Edward Perello is co-founder of Desktop Genetics Ltd, a London software company creating tools to engineer any gene, in any cell, in any species - without stepping into a lab.

Edward has long-been interested in the science and policy of synthetic biology, and enjoys exploring questions of utopia vs dystopia in a synbio-enabled world. He is interested in biotech user experiences and advocates the development of responsible approaches to synthetic biology, seeking to foster deeper ties and understanding between the public, the biological sciences and professionals that will need to engage with biologists in the coming years, namely software developers and designers.

Dr. Megan J. Palmer work seeks to develop, promote and advise on best practices and policies to responsibly advance biotechnology and other emerging technologies. She is currently a Senior Research Scholar and a William J. Perry Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University. Previously, she was a Senior Scientist at U.C. Berkeley and served as Deputy Director of Policy and Practices for the multi-university Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (Synberc). She has created and lead many programs in the societal aspects of biotechnology, including the Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program (LEAP), and the Human Practices program at the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. Dr. Palmer holds a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from MIT, and was a postdoctoral scholar in the Bioengineering Department at Stanford University.