NEW

AI x BIO

23–25 June 2025

Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK and online

Enter the era of AI in Biology

Summary

Our new conference will showcase advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning in biology, and the potential of these emerging approaches for medical science.

The meeting will focus on modelling and designing DNA, RNA, proteins and cells, as well as efforts to produce data at scale for model training. Modelling and machine learning in drug development and medical imaging, in addition to Al-enabled advances in spatial omics and multi-omics methodologies will be further highlighted.

We welcome abstracts on the conference themes and work broadly related to AI in biology. Selected abstracts will be featured in the main sessions alongside talks from invited global experts. Other submitted work may be presented as lightning talks and posters.

This exciting meeting is aimed at academia and industry-based researchers from computer, biomedical and biological sciences. By offering plenty of opportunities for face-to-face networking, the conference will support the exchange of ideas across the field and help to establish interdisciplinary collaborations.

Programme

The conference will start on Monday 23 June 2025 at 10:00 BST and close on Wednesday 25 June 2025 at approximately 16:45 BST.

Discussions will focus on a variety of exciting topics, including

• Modelling, designing and engineering DNA and RNA
• Modelling, designing and engineering proteins
• Modelling, designing and engineering cells
• Designing precision molecules and therapeutics
• Spatial omics and multi-omics
• Imaging and pathology – clinical foundation models

A draft programme will be available soon.

Organisers and speakers

Advisory Board

Ben Lehner
Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Debora Marks
Harvard University, USA

Caroline Uhler 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Jussi Taipale
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden | University of Helsinki, Finland | Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Mo Lotfollahi
Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Noelia Ferruz
Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Spain

Patrick Hsu
University of California, Berkeley, USA

Tingying Peng
Helmholtz Munich, Germany

Žiga Avsec 
Google DeepMind, UK

Confirmed speakers to date

Charlotte Bunne
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

Charlotte Deane
University of Oxford, UK

Craig Venter
J. Craig Venter Institue, USA

Eric Xing
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence | Carnegie Mellon University | GenBio AI , UAE

Faisal Mahmood
Harvard University, USA

Gökçen Eraslan
Genentech, USA

Hani Goodarzi
Arc Institute, USA

Jason Chin
Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB), UK

Maria Brbic
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

Marianna Rapsomaniki
University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Michael Bronstein 
University of Oxford, UK | Vienna Biocenter, Austria

Mihaela van der Schaar
University of Cambridge, UK

Oliver Stegle
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Germany

Smita Krishnaswamy
Yale University, USA

Organisers – Wellcome Connecting Science

Scarlett Storr – Event logistics
Nagehan Ramazanoglu Bahadir – Programme Development
Jane Murphy – Programme Development

 

Registration and accommodation

Registration deadline: 27 May (in person) | 16 June 2025 (virtual)

In-person Registration
Fee
Student/trainee £396
Academic/non-profit organisation £496
Healthcare professional £496
Commercial/for-profit organisation £596
Onsite accommodation £214

The in-person registration fee includes:

  • Full access to scientific programme: oral and poster presentations, and networking on campus
  • Access to the online conference portal to network with online participants
  • Meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked onsite accommodation.
  • Recordings of the live-stream sessions, which will be available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends
Virtual Registration Fee
Delegates from LMICs* Free
Student/trainee £55
Academic/non-profit organisation £105
Healthcare professional £105
Commercial/for-profit organisation £165

Virtual registration fee includes:

  • Access to the virtual event portal (Log in details will be emailed a few days before the event starts)
  • Live-stream sessions, including posters and online networking channels
  • Recordings of the live-stream sessions, available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends.

* To promote more inclusive scientific discussions with international colleagues at our conferences, virtual delegates based in Lower and Middle-Income Countries can register for free (see list of countries here).

If you are an editor or journalist, please contact our events team for more information about the discounted fee or media pass.

Accommodation
Booked accommodation is for the nights of 23 and 24 June 2025.

Early registration is recommended as the limited onsite accommodation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Accommodation at the Holiday Inn Express, Whittlesford is available for booking through us and a shuttle bus will be provided for the 5 minute drive.

Please book your accommodation when you register as you may not be able to later.

Alternative accommodation is available at Red Lion, Hinxton

If you wish to book campus accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre directly.

Accommodation services phishing scam – please be vigilant. More information.

Travel visas
Citizens of many countries can travel to the UK to attend a course or conference without needing a visa. Please check the UK government website for visitor information: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor.

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should contact our events team.

Financial assistance

Bursary deadline: 8 April 2025 @23:59 BST

Wellcome Connecting Science offers registration bursaries (usually up to 50% of the registration fee) to those who would benefit from attending the conference but face financial barriers to attending events. Priority is usually given to PhD students, applicants from lower and middle income countries, or those from underrepresented / minoritised groups. Other early career researchers will be considered if funds allow.

We strongly encourage applicants to submit an abstract on their research results or ongoing project before the bursary deadline. Final edits can be made to the abstract up until the abstract deadline. Bursary applications without abstracts will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

To apply for funding support, please register and then select that you want to apply for a bursary. This will direct you to the online application form. Please be prepared to explain why you need support and how you will benefit from attending the conference. Once you have submitted the application form, you will be emailed an abstract portal link. Please use this to submit an abstract before the bursary deadline.

Additional funding opportunities

Visit our support page for information on financial support, including carer grants to help delegates with the costs of caring for children or dependent family members while attending a course or a conference.

Abstracts

Abstract deadline: Tuesday 29 April 2025 @23:59 BST

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.

To submit an abstract, you must first register for the conference. Once your registration is completed, you will be emailed a link to submit to the abstract submission portal. If you wish to edit your abstract following submission, please use the link in the abstract acknowledgement email.

All abstracts must be submitted and, if desired, edited by the deadline. The scientific programme committee will then assess your abstract and you will be notified about 2 weeks after the deadline whether you have been selected to present an oral or poster presentation.

If you require acknowledgement that your abstract has been accepted earlier than this, please contact the conference organiser.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the conference programme book; poster board numbers will be allocated at the conference.

All those accepted for a poster presentation will also have the opportunity present a ~1 min ‘poster pitch’ summarising their work.

 

Sponsors

If you are interested in supporting this meeting, please contact us.

For more information about the benefits of having a presence at this meeting, see our sponsorship page.

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