Intersection of Data Science and Biological Science

Last year, we were fortunate to host The Montgomery Summit before the COVID-19 pandemic prevented travel and in-person conferences. For most of you, it was the last conference you attended.

The 2021 Summit on March 3rd and 4th marks a year since COVID-19 emerged. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with pending vaccines and an anticipated return to what will be a new normal. There have never been as many disruptive and profound changes to our society as we have experienced in the last twelve months.

One of the key drivers of change has been the intersection of Data Science and Biological Science, which enabled us to map the coronavirus genome and rapidly develop vaccines, testing, and other treatments. Illumina has played a critical role in these efforts and we are proud to host their CEO, Francis DeSouza, at the Summit this year. Illumina, the next-gen genomics pioneer, famously sequenced the entire genome in just one hour at a cost of only $1000 (as compared to 15 years and $2.7B in 2003). Several years ago, the chairman of Microsoft, John Thompson, commented that Illumina is the “Microsoft of Genomics.” We are excited for Francis to share his insights. In addition, we will have a panel discussion moderated by Matt McIlwain of Madrona Venture Group, with leading companies solving pertinent biological challenges by unlocking the power of computational techniques and data analytics. They will discuss the imminent developments in their respective areas, the economic implications, and the broader impact to society.

We have invited four of the most innovative companies in the space to join us: Resilience, reimagining biopharmaceutical manufacturing through advanced research and production technologies; Twinstrand, building a platform around Duplex Sequencing based on DNA data, enabling physicians, patients, and drug researchers to make life saving decisions faster; Synthego, developing the critical genome engineering solutions we need to accelerate CRISPR research; and Nautilus, a biotechnology leader using proteomics to accelerate therapeutic development, dramatically improve medical diagnostics, and make personalized and predictive medicine a reality.

The explosive data growth in the last decade, combined with this COVID-19 era of rapidly evolving scientific innovation, will have a long-lasting impact. Over the next 10 years, the intersections of the life and data sciences will emerge as a multi-trillion dollar industry, and Southern California, already holding 10% of US investments in synthetic biology and home to 65 companies in the space, is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunity.

The demand for data science in the biotechnology industry is extensive and growing. Please join us in conversation with industry leaders during The Montgomery Summit 2021 presented by March Capital on March 3rd and 4th. To register for the 2021 Summit, please click the following link: https://cvent.me/mqWNGX. If you have any questions, please contact info@montgomerysummit.com.