ASM-SIAT Symposium on Microbes in Biotechnology

ASM-SIAT Symposium on Microbes in Biotechnology

Dec. 2, 2025

Last week, ASM and the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, co-hosted the ASM-SIAT Symposium on Microbes in Biotechnology. Building on the foundation of last year's inaugural event at Tsinghua University, this year's symposium brought together leading scientists from around the world for 2 days of discussion, discovery and collaboration.

ASM leaders and staff at the ASM-SIAT Symposium. Across the program, more than 300 participants explored the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, microbiome research and ecological microbiology. Talks highlighted how microbial science is transforming biomanufacturing, enabling sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals and reshaping our ability to address global challenges-from the climate crisis to human and environmental health.

Sessions, including 28 speaker presentations and 70 posters, reflected the full pipeline of modern biotechnology innovation, spanning computational prediction of metabolic pathways and microbiome function to cutting-edge approaches in bioproduction. Attendees heard from an outstanding lineup of experts, including ASM President-Elect Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., who discussed using biofilm evolution to identify traits that drive chronic infection, and Lei Dai, Ph.D., of SIAT, who presented compelling interdisciplinary research exploring the human gut microbiome. Sang Yup Lee, Ph.D., shared breakthroughs that continue to push the boundaries of microbial bioengineering, while Ashley Shade, Ph.D., highlighted new insights into ecological approaches to understanding microbial communities.

Several talks underscored just how rapidly the field is advancing. Jay Keasling, Ph.D., walked attendees through the extraordinary reconstruction of the vinblastine biosynthetic pathway, demonstrating the power of synthetic biology to reimagine natural product production. Gemma Reguera, Ph.D., connected fundamental insights from sediments to the design of biological circuits, highlighting the versatility of microbial systems. And Ning-Yi Zhou, Ph.D., offered new insight into the microbial fate of metformin in the environment. The expertise and engagement shared at the symposium was an inspiring step forward for global collaboration in microbial technology.

Explore even more of the amazing lineup of speakers in the full program.