Affiliation: iGEM Foundation

Marilene Pavan is the Director of Technology at the iGEM Foundation. A biologist with more than 20 years of experience, her expertise spans synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, biomanufacturing, and the circular economy. As a research fellow at Boston University, she focused on laboratory automation workflows, cell-free systems, and business development. At LanzaTech, she led initiatives in laboratory automation, software tool implementation, innovation management, and biomanufacturing using non-model organisms. Her leadership experience also includes serving as director of the SENAI Innovation Institute, in addition to research positions at Braskem and Monsanto. A dedicated mentor and advocate for the bioeconomy, she is committed to fostering global scientific collaboration and community building. Marilene holds a master’s degree in molecular biology and is a PhD candidate in the Bioenergy Program at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.