking | ||
| SESSION 2 : Health and Longevity Innovations | |||
| 12:30 pm – 12:50 pm | Supercharged Longevity: Harnessing AI, Biotechnology, and Personalized Health for Peak Performance | Dr. Adrienne Leussa | |
| 12:50 pm – 1:10 pm | Redefining Laboratory Medicine: Advanced Molecular Pathology at the Frontier of Predictive and Preventive Health | Dr. Talkmore Maruta | |
| 1:10 pm – 1:30 pm | From Algorithms to Access: Laveraging AI Driven Drug Discovery for Equitable Healthcare in Africa | Dr. Meenaaksi Saravanan | |
| 1:30pm – 1:50pm | Q&A Session | ||
| 1:50 pm – 2:50 pm | Lunch Break | ||
| SESSION 3 : International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science ( IBBIS) Session | |||
| 3:00 pm – 3:20 pm | Mapping DNA Synthesis | Dr. Edyth Parker | |
| 3:20 pm – 3:45 pm | Interactive Session : Africa's Perspective on DNA Synthesis Screening | ||
| DAY 2 : July 24, 2025 | Activity | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| SESSION 4 : Biomathematics & Modeling | ||
| 8:40 am – 09:00 am | Using Mathematical Modeling to Understand Cell Signalling Dynamics in Populations of Proliferating Cells | Prof. Nick Monk |
| 09:40 am - 10:00 am | Q&A Session | |
| 10:00 am - 10:30 am | Tea Break | |
| SESSION 5 : Biosafety, Biosecurity & One Health | ||
| 10:30 am - 11:00 am | Cyberbiosecurity: An Emerging at the Interface of Biosafety and Biosecurity : One Health Perspectives | Prof. Lawrence Mugisha |
| 11:00 am - 12:20 pm | ||
| Panel of Discussion:
Bridging the Gap: Equity,
Biosecurity, and the 100 Days Mission
CEPI SESSION | Panelists: Dr. Talkmore Maruta, Dr. Adrienne Leussa, Dr. Judith Okolo, Mr.Aggrey Aluso Moderators: Onyeka Nwosu Dr. Claire Standley | |
| SESSION 6 : Biomanufacturing & Bio-Enterprises | ||
| 12:20 pm - 12:40 pm | Diagnostics and Vaccine Manufacturing and Bioeconomy: Opportunities and Challenges | Dr. Kato Charles Draga |
| 12:40 pm - 1:00 pm | Development of Gas Fermentation Technology for Syngas-to-biofuel Conversion: A Waste-to-value Biomanufacturing Approach Toward a Circular Carbon Bioeconomy | Geoffrey Otim |
| 1:00 pm - 1:20 pm | Characterization of Novel Biocatalysts with Unique Properties Towards a Sustainable Biocatalysis | Dr. Henry Madubuike |
| 1:20 pm - 1:30 pm | Q&A Session | |
| 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm | Lunch Break | |
| SESSION 7 : Computational Biology & AI | ||
| 2:30 pm - 2:50 pm | Equipping Biotechnologists with AI Tools for Transformative Biological Discoveries | Dr. Kennedy Chepukosi |
| 2:50 pm – 3:10 pm | 4D-Bioinformatics : The Catalyst for Transforming Drug Discovery | Dr. Amel Ebasyouni |
| 3:10 pm – 3:30 pm | Artificial Intelligence in the Risk Assessment of Modern Biotechnology | Dr. Justin Overcash |
| 3:30 pm - 3:40 pm | Q&A Session | |
| 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm | Breakout Session III | |
| 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm | Breakout Session IV | |
| 5:00 pm – 5:15 pm | Announcement & Networking | |
| 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Dinner Night | |
| DAY 3 : July 25, 2025 | Activity | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| SESSION 8 : Bioethics, Policy, Regulation & Communication | ||
| 08:40 am – 09:00 am | Application of the CBD voluntary guidelines in the risk assessment of gene drive organisms | Dr. Charles Mugoya |
| 09:00 am – 09:20 am | Strengthening Biosecurity Governance and Regulations in Africa: A Priority in the Era of Pandemics and AI | Dr. Thokozani Nyasulu-Liwewe |
| 09:20 am – 09:40 am | ||
| 09:40 am – 10:00 am | Science Communication | |
| 10:00 am - 10:20 am | Q&A Session | |
| 10:20 am - 11:00 am | Tea Break & Networking | |
| 1:45 pm – 2:00 pm | ASSB Annual Meeting & Awards | |
| 12:00 pm - 12:15 pm | Women in Synthetic Biology (WisBA) (Progress Report) | Wendy Dogbegah |
| 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm | Panel of Discussion with Policy Makers | |
| 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm | Start-Up Session | |
| 1:45 pm - 2:20 pm | Closing Ceremony | |
| 2:30 pm | Lunch | |
Sponsors & Exhibitors
SBA4.0 will discuss Synthetic Biology AI Biosecurity Bioinformatics Biomathematics Modelling Bioethics Policy Regulation Biosafety Biosecurity One Health Biomanufacturing Bioeconomy Health Longevity Biomedicine Climate Environmental Sustainability Sustainable Agricultural Innovation Food Security
The SBA 4.0 conference will serve as a platform for fostering connections among industry, academia, community groups, and policymakers. It will showcase innovative applications of synthetic biology and AI, and highlight ongoing efforts in biomathematics, biomanufacturing, one-health, biosafety and biosecurity. It will also facilitate networking and information exchange. Key focus areas include tackling agriculture, health, environmental management, and industry challenges. In Africa, synthetic biology is poised to drive the national development agenda by promoting a sustainable bioeconomy, supporting health and agricultural systems, and aiding environmental conservation and restoration. This event will provide a vital opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and strategize the integration of synthetic biology innovations, address policy, legal frameworks, and communicate the benefits of the technology.