Prof. Michael Stumpf

Prof. University of Melbourne
CSO at Cell Bauhaus

From sequence to digital twin: closing the prediction gap in precision fermentation

Precision fermentation is approaching an inflection point. Demand is growing, biofoundry infrastructure is reaching impressive scales, and strain engineering is taking centre stage across the sector. Nevertheless there is a persistent prediction gap: organisms optimised in shake flasks routinely underperform in production-scale fermenters, and the gap is discovered empirically rather than anticipated computationally. Bioengineering is arguably unique among the engineering disciplines in not having a robust set of in silico tools for the design and computational analysis prior to building. 
I will argue that this (i) has been detrimental to parts of the industry, and (ii) is poised to change with the availability of digital twin technology for strain design and scale-up. I will illustrate this with examples where mechanistic and hybrid (mechanistic modelling + AI) approaches are speeding up strain design by orders of magnitude and I will map out where the current limitations are and how we will be able to overcome them. 

Biography:
Michael Stumpf is Professor for Theoretical Systems Biology and an ARC Laureate Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
Michael studied physics and mathematics at the Universities of Tübingen and Göttingen, and he completed his DPhil in Statistical Physics at Oxford in 1999.
After this he moved into biology with the support of Fellowships from the Wellcome Trust at Oxford and then UCL. From 2003 until 2018 he was Professor for Theoretical Systems Biology at Imperial College London, where he developed and directed research and research training programmes in computational, systems and synthetic biology. His fundamental research is focused on cell-fate decision making processes and the development of new computational, mathematical, and statistical approaches to investigate and control cellular processes. Michael has an outstanding track record in developing diverse and multidisciplinary research teams.

Dr Brentan Alexander

CTO Roebling

Enabling Engineering Teams with AI: How AI is Reshaping Early stage Bioprocess Development

The bioprocessing industry faces a structural challenge in early stage project development where teams must evaluate dozens of interrelated design, cost, and operational decisions under deep uncertainty, yet the tools available to them were built for a world of known inputs and fixed process decisions. 
AI is beginning to change this. Not by replacing engineering judgement, but by augmenting it. AI-enabled tools can now suggest process configurations, estimate equipment parameters, and propagate design changes across integrated process-cost financial models in real time. This shifts the feasibility workflow from a slow, sequential process into a  dynamic, team driven exploration of the decision space. 
This keynote explores what it means to augment bioprocess development teams with AI. Drawing on experience from hundreds of techno-economic analyses across biomanufacturing, food and agriculture, critical minerals, and decarbonization infrastructure. We’ll examine where AI delivers genuine leverage in early stage feasibility where it falls short and what the implications are for how teams structure their work. The talk will cover how AI changes the economics of scenario analysis, enabling teams to move from single-point estimates to range-based uncertainty aware decision making. Then address the practical reality of integrating AI tools into existing engineering workflows without sacrificing rigor or transparency.  Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating where AI can accelerate their own feasibility and scale-up work 

Biography:
Brentan Alexander, Ph.D. is the CTO of Roebling, an AI-enabled platform that unifies process simulation, cost estimation, and financial modeling for industrial infrastructure projects. He previously served as President of New Energy Risk where he oversaw and deployed capital across clean energy and industrial technology. Brentan holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and is a member of the Bioeconomy 500.

Andrew Hodder

VP Manufacturing and Site Head, CSL Behring Broadmeadows

Behind the scenes ISPE’s 2025 Facility of the Year.

Andrew Hodder, the Manufacturing and Site Head for CSL Behring Broadmeadows, located in Victoria, will take you behind the scenes of CSL’s new $800m Base Fractionation Facility, which incorporates cutting-edge technologies with a pioneering hybrid manufacturing platform. The facility subsequently went on to win the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) award for Facility of the Year for 2025.
The Facility is purpose-built to optimise the production of plasma-derived therapies for conditions such as immunodeficiencies, neurological disorders, and burns, and is the biggest of its kind on the world, capable of processing over 10 million litres annually. The facility also won the ISPE Pharma 4.0 Award in 2025 for its advanced use of digital technologies and automation to transform pharmaceutical manufacturing.
In reflecting on the facility, Andrew will also reflect on CSL’s continued investment in Australian Biotech Manufacturing, including the recent opening of a dedicated Influenza Manufacturing Facility alongside CSL’s unique CBD-based R&D laboratories.

Biography:
Andrew Hodder was appointed VP Manufacturing & Site Head at Broadmeadows in July 2021, having previously worked as the Project Director for Project Aurora, the project that built the base fractionation facility.
Andrew is an accomplished operations leader, with over 30 years of biopharmaceutical experience in roles across production management, supply chain, operational excellence, strategic planning, capital program management, colleague and culture development, validation and business development. Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree from the University of Melbourne. 

Aude Cazenave PhD

Global Technical Lead,
Oxford Biomedica

Next-Generation Bioprocessing: Why Platform Approaches are the Future of Viral Vectors Manufacturing.

AGene therapy is at a crossroads: we are currently trying to build the future of medicine using “old” processes that suffer from low yields, volatile transient transfection, and high  costs. To scale, we must mirror the evolution of monoclonal antibodies, which transformed biologics from a complex craft into a standardized, predictable industry. By adopting a “plug-and-play” platform approach, we can replace bespoke setups with industrialized workflows that finally solve for batch-to-batch variability. This shift is the only way to achieve the cost-efficiency and speed required to move these life-saving therapies from the lab to the masses. 

Biography:
Dr. Aude Cazenave is the Global Technical Lead for Technical Excellence at OXB, where she helps guide the development and manufacturing of next-generation cell and gene therapies.Dr. Cazenave studied chemical engineering at the École Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques (ENSIC) before earning her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Powder Technology, and Rheology at the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine in 1999. Following her doctoral research, she moved directly into the pharmaceutical industry, building a career dedicated to solving complex production challenges. Over the past 25 years, she has led advanced therapy manufacturing, technical services, and process improvement initiatives across major pharmaceutical networks including Catalent Pharma Solutions, Aesica Pharmaceuticals, and Patheon.She stepped into her current global lead role in 2025, having previously served as OXB’s Vice President and Head of Manufacturing and MSAT (Manufacturing Science and Technology). Her primary passion lies in bridging the gap between early-stage laboratory innovations and commercial medical manufacturing, ensuring life-changing viral vector therapies can safely reach clinical readiness.

Prof. Sally Gras FTSE

Redmond Barry Distinguished Prof., University of Melbourne

Optimising Biomanufacturing with AI: From Model Development to Industrial Adoption.

Advances in machine learning and its application to bioprocessing, together with strengthened industry–research partnerships, have transitioned AI from a prospective concept to tools and implementations within process‑development pipelines. In this talk I present three years of progress from the ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub and describe AI‑driven tools being developed across the Australian bioprocessing sector to accelerate scale‑up, enhance product quality, optimise yield, reduce wet‑lab experiments, de‑risk and streamline processes and build workforce capability. International advances and industrial deployments will be presented as benchmarks and collaborative opportunities for broader adoption across the Australian bioprocessing sector discussed.

Biography:
Professor Sally Gras is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Melbourne and a fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.  She is Director of the ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub, Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, Associate Director of the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute and leads the AgriFood and Biopharma research theme in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.  
Named among Cosmos Magazine’s 50 Women at the Cutting Edge of Science in Australia in 2023, she has attained considerable national and international recognition across academia, the engineering profession and wider industry through her research spanning nano-to-large-scale bioengineering, digital bioprocess innovation and food manufacturing processes.