Executive Breakfast at SLAS 2026

Monday, February 9, 2026 (7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. US/Eastern)
Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center
415 Summer St.
Boston, MA

**Please be sure to hit SUBMIT during the final registration step. You are successfully registered when you receive an email confirmation from info@thealda.org.

Join the ALDA community for our Executive Breakfast at SLAS 2026 in Boston. Come together with peers to discuss top-of-mind issues and hear from our guest speaker: Chris Voigt, PhD, Professor and Head of the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT. 

Genetic Circuits and Programming Biological Systems

Synthetic biology is entering a new phase where biological systems can be designed, constructed, and tested with far greater precision. Chris Voigt, Professor and Head of the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT, will share an overview of his group’s work in genetic circuit design and the engineering of programmable biological systems. His research explores how cells can be equipped with logic, control functions, and coordinated behaviors through carefully designed genetic programs.

For senior leaders in the life science tools, automation, and diagnostics, this session offers an opportunity to understand where the field is heading and how emerging approaches to engineering biology may shape future research workflows. Prof. Voigt will discuss current directions in circuit design, broader applications of synthetic biology, and the scientific and technical challenges that define the next stage of the field’s development. Because the design and evaluation of genetic circuits depend on iterative testing and precise measurement, Prof. Voigt will also highlight how these research approaches intersect with high-throughput experimentation and related screening technologies.

This session is part of ALDA’s annual breakfast held during SLAS and is designed for ALDA member company senior executives.

About Prof. Chris Voigt

Prof. Chris Voigt is a leading figure in biological engineering whose work spans synthetic biology, genetic circuit design, and next-generation biotechnologies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Caltech, followed by postdoctoral research in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley. He began his faculty career in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UC San Francisco before joining MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering in 2011, where he is now a professor shaping the future of the field.

Please note that while registration is complimentary, it is also required to assist with planning for adequate food, beverage, and seating for this event.

IMPORTANT NOTE: SLAS requests that every person attending our breakfast be registered for the SLAS Conference. If you plan to attend the ALDA breakfast but not the SLAS conference, please reach out to us directly.

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