IBE Industry Connections Seminar Series
The IBE Industry Connections Seminar Series is a dynamic platform designed to bridge the gap between cutting-edge biological engineering research and its real-world applications in industry. Each seminar will feature thought leaders, innovators, and professionals from across biotech, pharma, medical devices, agriculture, and beyond. Through engaging talks and discussions, speakers will share insights on translating research into impactful solutions, navigating career paths outside academia, and fostering innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Whether you're a student, researcher, or industry professional, join us to explore the future of biological engineering—and connect with those shaping it.
Dr. Natalie Kuldell: Founder of BioBuilder Educational Foundation
August 5, 2025 at 2 PM EST
Abstract:
As the bioeconomy grows, so does the need for innovative and inclusive life science education. The BioBuilder Educational Foundation is a nonprofit founded at MIT that aims to meet this challenge by equipping high school students and teachers with engaging, project-based synthetic biology and biotechnology curricula. Since 2011, BioBuilder has reached over 65,000 students and teachers across 49 U.S. states and 66 countries.
This talk will introduce BioBuilder’s core programs—including the BioBuilderClub, summer internships, and hands-on Learning Labs—as well as its newest workforce initiative, BioTechBuilder. Together, these offerings create accessible pathways into biotech careers for students from all backgrounds, including those who may not pursue a traditional four-year college degree.
We’ll also explore how BioBuilder addresses key chokepoints in the education-to-workforce pipeline: increasing student engagement in science, supporting educators with high-quality resources, and building partnerships with industry and community colleges. Early data from longitudinal studies and program impact assessments will highlight BioBuilder’s scalable contributions to STEM learning and job readiness.
Designed for educators, researchers, and students alike, this session offers a model for how biological engineering can be taught in ways that are both rigorous and inclusive -- broadening participation in the workforce and empowering students to pursue meaningful, well-paying careers—with or without a traditional four-year degree.
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Kuldell: Founder of BioBuilder Educational Foundation
Title: BioBuilder and BioTechBuilder: Transforming Life Science Education for a More Inclusive Bioeconomy
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 5 at 2:00 PM EST
Location: Join via Zoom
About the Speaker:
Dr. Natalie Kuldell is a molecular biologist and educator who has combined these two parts of her career into the BioBuilder Educational Foundation, a nonprofit she founded in 2011. BioBuilder provides exposure to real-world STEM applications and industry-relevant skills to ready the largest and most diverse group of students for college and careers in science. Over the last 14 years, BioBuilder has provided content and programs in 49 states and over 66 countries, impacting approximately 65,000 students, teachers, and industry professionals. This year, BioBuilder launched a second curricular offering to complement its problem-based learning modules. This new curriculum, BioTechBuilder, is more directly connected to skills-based training, enabling students to earn a recognizable certification that speaks to their mastery of some fundamental lab techniques. The curriculum won the 2024 Educator’s Choice “Best of STEM” award for Career and Technical Education curriculum.
BioBuilder's laboratory kits are distributed by Carolina Biological Supply Company and are used by 1000s of students each year. BioBuilder's textbook was published by O’Reilly Media in 2015 and has since been translated into multiple languages including Russian and Japanese. BioBuilder opened a community lab in Kendall Square’s LabCentral in 2017, a second in 2021 inside Ginkgo Bioworks, and a third in Allston Labworks in February of this year.
Dr. Kuldell studied Chemistry as an undergraduate at Cornell, completed her doctoral and postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, and taught at Wellesley College before joining the Department of Biological Engineering faculty at MIT in 2003. She is the 2020 recipient of the Margret and H.A. Rey Curiosity Award and the Million Women Mentors STEM Trailblazer Award.
David Heller: Co-founder of C16 Biosciences
May 21, 2025 at 2 PM EST
About the Speaker:
David Heller is the co-founder of C16 Biosciences, a biotechnology company pioneering sustainable, microbial production of fats and oils. At C16, David has led the development of the company’s bioprocessing platform from early-stage research through pilot and commercial-scale manufacturing, with a focus on replacing environmentally harmful tropical oils. He earned his B.S. in Biological Engineering from MIT, where he conducted research in the lab of Dr. Robert Langer on drug delivery systems for gastrointestinal diseases. In 2017, he co-founded C16 Biosciences alongside Shara Ticku and Harry McNamara. His work sits at the intersection of metabolic engineering, industrial biotechnology, and sustainability, and reflects the growing role of biological engineering in addressing global supply chain and climate challenges.
Speaker: David Heller, Co-Founder of C16 Biosciences
Title: Decarbonization through Biomanufacturing: Sustainable Production of Next-Generation Fats and Oils
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 21 at 2:00 PM EST
Location: Join via Zoom
Abstract:
The production of fats and oils is central to global supply chains in food, personal care, and home care industries. However, the cultivation of conventional sources such as palm and coconut oil is a major driver of deforestation, biodiversity loss, human rights issues and greenhouse gas emissions. As global demand for these commodities grows, there is a critical need for sustainable production methods that decouple supply from land use and environmental degradation.
This talk will examine the potential of microbial fermentation as a scalable, sustainable alternative to traditional fat and oil production. Using C16 Biosciences as a case study, the presentation will explore the development of a biomanufacturing platform capable of producing high-performance lipid ingredients through yeast fermentation. Key themes include strain engineering, bioprocess development, and the transition from lab-scale research to commercial-scale manufacturing. The talk will also address the broader role of synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology in reshaping essential ingredient supply chains. By leveraging advances in biological engineering, it is possible to reduce dependence on extractive agricultural systems and enable a more sustainable and resilient future for ingredient manufacturing.