Ginkgo Bioworks Previews Today's Annual Ferment Conference

Rhea-AI Summary

Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) hosted its annual conference, Ferment, on October 28, 2021, gathering key stakeholders from the synthetic biology ecosystem. The event featured presentations on various topics, including biosecurity, advancements in cell therapies, and the future of synthetic biology. Notable discussions included a keynote from co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly and insights from industry leaders like Arie Belldegrun and Scott Gottlieb. Following the event, videos and additional information will be available on Ginkgo's investor website.

Positive

• The conference brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, enhancing networking opportunities.
• Showcases advancements in synthetic biology and cell therapies, which might attract further investment and collaboration.
• Introduction of 'cell development kits' (CDKs) offers customers easier access to Ginkgo's platform, potentially increasing revenue.

Negative

• Risks associated with uncertainty in achieving projected business growth following the merger with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp.
• Volatility in Ginkgo's stock price, influenced by competitive and regulatory challenges in the synthetic biology sector.

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, is hosting its annual conference Ferment. The conference brings together stakeholders from across the synthetic biology ecosystem and the Ginkgo community, from shareholders and customers to suppliers, academics, and many more.

The conference will feature a broad array of presentations and panels throughout the day:

• Welcome Remarks — A keynote from co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly discussing the power of biology and Ginkgo's philosophy.
  
  
• High Growth, High Stakes: Leadership in Biological Engineering — A fireside chat between co-founder and President/COO Reshma Shetty and Vertex CEO and Ginkgo Board Member Reshma Kewalramani about leadership of high growth bioengineering companies and the challenges posed by the pandemic.
  
  
• Biosecurity: Preventing the Next Pandemic — A panel of biosecurity experts moderated by Ginkgo Vice President of Business Development Renee Wegrzyn, discussing the lessons of COVID-19 and how to prevent future pandemics, featuring:
• Rick Bright, Senior Vice President of Pandemic Prevention and Response at the Rockefeller Foundation, who previously served as the Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Director of the Biomedical Advanced R&D Authority (BARDA)
• Scott Gottlieb, the 23rd Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Brandi Vann, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense Programs
• Synthetic Biology and the Cell Therapy Revolution — Shawdee Eshghi, Mammalian Program Director at Ginkgo will host a panel discussion on advancements in cell therapies and the role of synthetic biology in the future of pharma, with:
• Arie Belldegrun, the co-founder and former CEO and Chairman of Kite Pharma, the co-founder and Chairman of Allogene Therapeutics, and a Ginkgo Board Member
• David Chang, the co-founder, President, and CEO of Allogene Therapeutics
• Developing the Next Wave of Products with Synthetic Biology
• Incoming Ginkgo Director of Developer Engagement Jake Wintermute will emcee a round of lightning talks from developers building products on Ginkgo's platform, including:
• Jasmina Aganovic (CEO, Arcaea)
• Sasha Calder (Head of Sustainability, Genomatica)
• Mike Gorenstein (Chairman, Cronos Group)
• Jon McIntyre (CEO, Motif)
• Nicole Richards (CEO, Allonnia)
• Michelle Zhu (CEO, Huue)
  
• Additionally, Ginkgo's Head of Codebase, Patrick Boyle, will share how developers can access Ginkgo's platform faster and easier with "cell development kits" (CDKs), a streamlined offering for customers looking to technically de-risk projects and get started faster. Starting with fees as low as $100,000 for protein expression projects, CDKs are designed to help companies get the most out of Ginkgo's foundry and codebase quickly and easily.
• How to Predict A Revolution — Michael Specter, staff writer at the New Yorker and Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University hosts a conversation between:
• Tom Knight, co-founder of Ginkgo and the "godfather of synthetic biology"
• Cathie Wood, the founder, CEO, and CIO of ARK Invest, an investment management firm focused on disruptive innovation
• Biota Beats: The Musical Microbiome of Boston — David Kong, the head of the MIT community biotechnology initiative will present on the biota beats project, which transforms genetic datasets into musical compositions.

Videos will be made available to the public following the event, including on Ginkgo's investor website: investors.ginkgobioworks.com. Follow @ginkgo on Twitter for updates.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks 

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential for developers to access Ginkgo's platform faster and easier with "cell development kits" (CDKs) and the potential of Ginkgo's cell programming platform generally. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of Ginkgo's business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, and (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's current report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 20, 2021 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

Ginkgo Bioworks Contacts: 

INVESTOR CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com  

MEDIA CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com  

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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks

FAQ

What is the focus of Ginkgo Bioworks' Ferment conference?

The Ferment conference focuses on advancements in synthetic biology, biosecurity, and cell therapies, featuring industry leaders and key discussions.

Who were the notable speakers at Ginkgo Bioworks' Ferment conference?

Notable speakers included co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly, Vertex CEO Reshma Kewalramani, and Scott Gottlieb, former FDA Commissioner.

When was Ginkgo Bioworks' Ferment conference held?

The Ferment conference took place on October 28, 2021.

What is the purpose of cell development kits (CDKs) introduced at the conference?

CDKs are designed to simplify access to Ginkgo's platform for customers, facilitating faster project initiation with reduced technical risks.

How can investors access information from the Ferment conference?

Videos and additional information from the Ferment conference will be available on Ginkgo's investor website after the event.