IWBDA 2026

Conference Date

June 18-20, 2026

Conference Location

University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309

Important Dates

Abstract Submission

April 3, 2026

Notice of Acceptance

May 1, 2026

Call for Papers

Join us for the 18th annual IWBDA meeting in Boulder, CO, June 18-20, 2026. This year, IWBDA will take place immediately after SEED 2026 and will include presentation and poster talks selected from submitted abstracts, Birds of a Feather discussions, and breakout sessions on selected topics. We aim to bring together academic researchers and industry partners to push the field of bio-design automation for synthetic biology forward. The field of biology is still lagging behind the industry when it comes to implementation and adoption of computational and digital solutions. This is primarily because it is extremely difficult to offer a one-size-fits-all solution to engineer biology. Some BDA solutions serve as templates for a larger problem; however, to make them usable in a practical setting, the solutions often have to be redesigned for bespoke biological workflows. Without understanding the requirements of the broader synthetic biology community, it is hard to design a solution that can have a wider impact. Increasing the efficiency of biological processes and workflows with biodesign automation is a continuous journey that requires fresh exchange of ideas. It is crucial for the BDA community to have a forum where they can collaborate, gather new perspectives, and understand the requirements of the broader synthetic biology community. IWBDA provides this forum for cross-disciplinary discussion, with the aim of seeding and fostering collaboration between the researchers from the synthetic biology, systems biology, and design automation communities.

Topics of Interest

Design methodologies for synthetic biology
Standardization of biological components
Biosecurity in lab automation processes
Biopreparedness through bio-design automation
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in synthetic biology
Computer aided design tools and automation for engineering biology
Biofoundries and their impact on synthetic biology
Formalized protocol capture
Design Build Test Case studies
Synthetic Biology education and outreach

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts and workshop proposals must be submitted via EasyChair. Submissions cannot exceed two pages (excluding figures and tables). If you do not have an EasyChair account, please create one by following the instructions specified here.

All abstracts must use the IWBDA template and must not exceed two pages excluding the figures and tables. The following versions of the template are available for use:

All abstracts will undergo a single-blind peer review process on EasyChair. The accepted abstracts will be invited to present their work as a poster or a talk at the conference.

We encourage abstracts for posters and/or talks at IWBDA 2026 on ongoing research that may be submitted as a full journal paper later. We are currently in talks with ACS Synthetic Biology to set up a special issue on bio-design automation for such extended journal submissions. For the full CFP and the latest information, please visit: https://www.iwbdaconf.org

Registration

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Contact Us

Interested in participating, organizing, or sponsoring IWBDA or Bio Innovation Week? Reach out to us for more information on how you can get involved in IWBDA, IWBMA, the Nona Works Hackathon, or SBOL Workshops. We look forward to hearing from you!