Biotech-Driven Soil Innovation
Engineering the Soil Microbiome as Critical Infrastructure for Agriculture
Track 4, Synthetic Biology, Alternative Proteins, Regenerative Agriculture, Food & Fiber, Biofuels

Session 1, Monday, November 2, 8 AM to 9:30 AM (ET) 

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The Core proposition:
The soil microbiome represents the largest under-leveraged biological platform on Earth, with the potential to become a multi-trillion-dollar innovation and carbon infrastructure layer.

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We will hear from companies that are developing technology, processes, and tools related to step change developments in agriculture using biological solutions. The panel will be focused on making progress with innovative or revolutionary technologies to advance agriculture. We will discuss how some of these companies are progressing. Join this diverse panel of thought leaders in using Synthetic Biology in Agriculture and delivering ideas and innovations to supply solutions.

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​Moderator: Joel Stone, President ConVergInce Advisers and President of Climate Systems Solutions 
 

Panelists:

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• Harrison Yoon, CEO – Kula Bio 

• Chris Valenti, CEO – Living Water Agriculture 

• Barrett Ersek, CEO – Holganix 

• John Uhran, CEO – Locus FS Agricultural nnovations 

• Frank Schroeder, Professor, Boyce Thompson Institute, Daniel F. Klessig Distinguished Scientist, Founder – Ascribe Bioscience 

Synthetic Biology can be harnessed to produce valuable consumer, industrial, everyday
materials, and chemicals. Soil degradation is fundamentally a biological system failure, not just
a chemical or agronomic one. The depletion of microbial diversity, collapse of symbiotic
networks, and disruption of nutrient cycling have transformed soils from self-regulating
ecosystems into input-dependent substrates.
Biotechnology enables a transition from:

 Chemical substitution → Biological orchestration
 Input maximization → System optimization
 Yield focus → Resilience + carbon + productivity stack

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