An international gathering of biological engineers, cell biologists, and affiliated scientists will discuss breakthroughs in optogenetics research, and how these technologies are translating to real-world applications, impacting healthcare, industry, and other areas, at the 3rd Optogenetic Technologies and Applications Conference, to be held December 1–3, 2022, at the Heidelberg Marriott Hotel in Heidelberg, Germany.
Presented by the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) — a technical subsidiary of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) — the Optogenetic Technologies and Applications Conference will bring together subject matter experts from academia and industry to examine approaches in neuronal and non-neuronal optogenetics, as well as in materials science and unicellular organisms. Sessions at the conference will showcase how optogenetic approaches are being promoted to clinical translation across the life sciences.
Optogenetics is a biological technique that can be used to precisely control and monitor the biological functions of a cell, group of cells, tissues, or organs by using optical systems and genetic engineering technologies. Certain cells — for example, neurons within the brain — can be activated or deactivated via light signaling, allowing researchers to better understand the functionality of these cells and find ways to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Sessions at the conference will address topics including optogenetics in biomedicine, cell signaling, and neuroscience — providing attendees with insights into the scientific research done by the optogenetic community. The conference will highlight how various neurodegenerative diseases can be treated with optogenetics, while sessions such as one related to biotechnology application in optogenetics will allow the audience to understand how the research is being adopted in industry.
Among many speakers, keynotes talks will be presented by Edward Boyden, a professor of biological engineering and neurotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Sonja Kleinlogel, a professor and biochemist in the translational optogenetics group at the University of Bern.
The Optogenetic Technologies and Applications Conference is one event in a slate of SBE specialty conferences that cover topics pertinent to chemical and biochemical engineers in the biotechnology space. Complete program and registration information for the Optogenetics Conference is available at www.aiche.org/opto.
For details about AIChE’s full roster of conferences, visit www.aiche.org/conferences-events.
About AIChE: AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.
About SBE: Established in 2004, the Society for Biological Engineering is a technological community for engineers and applied scientists integrating biology with engineering. Members of SBE come from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines and share in SBE’s mission of realizing the benefits of bioprocessing, biomedical and biomolecular applications. http://www.aiche.org/sbe.