Speakers
After a European PhD on the humanization of the N-glycosylation of recombinant monoclonal antibodies produced in transgenic plants, Dr Muriel Bardor spent two years as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California San Diego, USA. There, she worked on the sialic acid biology in mammalian cells in Pr Ajit Varki’s glycobiology lab. In 2003, she has been appointed as an Associate professor at the University of Rouen in plant glycobiology. She performed a two years oversea period working from 2010 to 2012 as the Head of the Bioprocessing Technology Institute Analytics group in Singapore where she developed analytical methodologies to characterize finely biopharmaceuticals including biosimilars produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells. Back at the University of Rouen Normandy as a professor and junior member of the Institut Universitaire de France 2014 and deputy director of the GlycoMEV laboratory, she developed a technology aimed at using microalgae to produce recombinant proteins, including antibodies. This technology is now industrialized and exploited by Alga Biologics, the Normandy-based start-up she co-founded in November 2021 and of which she is currently president and scientific director.
Pr BARDOR Muriel has published more than 100 publications, 7 patents, given more than 40 invited talks and seminars and has developed a large network of national and international collaborations. She led national and international scientific projects (e.g. ANR KBBE, IUF, H2020…), coordinated research collaborative agreements with private institutions (MEDICAGO Inc., Agilent Technologies, SAMABRIVA…). Bonus awards for PhD supervision and excellence in science (PEDR) have been attributed to her since 2006. In 2014, she has been appointed as a junior member of the “Institut Universitaire de France” (IUF) thus reflecting the excellence of the science that she is leading.
Guillaume Boissonnat-Wu is CEO and co-founder of Pili, a pioneering industrial company in the production of sustainable bio-based dyes and pigments. A graduate of École Polytechnique and holding a PhD in organic chemistry from ESPCI Paris and Sorbonne University, he joined Pili in 2016 to structure and deploy the company’s scientific and industrial strategy. He leads the development of innovative processes combining fermentation and chemistry to produce aromatic compounds and bio-based indigo on an industrial scale. Under his leadership, Pili has raised over €35 million, consolidated its R&D and industrial infrastructure across four sites in France, and strengthened its position as a key player in sustainable chemistry.
Dr Alex Fedorec is a Lecturer in Computational Biology in the Division of Biosciences at University College London, where his group integrates computational modelling, synthetic biology, and microbial ecology to accelerate the creation of novel biological systems. His work focuses on the design and control of synthetic microbial communities by building predictive, data‑calibrated models and applying the tools of molecular and microbiology. Dr Fedorec earned his PhD in Synthetic Biology before completing post-doctoral research at UCL, always at the interface of microbiology, engineering, and mathematics. His publications span theory and application—from applying advanced machine learning approaches for the design and control of biological systems, through to the engineering of microbes for biotherapeutic and bioprocess applications, to recent advances in digital bio-computation. Before academia, he worked as a software engineer at Research in Motion (now BlackBerry), experience that informs his group’s emphasis on agile development, reproducible analytics, and robust tools. Dr Fedorec co‑founded the London SynBio Network to connect researchers and catalyse early‑career collaboration, was one of the first “rising star” speakers selected for the Synthetic Biology Young Speaker Series (SynBYSS), and has been invited to advise the UK Government Office for Science and Nuffield Council on Bioethics on the future of Engineering Biology.
Anna-Lena Heins studied biotechnology at Technical University Braunschweig with specialization in applied molecular biology and bioprocess engineering. Then, she did her Ph.D. at Technical University Denmark (DTU) investigating phenotypic population heterogeneity in bioprocesses with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli. After 1 year PostDoc at DTU in collaboration with Chr Hansen, she worked for 1,5 years in industry at Octapharma in Springe (Germany) as specialist for statistics and trending. Moving back to academia, she was for 6,5 years group leader at Technical University of Munich investigating phenotypic population heterogeneity bioprocesses at different scales. Since 2023 she is professor for bioprocess engineering heading the institute of bioprocess- and biosystems engineering at Hamburg University of Technology. Her research focuses on knowledge-based scale-up of bioprocesses and development of high-yielding, robust and self-sustaining bioprocesses. The institute is investigating microbial bioprocesses as well as cell culture processes.
Christoph Herwig, bioprocess engineer from RWTH Aachen and obtained a PhD in bioprocess identification at EPFL, Switzerland. From 2008 to 2023, he was full professor for biochemical engineering at the Vienna University of Technology. The research area focused on the development of data science methods for integrated and efficient bioprocess development along PAT and QbD principles for biopharmaceuticals. During his employments in various industries, such as with Lonza, he was deeply involved in the design and commissioning of large chemical and biopharmaceutical facilities. In 2013 he founded the company Exputec, which is now part of Körber Pharma, pioneering data science software solutions for the biopharma life cycle. Here, Christoph currently also acts as senior scientific advisor for Körber. In parallel he is serial entrepreneur catalysing bioprocess intensification and continuous bioprocessing using digital twins and control in various emerging organizations.
Michael is a Partner in Sofinnova Industrial Biotech Strategy. He joined us in 2013. His primary focus is on identifying early-stage deals in Europe and North America with applications ranging from chemicals, materials, agriculture, food, feed, and synthetic biology.
Michael is or has been on the Board of Directors of Afyren, Elicit Plant, Meiogenix, Enginzyme, Microphyt, Verley, and EnobraQ. He also served for two years as the CEO of EnobraQ, a Sofinnova Partners Green Seed Fund portfolio company.
Michael came to biotech and venture capital via science and consulting. Before joining Sofinnova, Michael spent six years in industrial biotech start-ups, in senior business development roles. He also worked in a consulting firm advising companies on strategic R&D and organizational issues. Michael is an engineer who graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Paris X Orsay University.
Pierre Monsan (77) est Professeur émérite à l’INSA, Université de Toulouse et ancien professeur de l’Ecole des Mines ParisTech (1993-2016). Il est membre de conseils d’administration et de conseils scientifiques d’entreprises. Il est membre Senior de l’Institut universitaire de France (2003-2013). Il a créé en 2012 le démonstrateur préindustriel « Toulouse White Biotechnology » (UMS INRA/INSA/CNRS), doté de 20 M€ par l’ANR. Il a été directeur général de la société Cell-Easy (Campus Santé du Futur, Toulouse), CDMO spécialisée dans le domaine des Biothérapies (2019-2024). Il est co-fondateur des sociétés BioEurope (1984àGroupe Solabia), BioTrade (1996-) et Génibio (1998àGroupe PiLeJe), membre fondateur de l’Académie des Technologies et membre de l’Académie Nationale d’agriculture. Il est membre de l’« Innovation Board » du Ministère bulgare de l’innovation et de la croissance (2020-), membre du « College of Fellows » de l’American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Docteur Honoris Causa de l’Université de Liège (Belgique) et de l’Université de Plovdiv (Bulgarie), Président Honoraire fondateur de la Fédération Française des Biotechnologies, et ancien membre du Conseil Exécutif de la Fédération Européenne de Biotechnologie (EFB). Il a présidé le CCRRDT Midi-Pyrénées (2004-2015). Il est Chevalier du Mérite et de la Légion d’Honneur, et Officier des Palmes Académiques. Son domaine scientifique est celui de la catalyse et de l’ingénierie moléculaire enzymatiques. Il est l’auteur de plus de 250 publications scientifiques, de trois ouvrages et de 65 brevets. Son facteur H est 54. Ses domaines de compétence sont la Biocatalyse, les Biotechnologies industrielles et les Biothérapies.
Ildar works as the Vice-President of corporate R&D coordination at Lallemand Inc. which is specialized in development and production of microbial cultures and their derivatives. In this capacity, he oversees the strategic direction of R&D initiatives while also managing Lallemand’s European corporate R&D teams. He also represents Lallemand in various international academic and industry organizations with mandate to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster external cooperation toward achieving organizational goals.
Dr. Rémi Pradelles, Ph.D. in Life Sciences, is a recognized expert in microalgae production and the development of bioactive ingredients, with over 15 years of experience in the field. His work has contributed to advancing the understanding and application of microalgae-derived compounds, leading to several scientific publications and patents on innovative solutions and applications. His expertise spans from bioprocess optimization to the identification and characterization of high-value bioactives for health and wellness.
As Director of Innovation at Microphyt, Dr. Pradelles oversees the development of a cutting edge product portfolio for nutritional and cosmetic applications. He plays a central role in defining the scientific and technological strategies that drive innovation, ensuring the development of natural, sustainable, and clinically supported ingredients.
Committed to scientific excellence, Dr. Pradelles actively engages with the research community and has contributed to international conferences, presenting groundbreaking work on the potential of microalgaebased bioactives. He has notably spoken at several international conferences such as the Plant Based Summit, the International Symposium of
the French Society of Cosmetology, and the Days of the French Society for the Study of Lipids, where he shared insights into the role of microalgae-derived compounds in nutrition and cosmetics. His leadership and expertise continue to shape the future of microalgae based solutions for human well-being.
