The Dawn of a New Era
Poster Board Size: 1 meter Wide x 1.5 meter High
June 26 – 30, 2022
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Hotel
Cancun, Mexico
Michael Jewett, Northwestern University
Kristala Prather, MIT
Michael Köpke, LanzaTech
Diane Hatton, AstraZeneca
Attendance at this conference is restricted to those fully* vaccinated against Covid-19.
Your registration will not be considered complete until your proof of vaccination is uploaded via the registration portal and verified by ECI staff. Acceptable proof includes copies of a U.S. CDC vaccination card or a certificate/document issued by the relevant health agency in your country of residence along with a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. If you have questions about these requirements, please email Kathy@engconfintl.org * Two doses of an FDA or WHO authorized Covid-19 vaccine plus appropriate boosters, received at least 14 days prior to the conference OR one does of an FDA or WHO authorized single dose Covid-19 vaccine, received at least 14 days prior to the conference. Approved vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech (2 dose); Moderna (2 dose); Janssen/Johnson & Johnson; Oxford/AstraZeneca; Serum Institute of India-Covishield; Sinopharm (Beijing); Sinovac. We are all in this together. Thank you for being part of our community and following these policies. We look forward to see you in person very soon.
About This Conference
From antibiotics that save lives to laundry detergent enzymes that save energy, the products arising from processes that use biological systems have had a transformative impact on society. However, what has developed thus far is just the start. Emerging tools and technologies, such as synthetic biology, genome engineering, and artificial intelligence, are providing new avenues to harness the power of the living world to sense and process information, make matter, and carry out exquisite chemistry at ambient temperatures and pressures. As a result, we find ourselves in the dawn of a new era in biochemical and molecular engineering. This new era is advancing our capacity to partner with biology to make what is needed, where and when it is needed, on a sustainable and renewable basis. From RNA vaccines for defeating COVID-19 to carbon-negative manufacturing for addressing the climate crisis, from DNA in test tubes for storing information to distributed diagnostics for human and environmental health, from making meatless meats to cellular therapies for addressing disease, this conference will focus on exciting recent progress in the broad fields of Biochemical and Molecular Engineering.
Conference Organization
Conference Chairs
Michael Jewett, Northwestern University
Kristala Prather, MIT
Michael Köpke, LanzaTech
Diane Hatton, AstraZeneca
Organizing Committee
Roel Bovenberg (DSM)
Tae Seok Moon (Washington University, St. Louis)
Matthew Chang (National University of Singapore)
George Chen (Tsinghua University)
Lydia Contreras (University of Texas at Austin)
Stephanie Culler (Persephone Bio)
Danielle Tullman Ercek (Northwestern University)
Louane Han (Pfizer)
Victor Holmes (Amyris)
Kelvin Lee (University of Delaware)
Esteban Marcellin (University of Queensland)
Michelle O’Malley (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Brian Pfleger (University of Wisconsin)
Karen Polizzi (Imperial College London)
Laura Segatori (Rice University)
Conference Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Eliana Clark, Intellia Tx
Jay Keasling, UC Berkeley
Invited Speakers
Debra Auguste, Northeastern University
Marion Brunck, Tecnológico de Monterrey
Sumana Chandramouli, Moderna
Tara Deans, University of Utah
Peyton Greenside, BigHatBio
Victor Holmes, Amyris
Michelle O’Malley, UCSB
Erin Shellman, Gingko Bioworks
Sean Simpson, LanzaTech
Kevin Solomon, University of Delaware
James Swartz, Stanford University
Danielle Tullman-Ercek, Northwestern University
Claudia Vickers, Provectus Algae
Huan Yan, Impossible Foods
Huimin Zhao, UIUC
Conference Sessions
Cellular therapies
Synthetic biology offers the ability to go beyond traditional therapeutic interventions and to fundamentally alter the way in which the body maintains a healthy state and responds to disease. This session will explore how customized cellular devices are enabling sophisticated cell-based therapeutics, microbiome reprogramming, and altering the way we diagnose disease.
RNA vaccines
RNA vaccines have arrived. From vaccine development to mRNA design to scale-up manufacturing to lipid nanoparticle developments and delivery, this session will focus on all aspects of RNA vaccine technology.
Accelerating therapeutics time to market
Protein therapeutics offer a significant opportunity to treat a broad range of chemical and biological threats. However, the timeline for developing medical countermeasures is long. Here, this session discusses new innovative technologies to accelerate time to market, which may allow emergency use therapeutics to be developed and deployed on the scale of months.
Reimagining protein synthesis
Protein medicines have revolutionized our ability to prevent and treat human diseases. Yet, the World Health Organization estimates that at least 30% of the world’s population still lacks access to essential medicines. Due to the expense and time required to build manufacturing facilities and maintain refrigerated supply chains, the current centralized manufacturing structure limits our ability to distribute protein medicines. Here, we will discuss new approaches to make medicines when and where they are needed, including continuous manufacturing.
Portable, on-demand diagnostics
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a current limitation of laboratory-based testing: it does not scale with a sudden and dramatic increase in volume. This session will discuss emerging innovations for point-of-need and/or wearable biosensing technologies (e.g., CRISPR-based diagnostics) that can be optimized to detect analytes of interest for human health, water quality, agriculture, and biosecurity.
Carbon-negative manufacturing
The accelerating climate crisis combined with rapid population growth are posing some of the most urgent economic and social challenges to humankind, all linked to the unabated release and accumulation of CO2 in our atmosphere. This session will focus on new manufacturing practices for low-cost, environmentally sustainable, and carbon-negative biomanufacturing.
Bad plastics to good plastics
Plastic is a lightweight, versatile, and strong material that is used worldwide for numerous applications (e.g., food packaging). Despite all the innovations brought by plastics, management of plastic waste has become a global challenge. This session will discuss recent innovations in the deconstruction of plastics and subsequent biological conversion and upcycling into bioproducts to enable a circular economy, as well as the creation of transformative classes of functional, sustainably-sourced, biodegradable, and compostable materials.
Microbiome engineering and co-culture innovations
Industrial biotechnology has flourished by exploiting the predictability and robustness of single cultures for biomanufacturing. Yet nature is filled with microbial consortia – microbiomes – that are both free-living and symbiotic. Some consortia, including those used in wastewater treatment, provide both increased functionality and enhanced robustness. It stands to reason then that mixed cultures may open the door for new products and processes. This session will focus on advances in engineering and exploiting mixed cultures, from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives.
Biomaterials
Materials have a transformative impact on all aspects of our lives. To maintain and improve the current quality of living, sustainable alternatives to traditional synthesis and manufacturing practices must be found. This session will focus on new advances in the development of genetically encoded materials, metamaterials, and bio-responsive nanomaterials.
Nutrition
In 2021, almost 10% of the world population experienced hunger and by 2050, a 70% increase in the demand for food production is expected. To feed the growing world population, alternative approaches that do not require added arable land and taxing inputs are required. This session will focus on new advances such as meatless or air-based meat production, dairy-free milk production and production of other food ingredients.
Gene editing
CRISPR is one of the most powerful discoveries of the last decade and the field of gene editing is progressing at warp speed, transforming the way scientists execute large-scale genome modifications as well as understanding and evolution of biological function. This session will focus on advances in high-throughput and precision gene editing technologies, high-efficiency and multiplexed genome engineering approaches, programmable dynamic control of gene expression, and application of CRISPR systems for domestication of non-model organisms.
Machine learning-guided design and automation
Advances in wet-lab technologies and automation have made strain construction and screening increasingly high-throughput, allowing for generation of large and rich biological datasets. In silico methods for genotype-phenotype mapping are critical for closing the high-throughput engineering cycle by enabling efficient learning and re-design. Together, these tools can enable access to more complex phenotypes and significantly reduce development time. This session will focus on developments in lab automation, modeling, and machine learning methods that offer a path toward more predictability in metabolic engineering.
Evolution meets engineering design
Biochemical engineers use both principles of rational and evolutionary engineering to construct biological systems. Since rational concepts may have practical limits in a biological context, this session will focus on efforts to use evolutionary approaches (e.g., directed evolution) in the context of engineering design. Topics include continuous evolution, multiplexed evolution, and protein engineering, among others.
Best Poster Presentation Awards
First Place:
Jonathan Bogart
Northwestern University
“Engineering glycosyltransferases to manufacture non-toxic antifungals”
Second Place:
Maja Papež
ACIB GmbH
“SLAM-Seq reveals early transcriptomic adaptation mechanisms upon glutamine deprivation in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells”
Third Place:
Brenda Wang and Holly Ekas
Northwestern University
“Engineering cell-free biosensors for water quality diagnostics”
Conference Fees
All conference fees are inclusive. They include registration, accommodations (nights of Sunday June 26, Monday June 27, Tuesday June 28, and Wednesday June 29), all meals, taxes, roundtrip airport transportation, and gratuities from lunch on Sunday through lunch on Thursday. Incidental fees (telephone calls, faxes, spa, laundry, minibar etc.) are billed to your personal account by the hotel.
ALL PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND INVITED SPEAKERS) ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER.
The conference fees are:
| Register on or before May 27, 2022 | Register after May 27, 2022 | |
| Participant (single occupancy, not bringing a guest) | US $2,565.00 | US $2,765.00 |
| Participant (double occupancy – sharing a room with another participant (booked separately) OR bringing a guest, additional fee (see below)) | US $2,120.00 | US $2,320.00 |
| Bona fide Graduate Student (single occupancy, not sharing with another participant or bringing a guest) (Those in this category must upload proof of current status during registration – copy of current Student ID or a letter from your University confirming your student status) | US $2,155.00 | US $2,355.00 |
| Bona fide Graduate Student (double occupancy – sharing a room with another participant (booked separately) OR bringing a guest, additional fee (see below)) (Those in this category must upload proof of current status during registration – copy of current Student ID or a letter from your University confirming your student status.) | US $1,710.00 | US $1,910.00 |
| **Fees for Guest/accompanying person sharing bedroom with a participant. (Includes all conference included meals). Guests must register and pay the guest fee. | US $1,125.00 | US $1,125.00 |
If you plan to bring children to the conference, please contact Kathy Chan for pricing.
Conference Registration
You will need a login name and password to register for ECI conferences through our online system. If you have been a recent participant at an ECI conference or have submitted an online application or request for information about an ECI Conference, you may already have an account with us. If you know your login information, please use it.
If you are not sure whether you already have a login and password, please click on automated password retrieval and enter your e-mail address before creating a new account. If we don’t have a valid email address on file for you, a pop up window will appear stating that no records were found. Click “OK” and then follow the instructions to create a new account.
If you have any questions or experience any difficulties, please email Kathy Chan.
Special Notes and Payment Instructions
We suggest that you register as soon as possible to be certain that you will have a hotel room at the conference rate.
All participants are encouraged to register before May 27, 2022. There is a discounted price for registering before this date. Hotel space cannot be guaranteed for registrations received after this date. Your registration is not officially confirmed until we receive payment of the amount due and COVID-19 vaccination proof is verified by ECI staff. ECI reserves the right to cancel your room registration if payment is not received or your vaccination proof is invalid. Your invoice/receipt will automatically be e-mailed upon of receipt of your registration. Should you need a signed receipt, please contact Kathy Chan.
Because of contractual guarantees made with the hotel for room and meal functions, no shows, late arrivals, missed meals and early departures cannot receive fee adjustments. If you have a disability and may require accommodation in order to participate fully in this conference, please indicate this when you register. An ECI representative will contact you to discuss your specific needs. If you have special dietary requirements (e.g., vegetarian or a food allergy), please make a note on your registration. The chef needs to know this information in advance if we are to accommodate you. ECI will attempt to accommodate special requests such as Kosher or Halal meals, but such meals may not be available at all conference sites. The participant must pay any additional costs for special meal requests to ECI.
Payment must be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Amex), check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars, payable to ENGINEERING CONFERENCES INTERNATIONAL. Checks or money orders in any other currencies are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Payment must be made on the web site except for those who are sending payment by wire transfer or have a purchase order from their company/institution.
WIRE TRANSFER PAYMENT: If you are planning to make payment by wire transfer, please contact ECI for the bank information. You must add $30 to cover ECI bank charges. Please reference your full name and the conference title. Either fax a copy of your bank transfer papers to ECI (Fax: +1-212-514-6030) or email a scanned copy to kathy@engconfintl.org. This is very important – otherwise it is extremely difficult to trace your payment and you may not receive a receipt prior to the conference.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation must be received by ECI in writing at least 28 days prior to the start of the conference in order for a full refund (less a processing fee) to be considered. The ECI auditors require that refunds for all conference cancellations be processed after the conference so that the necessary back-up information (e.g., hotel list of those in-house) can be attached to the refund request and ECI can verify that the hotel has not charged a cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees:
- Cancellations received more than 28 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a processing fee of 4% of the total fee, plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- Cancellations received 15 – 28 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a $250 cancellation fee plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- Cancellations received 8 – 14 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a $500 cancellation fee plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- No refunds will be issued for cancellations received less than 7 days prior to the conference start date.
- No refunds will be issued due to inclement weather or travel disruptions/cancellations.
Registrations may be transferred without incurring any penalty or cancellation fee.
Denied or delayed visa
If a participant is forced to cancel due to a denied or delayed entry visa, ECI will issue a full refund if ECI has been notified of a potential visa issue at least four weeks prior to the conference start date.
Change of payment method
If an attendee who has already paid the conference fee with a credit card requests that the fee be refunded to that card so that it can be paid in a different manner (e.g., charged to an alternate credit card, or paid via check or bank transfer), a processing fee of 4% of the total fee amount will apply.
Disclaimer
It may be necessary for reasons beyond the control of ECI to alter the content and timing of the program or the identity of the speakers. In the unfortunate circumstance that an event is cancelled, ECI is not liable for any costs incurred by participants in connection with their attendance.
Smoking is prohibited at ECI conferences and conference functions.
Should you have specific questions regarding your registration, please contact Kathy Chan.
Conference Registration
You will need a login name and password to register for ECI conferences through our online system. If you have been a recent participant at an ECI conference or have submitted an online application or request for information about an ECI Conference, you may already have an account with us. If you know your login information, please use it.
If you are not sure whether you already have a login and password, please click on automated password retrieval and enter your e-mail address before creating a new account.
Previous Conferences in This Series
Biochemical Engineering
August 20-25, 1978 – New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire
Conference Chairs:
W. R. Vieth, Rutgers University and Alkis Constantinides, Rutgers University
Biochemical Engineering II
July 13-18, 1980 – New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire
Conference Chair:
Alkis Constantinides, Rutgers University
Biochemical Engineering III
Sept. 19-24, 1982 – Santa Barbara, California
Conference Chair:
K. Venkatsubramanian, H.J. Heinz Co. and Rutgers University
Biochemical Engineering IV
Sept. 30 – Oct. 5,1984 – Galway, Ireland
Conference Chairs:
H. Lim , Purdue University and Patrick Fottrell, University of Galway
Biochemical Engineering V
July 27-Aug 1,1986 – New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire
Conference Chair:
William A. Weigand, Illinois Institute of Technology
Biochemical Engineering VI
October 2-7,1989 – Santa Barbara, California
Conference Chair:
Walter E. Goldstein, ESCA Genetic Corp.
Biochemical Engineering VII
March 3-8, 1991 – Santa Barbara, California
Conference Chairs:
H. Pedersen, Rutgers University and D. DiBiasio, Worcester Polytechnic
Biochemical Engineering VIII
July 11-16, 1993 – Princeton, New Jersey
Conference Chairs:
Subhash Karkare, Amgen and Robert M. Kelly, North Carolina State University
Biochemical Engineering IX
May 21-26,1995 – Davos, Switzerland
Conference Chairs:
Jay Bailey, ETH-Zurich and Dane Zabriskie, SmithKline Beecham
Biochemical Engineering X
May 18-23,1997 – Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada
Conference Chairs:
W-S. Hu, University of Minnesota and J. Swartz, Genentech
Biochemical Engineering XI
July 25-30,1999 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Conference Chairs:
George Georgiou, University of Texas and Steven Lee, Merck & Co., Inc.
Biochemical Engineering XII
June 10-15, 2001 – Rohnert Park, California
Conference Chairs:
Doug Clark and Jay Keasling, University of California-Berkeley and David Robinson, Merck
Biochemical Engineering XIII
July 19-23, 2003 – Boulder, Colorado
Conference Chairs:
Eleftherios (Terry) Papoutsakis, Northwestern University and Weichang Zhou, Protein Design Labs
Biochemical Engineering XIV
July 10-14, 2005 – Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., Canada
Conference Chairs:
William Bentley, University of Maryland, Hendrik J. Meerman, Genencor International, Inc., Mike Betenbaugh, Johns Hopkins University and Vijay Yabannavar, Chiron
Biochemical Engineering XV
July 15-19, 2007 – Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Conference Chairs:
Mike Betenbaugh, Johns Hopkins University, Vijay Yabannavar, Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Anne Robinson, University of Delaware and Gene Schaefer, BMS
Biochemical Engineering XVI
July 5-9, 2009 – Burlington, Vermont, USA
Conference Chairs:
Anne Robinson, University of Delaware and Gene Schaefer, BMS
Biochemical Engineering XVII
June 26-30, 2011 – Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Chairs:
Francois. Baneyz, University of Washington, Costas Maranas, Penn State University and Beth Junker, Merck Research
Biochemical Engineering XVIII
June 16-20, 2013 – Beijing, China
Conference Chairs:
David Robinson, Merck, Tianwei Tan, Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Huimin Zhao, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Biochemical Engineering XIX
July 12-16, 2015 – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Conference Chairs:
Theresa Good, National Science Foundation and Gargi Seth, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Biochemical Engineering XX
July 16-20, 2017 – Newport Beach, CA, USA
Conference Chairs:
Wilfred Chen, University of Delaware, Nicole Borth, Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria and Stefanos Grammatikos, UCB Pharma, Belgium
Biochemical and Molecular Engineering XXI
July 14-18, 2019 – Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Conference Chairs:
Christina Chan, Michigan State University, Mattheos Koffas, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Steffen Schaffer, Evonik Industries, Germany and Rashmi Kshirsagar, Biogen
Call for Abstracts
Detailed session descriptions are available above. Please use these descriptions to pre-select up to three sessions where you believe your work fits best.
Abstracts (one page maximum) that include specific results and conclusions to allow a scientific assessment of the proposed oral presentation are invited.
Abstracts must be submitted electronically and prepared according to this template: docx or doc.
Oral abstract submission deadline: April 8, 2022
Poster abstract submission deadline: April 8, 2022
Abstracts of all presentations will be made available to conference participants prior to the start of the conference.
Note: Only a limited number of oral presentation slots are available and thus all submissions for oral sessions will be considered for both oral and poster presentation.
Awards will be presented to the top non-student poster as well as the top three student posters.
Amgen BME Award winner
Robert M. Kelly to receive the Amgen Biochemical and Molecular Engineering Award
The Amgen Award (supported by Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, a leading biotechnology company with pioneering human therapeutic products) is given in memory of James E. Bailey to recognize research excellence and leadership in Biochemical and Molecular Engineering. An award of $5000 cash and a commemorative plaque from Amgen will be presented at the ECI Conference on Biochemical and Molecular Engineering in Cancun, Mexico.
The 2022 awardee is Robert M. Kelly.
Robert M. Kelly is the Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University and Director of the NC State Biotechnology (BIT) Program which trains over 400 students a year in molecular biotechnology laboratory skills. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia. After working at DuPont’s Marshall Laboratory in Philadelphia, PA, he moved to North Carolina State University, where he completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering while serving as Process Engineer for the EPA Coal Gasification/Gas Cleaning Test Facility. After a decade at Johns Hopkins University as a faculty member in Chemical Engineering, he returned to North Carolina State University in 1992. At NC State, Kelly has served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies from 2000-02 and has directed an NIH T32 Biotechnology Pre-Doctoral Training Program since 2000. He was part of the founding Scientific Advisory Board of Diversa Corporation, which became a publicly traded (NASDAQ) biotechnology company that focused on the discovery of novel enzymes from extremophiles.
Dr. Kelly’s research interests center on the biology and biotechnology of extremely thermophilic microorganisms from the domains Bacteria and Archaea. His work on extreme thermophiles has focused on biocatalysis and protein stability at high temperatures, novel features of microbial physiology and genetics at elevated temperatures, heavy metal biotransformations related to biomining, and the search for life on other solar bodies (astrobiology). In the past decade, molecular genetic tools for these microorganisms have become available, thus enabling metabolic engineering efforts aimed at the production of bio-based fuels and chemicals from native and transgenic lignocellulose and through CO2 fixation powered by sulfur oxidation.
Among the honors that he has received are the American Chemical Society’s Marvin Johnson Award in Biochemical Technology (2004), the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award (2007), the American Society for Microbiology’s DuPont Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (shared with Michael W.W. Adams, University of Georgia) (2018), and the Lifetime Achievement Award, International Society for Extremophiles (2018). At NC State, he has received the RJR Award in the College of Engineering for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Extension, NC State University (2003), and the Holladay Medal (2021), the highest distinction awarded to a faculty member by the University’s Board of Trustees. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers. His service to the scientific community includes chairing the AIChE Food Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division (1996) and as Editor of the American Society for Microbiology journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2012-2022). He also co-chaired two previous ECI meetings: Biochemical Engineering VIII (with Sabash Karkare) and Enzyme Engineering XV (with Frances Arnold and David Anton).
List of Amgen Award Winners
1993 – James E. Bailey (ETH-Zurich)
1995 — Daniel I. C. Wang (MIT)
1997 — Michael Shuler (Cornell University)
1999 — Douglas Lauffenburger (MIT)
2001 — Harvey Blanch (University of California Berkeley)
2003 – -Douglas Clark (University of California Berkeley)
2005 – -Eleftherious (Terry) Papoutsakis (Northwestern University/University of Delaware)
2007 — George Georgiou (University of Texas)
2009 – Gregory Stephanopoulos (MIT)
2011 – Jens Nielsen (Chalmers University of Technology)
2013 – Sang Yup Lee (KAIST)
2015 – Wei-Shou Hu (University of Minnesota)
2017 – Jay Keasling (University of California Berkeley)
2019 – Jonathan S. Dordick (Rensselaer Polytechnic University)
Venue Information
Note: Foreign visitors are exempt from paying the 16% VAT (Value Added Tax);however, in order to obtain this benefit, they must present the immigration form and passport upon arrival at the hotel.
All foreign tourists are required to pay a tax in the amount of 224 Mexican pesos approximately 12.00 USD per passenger. Families can pay in a single transaction. Payments can be made online at http://www.visitax.gob.mx/sitio/ or at the airport prior departure.
Located on Cancun’s most secluded stretch of white sand beach, the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun offers 602 all-suite ocean front accommodations, each with a private terrace facing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and lagoon-like pool.
The resort is all-inclusive and is perfect for the whole family to enjoy as there are special activities for children aged 3-12 in the CoralKidZ Club, a 40,000 square foot innovative and interactive “high-tech playground” that features an array of indoor and outdoor activities. The Coral Beach Gem Spa offers innovative treatments. There is a world-class fitness center overlooking the Caribbean Sea complimentary marina activities such as kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear.
The resorts sports a large meandering lagoon-like swimming pool surrounded by palms and a tropical palapa-roofed swim-up bar. A private secluded stretch of white-sand offers plenty of chairs and umbrellas for guests. Luxury daybeds and beach cabanas can be reserved for an extra fee. A perfect blend of serenity and activity, the resort is steps away from Cancun’s vibrant nightlife, entertainment and shopping. For further hotel information, please check www.coralbeachcancunresort.com.
Conference technical sessions will take place in the hotel’s Convention Center.
Among the can’t miss activities near the hotel are:
- Underwater Museum of Art (MUSA) MUSA, the Underwater Museum of Art, is located in the National Marine Park of Cancun and Isla Mujeres. It has more than 500 sculptures installed on the seabed distributed in three galleries: Manchones Gallery, in Isla Mujeres where the sculptures are located 8 meters. (26 ft.) Deep; Punta Nizuc Gallery and Punta Sam Gallery, both in Cancun, with sculptures at a depth of 4 meters. (13 ft.).
- Mercado 28 Located in the center of the city, Market 28 is a true icon of the city of Cancun. Here you can find an immense amount of Mexican souvenirs and handicrafts, also has typical food restaurants with a very good atmosphere.
- Palapas Park If you’re looking to spend a day as a Cancunense, you definitely should go to this place. Located in the heart of the city, just a few blocks from Mercado 28, you can eat Mexican snacks, buy a snow cone to relieve heat, buy hippie crafts and watch a public show, cultural show or musical groups. Be sure to try the delicious marquesitas, a kind of rolled cream that is usually filled with ball cheese. A typical appetizer of the region.
The Cancun Area
Cancún is Mexico’s showcase resort destination and is recognized worldwide for its spectacular beaches of fine white sand, fascinating turquoise blue sea and unparalleled weather, as well as excellent air and land connectivity, and a first-class hotel infrastructure that places it as one of the best destinations tourist in the world thanks to everything it offers to its visitors: Outdoor activities, adventure tourism, archeological sites, Mayan culture and history, a variety of gastronomic experiences, spectacular shopping centers, and seductive entertainment offers.
Cancún makes a convenient base for exploring other parts of the Yucatán such as the famous must-see Mayan Ruins at Chichén Itzá (a UNESCO World-Heritage Site) and Tulum. The ruins of Chichén Itzá, the remains of a once-great Mayan city and one of the world’s best-known archeological sites, are about two hours away. About 90 minutes south of downtown Cancún are the Tulum ruins, dramatically situated on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean.
The sixty-mile stretch of Quintana Roo coastline from Puerto Morelos to the town of Tulum is known as the Riviera Maya. It is a rapidly growing region of nature-oriented attractions where visitors can snorkel and dive in cenotes (freshwater sink-holes), view a rich diversity of wildlife and explore beautiful beaches.
The sport fishing is rewarding, and an offshore coral reef guarantees superb diving and snorkeling. Birdwatching on Isla Contoy is a good activity to explore Cancun’s wildlife as are the eco-parks like Xcaret.
Cancún International Airport is on the mainland, about 16 kilometers southwest of downtown Ciudad Cancún and about 10 kilometers from the southern end of Cancún Island. The airport is modern and clearly marked with bilingual signs for arrivals, departures, gates, immigration and restrooms.
Tours
Rio Secreto
The region’s most unique natural treasure! Dare to live a fantastic experience in one of the most incredible locations in the Riviera Maya. Enter this natural museum filled with a kaleidoscope of speleothems and walk an easy 600m route amidst the thousands of stalactites and stalagmites found in this protected natural reserve. You will be greeted by our highly trained guides and equipped like a professional dive master. You will put on a wetsuit, helmet with a special lamp and wet shoes. Learn and marvel in this ancient, magical subterranean world that until now has remained unexplored for millions of years.
To operate this tour a minimum of 6 people is required.
CLICK HERE to make reservations for the Rio Secreto Tour.
Tulum Express
Find the Mayan mystic in our cultural tour of Tulum, visiting the most fascinating ruins built along the ocean side. The only known Mayan City built alongside the setting sun and is magnificently situated high atop a cliff overlooking the crystal-blue Caribbean Sea and its surrounding jungle.
Minimum for this tour: 40 people
CLICK HERE to make reservations for the Tulum Express Tour.
Chichen Itza
One of the New 7 World Wonders, Chichen Itza is located 200 km west of Cancun, 2.15 hrs. by road and is the most visited archaeological site in the peninsula of Yucatán, due to its extraordinary architecture, beauty and its geographical location.
The Castle or Pyramid of Kukulcan is the most impressive temple in Chichen Itza renowned for the number of tombs found there and its endless 91 steps, as well as the impeccable architecture that stands out by a stone feathered serpent.
The Ball Court has a cosmic meaning, with its warlike symbols and almost perfect acoustics it is one of the oldest constructions in the zone.
To operate this tour a minimum of 6 people is required.
CLICK HERE to make reservations for the Tulum Express Tour.
Jungle Tour
Drive your own boat through the mangroves to explore the coral reefs. The Guide will guide you through the lagoon’s mangroves for about 45 minutes (each way), while you enjoy the experience of the wonders of Cancun’s jungle and the exotic wildlife. Upon arrival to the reef, you will have 40 minutes for snorkeling at the world’s second-largest barrier reef. All the tour is approximately 2 1/2 hrs.
To operate this tour a minimum of 6 people is required.
CLICK HERE to make reservations for the Jungle Tour.
Ground Transportation
Transportation from Cancun airport/Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun – All Inclusive Hotel or back to Cancun airport Price valid from Cancun airport to Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun OR any other resort or location in Cancun hotel zone.
Maximum capacity Private van: 8 passengers
- Deluxe vehicles with air-conditioning
- Private transportation, group participants only
- Meet and greet at the International Airport by GIM uniformed bilingual staff
- Complete assistance with lost luggage from the airline
- Coordination of all luggage handling between airport and hotel
- Printed signs with the name and logo of the program at the airport
- Departure notice information forms per person given directly to the client
- GIM Escorts and Supervisors at the Airport
NOTE: Gratuities to driver and luggage handling is at your discretion
Ground transportation will be provided between April 20 – May 2.
Anyone traveling outside of these dates will need to pay the rate of $65.00 USD + 16% tax airport/hotel or hotel/airport.
Payment can be done via PayPal.
Cancellations must be made 72 hours after booking services contracted.
Email: jloria@gimdmc.com
Pre/Post Conference Reservation Form
If you are arriving early or staying after the conference and wish to extend your stay in the conference hotel, please download and complete the Pre/Post Conference Reservation form posted below and send it directly to the conference hotel. ECI does not guarantee or pay for rooms reserved before or after the conference – you must reserve extra nights directly with the hotel and you are responsible for paying the hotel directly for any extra nights.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Package A: $15,000 – PLATINUM SPONSOR (limited to two)
• Choice of POSTER AWARD or BANQUET (first-come, first-serve) and Scientific Session sponsorship including ONE oral introduction
• Table for display of company information (optional)
• Company information packet available in attendees’ registration materials
• Company logo and link on conference website
• Full page ad in program
• Company logo displayed on screen between sessions
• Name of company on sponsor list in program
Package B: $10,000 – GOLD SPONSOR
• Scientific session sponsorship including oral introduction
• Table for display of company information (optional)
• Company information packet available in attendees’ registration materials
• Company logo and link on conference website
• Full page ad in program
• Company logo displayed on screen between sessions
• Name of company on sponsor list in program
Package C: $7,500 – SILVER SPONSOR
• Poster session sponsorship
• Table for display of company information (optional)
• Company logo & link on conference website
• Full page ad in program
• Company logo displayed on screen between sessions
• Name of Company on Sponsor List in Program
Package D: $5,000 – BRONZE SPONSOR
• Full page ad in program
• Company logo & link on conference website
• Company logo displayed on screen between sessions
• Name of company on sponsor list in program
Package E: $2,000 – ALUMINUM SPONSOR
• Half-page ad in program
• Company logo displayed on screen between sessions
• Name of company on sponsor list in program
ECI Associate Director Kevin Korpics (kevin@engconfintl.org) (+1-212-514-6760) may be contacted for invoicing and other questions. Payment can be made via check, wire transfer or credit card.
You must reference your company name and the conference title “Biochemical Engineering” or code (21-AM) so the contribution can be identified. Thank you in advance.
Please note that none of the sponsor packages include any free or discounted registrations for attendees from sponsor companies.
Sponsors
General Information about ECI
Engineering Conferences International (ECI) is a not-for-profit, global engineering conferences program, originally established in 1962 that provides opportunities for the exploration of problems and issues of concern to engineers and scientists from many disciplines.
The format of the conference provides morning and late afternoon or evening sessions in which major presentations are made. Poster sessions will be scheduled for evening discussion as well. Available time is included during the afternoons for ad hoc meetings, informal discussions, and/or recreation. This format is designed to enhance rapport among participants and promote dialogue on the development of the meeting. We believe the conferences have been instrumental in generating ideas and disseminating information to a greater extent than is possible through more conventional forums.
All participants are expected both to attend the entire conference and to contribute actively to the discussions. The recording/photographing of lectures and presentations is forbidden. As ECI conferences take place in an informal atmosphere, casual clothing is the usual attire.
Smoking is prohibited at ECI conferences and conference functions.
Engineering Conferences International
32 Broadway, Suite 314
New York, NY 10004
T: 1-212-514-6760
F: 1-212-514-6030
E-mail: info@engconfintl.org