The Synthetic Biology Conference is the world's foremost professional meeting of its kind. Launched in 2004, it brings together a global community of synthetic biology practitioners to share, learn and debate on the latest efforts in the field.

Previous conferences were hosted at leading academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Stanford University and Imperial College London.

About 800 participants are expected at this year's conference in Singapore, with more than 70 speakers presenting in 12 thematic sessions. The event will allow Singapore's synthetic biology community to forge new cross-border friendships, facilitate international collaborations and build global partnerships.

The conference, to be held from Tuesday to Friday at NUS' University Cultural Centre, is organised by NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation and the non-profit BioBricks Foundation and SynBioBeta, a community devoted to the responsible growth of the synthetic biology field.