From the iGEM Competition to xyna.bio: Adrian Romberg’s Journey

For many iGEMers, the competition is more than just a project showcase, it’s a launchpad to the next step in their synthetic biology journey. The people you meet, the roles you take on and the networks you build can take you into the many corners of the field, including the startup ecosystem.

At the 2024 iGEM Grand Jamboree, we caught up with Adrian Romberg, formerly working in Product Management at xyna.bio, a startup based in Mainz, Germany, focused on making powerful computation tools and bioinformatics intuitive and accessible.

Where It All Began

Adrian first encountered xyna.bio during his time with iGEM Team Frankfurt 2023, where he led the finance team. During the competition season, he encountered xyna.bio, a startup with close ties to the iGEM and a track record of supporting iGEM teams.

He learned that xyna.bio has deep roots in iGEM. Originally Xyna GmbH specialized in hyperautomating critical infrastructure processes, such as in telecommunications. But a fellow iGEMer, Julian Borbeck (iGEM Team Tübingen 2023 and formerly an intern at Xyna), proposed that the company should apply its expertise and technology to bioinformatics, creating streamlined analysis pipelines that give wet lab users easy access to powerful computational tools. This shaped the startup’s direction.

Exploring Bioinformatics and AI for Diverse Applications

Through his time working at xyna.bio, Adrian further explored the AI applications in SynBio. Adrian shared his excitement about recent advances in the field, particularly the emergence of protein language models and the groundbreaking work of David Baker, whose contributions to computational protein design, including RosettaFold and RFdiffusion, earned him the 2024 Nobel Prize. Adrian believes AI is not only accelerating discovery but also democratizing access to deep tech tools for the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs.

Synthetic biology applications continue to diversify into many new areas. Adrian highlighted one of xyna.bio’s key challenges: expanding and adapting their bioinformatics tools to meet a wider range of applications.

Adrian’s Advice to iGEMers:

Adrian’s story and his involvement in xyna.bio is a great example of how iGEM can be a launchpad to explore career ideas, securing internships or make first connections with synthetic biology stakeholders. 

“Go with the flow. There’s so much energy in synthetic biology — roll with it and see where you end up.” - Adrian Romberg.

Connect with global synthetic biology stakeholders and discover your own opportunities. Join us at the iGEM Grand Jamboree, happening October 28–31, 2025, at the Paris Convention Centre.

🎟️ Get your tickets at jamboree.igem.org