April 21, 2026
On April 8, the University of Washington Molecular Engineering and Sciences (MolES) Institute hosted a Scientific Exchange on Microbial Engineering to catalyze new collaborations, share tools and expertise, and seed pilot projects.
Held in Foege Hall, the event convened 20 scientists from the Fred Hutch , Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) , Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and University of Washington . Speakers gave five-minute lightning talks during three different sessions focused on:
Genetic Engineering, Genome Design and Synthetic Biology Microbial Physiology, Metabolism and Cellular Function Microbial Interactions, Community Dynamics and Host/Environment Interfaces
Researchers from the Seattle area gather during the Microbial Engineering Scientific Exchange held this month. During the Exchange, researchers discussed ongoing microbial engineering projects in their labs, what they aspire to solve, and opportunities for collaboration.
“The greatest challenges our world faces are bigger than any single lab or institute can solve alone,” said Suzie Pun , Washington Research Foundation Professor of Bioengineering and director of MolES. “That’s why MolES hosts these opportunities for a powerhouse of great minds in the local scientific community to meet, discuss their work and discover what’s possible by joining forces.”
“What made the UW MolES Microbial Engineering Scientific Exchange such a memorable event was the camaraderie, the generosity of the participants, and the keen desire to generate knowledge for the benefit of humanity,” said Sid Venkatesh , assistant professor at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), and UW affiliate assistant professor in the UW Department of Microbiology. “We hope that this Exchange sparks multiple collaborations and positions the MolES as a hub in the PNW for design‑scale microbial engineering,”
Along with Pun and Venkatesh, the Exchange was co-organized by Sean Gibbons , associate professor at ISB and affiliate faculty in the UW Departments of Bioengineering and Genome Sciences, and James Carothers , the Charles W.H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in the UW Department of Chemical Engineering and co-director of the UW Center for Synthetic Biology.
Following the Exchange, MolES has opened applications for catalyst funding. Two awards of $5,000 each are available. To qualify, the application team must include at least one University of Washington faculty member to receive the funding on behalf of the group.