Foresight Designing Molecular Machines Workshop

July 10 & 11

@IndieBio in San Francisco

co-chaired by

Goal

Many areas within the molecular machines field could be sped up via advancements on the software and simulation-side. This two-day workshop invites a select group of specialists in software and simulation to apply their skills to help those tackling the challenges of constructing atomically-precise 3D structures, including pathways using chemistry, applied physics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and engineering.

Format

Presentations on open challenges in the molecular machines field and relevant advances in software tools. Smaller groups form around selected topics to determine the work required to make progress. Project proposal sketches are generated, including scope of work, budget, relevant collaborators and timeline. Present funders may help in a mentorship role. Smaller workshops to hash out promising proposals may follow.

What to expect

In addition to the main programming; mentorship hours, socials, and open breakout-spaces. In addition to benefiting from tech transfer across fields, and forming lasting collaborations with other leading scientists, entrepreneurs, and funders around shared goals, this workshop may unlock novel paths for long-term progress in the field.

Workshop Video Summaries

Benjamin Reinhardt, CEO of PARPA | Functional Nanoscale Systems

Allison Duettmann, President of Foresight Institute | Presentations: Opening Remarks

Adam Marblestone, CEO of Convergent Research | Design Tools

Erik Benson, researcher at Oxford University | Nanoscale Machinery from DNA

Stephane Redon, CEO of OneAngstrom | SAMSON Connect

Andrew Turberfield, Oxford Professor | Software-Facilitated Design Atomically Precise Manufacture

Brenda Rubenstein, Professor at Brown University | The Indispensible Missing Link: Molecular Wiring

Jacob Swett, previously a scientist at Arizona State University | There’s Plenty of Room in the Middle

Alexis Courbet, researcher at University of Washington | Computational Design of Genetically Encodable Nanomachines

MSEP

Self-driving Gliders for Programmable Routing of Microscopic Cargo

Christian Schafmeister, Professor at Temple University | Atomically Precise Catalysts

Erik Poppleton, Researcher at Arizona State University | Building an Integrated Software Environment for DNA/RNA Design

Platform for 3D Manufacturing

Molecular Additive Manufacturing

Controlling the Motion of DNA Gliders

Erik Drexler, Cofounder of Foresight Institute | MSEP: What, Why, and How?

Allison Duettmann, President of Foresight Institute | Presentations: Closing Remarks

Programmable Blood Clotting

Linna An, postdoc at University of Washington | De Novo Design of Small Molecule Binding Proteins

Alexis Courbet, University of Washington | Towards the Computational Design of Genetically Encodable Nanomachines

Xinru Wang, postdoc at University of Washington | Design of Receptor Binding Proteins

Anna Balazs, University of Pittsburgh | Chemically Active, Elastic Sheets as Micro-Scale Motors

Adapting and Evolving Materials

Oleg Gang, Professor at Columbia University | Digitizing Nanoscale Assembly

Chris Wintersinger, Program Manager at PARPA | Functional Nanoscale Systems in Bionanotechnology

Universal Constructor

William Shih, Harvard Professor | Multi-Micron Crisscross Structures Grown from DNA-Origami Slats

Shawn Douglas, Professor at University of California San Francisco | Nanoscale Instruments for Visualizing Small Proteins

Confirmed invitees include

Agenda

Saturday, July 9

06:00 – 8:00 pm
Informal workshop predrinks @Biergarten, 424 Octavia Street, SF

Sunday, July 10

9 am – 9 pm: Workshop, dinner, and social @IndieBio, 479 Jessie Street, SF

09:00 – 10:00 am
Arrival & Networking

10:00 – 10:30 am
Intro

Allison Duettmann, Foresight Institute
Adam Marblestone, Astera Institute
Benjamin Reinhardt, PARPA

10:30 – 12:00 am
Presentations

William Shih, Harvard University
Jonathan Blow, Number None
Chris Wintersinger, PARPA
Bret Victor, Dynamicland
Shawn Douglas, UCSF
Chris Schafmeister, Temple University
Niamh Gavin, FutureMatter

12:00 – 01:00 pm
Lunch (mentorship pairings)

01:00 – 02:30 pm
Presentations

Anna Balazs, University of Pittsburgh
Jacob Swett, previous Arizona State University
Andrew Turberfield, University of Oxford
Erik Poppleton, Arizona State University
Alexis Courbet, University of Washington
Brenda Rubenstein, Brown University
Oleg Gang, Columbia University

02:30 – 03:00 pm
Break

03:00 – 05:00 pm
Presentations

Basile Wicky, University of Washington
Erik Benson, Oxford University
Linna An, University of Washington
Stephane Redon, One Angstrom
Tyler Ross, Matteo Guareschi, Caltech
Eric Drexler, Oxford University

05:00 – 06:00 pm
Select top topics for working groups

06:00 – 07:00 pm
Dinner

07:00 – 09:00 pm
Drinks & breakouts

Yu-Shan Lin, Tufts University
Open for proposals

Monday, July 11

9 am – 4 pm: Workshop @IndieBio, 479 Jessie Street, SF

09:00 – 09:30 am
Arrival & Networking

09:30 – 12:30 pm
Working groups on selected topics

12:30 – 01:00 pm
Lunch (mentorship pairings)

01:00 – 03:00 pm
Group presentations

03:00 – 03:30 pm
Public vote & next steps

04:00 – 06:00 pm
Optional workshop aftershow drinks