ChordexBio Brings Computational Biotech to the 1st Bio-MBB Innovation Forum at DLSU

ChordexBio joined a lineup of biotechnology leaders at the 1st Bio-MBB Biotechnology Innovation Forum, hosted by the Department of Biology at De La Salle University on July 29, 2026.

Our Project Leader, Marvin de los Santos, represented ChordexBio on the expert panel, sharing how our approach to computational biology fits into the wider landscape of biotech innovation in the Philippines.

The forum, a joint initiative of DLSU's Industrial Biotechnology and Enterprise (INDUBIO) and Genomics and Proteomics (GPROMIC) courses, brought together students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals. The program opened with a moderated expert panel before moving into a hybrid poster session, where student research projects were evaluated on originality, technical rigor, and real-world market potential — exactly the kind of interdisciplinary work ChordexBio was built to support.

Championing biotech in AI research for DLSU

Among our innovations at ChordexBio is Covary, a machine learning approach for large-scale, whole-genome intelligence. Covary lets us analyze thousands of genomic sequences without relying on traditional alignment-based methods, giving life science researchers a faster, more flexible way to generate insights from their genomic data. The project is led by DLSU alumna Bea Nicole Gacayan, a Program Partner at ChordexBio and Researcher at the Covary Research Group. Bea's recent work in showing how Covary can rapidly map genomic diversity across ebolaviruses continues to shape the platform's research direction and provide solutions for genomic surveillance of viral pathogens with immediate public health importance.

Representing ChordexBio on the Panel

At the forum, Marvin joined fellow panelists Dr. Romulo de Castro (Health Informatics), biotech entrepreneur Dr. Al Serafica, and Herbanext President Philip Cruz to discuss different pathways into biotechnology entrepreneurship. Speaking on ChordexBio's behalf, Marvin described how Covary shaped ChordexBio's innovation journey and how our computational approach differentiates us from more traditional lab-based biotech ventures. Marvin offered students a concrete example of how computational biology can serve as a foundation for a biotech company, not just a supporting tool.

The broader panel discussion reinforced a theme we hold onto at ChordexBio: there's no single formula for success in this industry. Research, industry experience, and computational innovation are all legitimate starting points, and we're glad to share our journey to students weighing their own paths forward.

Supporting the Next Generation of Biotech

Beyond the panel, ChordexBio engaged directly with students during the poster session, offering feedback on projects that bridged fundamental molecular biosciences with practical biotechnology applications. Engagements like this one are part of how we invest in the broader ecosystem — connecting with the researchers and founders who will shape the industry's next chapter, and staying close to the ideas coming out of academic labs.

We're grateful to the DLSU Department of Biology for the invitation, and to everyone who helped bring together a forum with this much energy and ambition.

Learn more about the programs behind the Bio-MBB Innovation Forum at DLSU: Practical Genomics Laboratory DLSU Department of Biology