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Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

Messaginglab

Grow Everything explores the world of biology as technology. Hosts Erum Khan and Karl Schmieder interview leaders and influencers biologizing industries with tools like synthetic biology, precision fermentation, bioprospecting, and more. These companies make biomaterials from waste, cosmetics that restore healthy hair and skin, and delicious cultivated foods in a bioreactor and so much more. Join us as we discuss the latest and greatest across biotech, engineered biology, entrepreneurship, and culture and how this transition is solving healthcare and climate change challenges.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first
  • Friday · 1 hr 1 min

    192. Reading Between the Dyes: Roya Aghighi Unlocks Biological Pigments at Lite-1

    Have you ever wondered why the color in your clothes can be so harmful to the environment? In this episode of the Grow Everything Podcast, Karl and Erum continue their BioDye series with Roya Aghighi, founder of Lite-1. Roya grew up in her mother’s fashion studio and later worked in the industry testing new materials, but she decided to leave after seeing the pollution caused by traditional dyeing methods. She explains how Lite-1 uses engineered microbes to produce colorful pigments through fermentation, beginning with black, one of the most difficult and damaging colors to make sustainably. Roya also discusses why natural variation in biology can be useful rather than a problem, and why the biggest challenge facing biological dyes may be getting brands and investors to share the risks of developing them. She predicts that color could eventually become an important tool for tracking a garment throughout its life. Before the interview, Karl and Erum also discuss radiation-loving microbes, cuts to pathogen testing, and organisms designed with the help of computers. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and speak with the leaders and innovators using biology to change the world. Biology is the world’s oldest technology, and it can be engineered. So, what are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Biology as a technology and why textile dye is so harmful (00:05:00) Microbe expeditions, Bikini Atoll, and a Cyclospora outbreak (00:10:30) Cuts to pathogen monitoring and organisms designed with computers (00:16:40) Meet Roya Aghighi, from growing up in a fashion studio to founding a biotech company (00:22:45) How Lite-1 uses fermentation to create a more sustainable black dye (00:28:30) Why biological variation can be useful information (00:34:30) Focusing on performance, testing, and regeneration instead of sustainability alone (00:40:30) The challenges of cost, scale, and shared risk in the biological dye market (00:47:00) Product standards, traceability, and the next premium opportunity in fashion (00:52:00) Quick-fire questions and final thoughts from the hosts Links and Resources: Lite-1 Bio Roya Aghighi 177. Dye Another Day (REPLAY): The New Way to Color Textiles with Colorifix's Orr Yarkoni 178. Pretty in Pigments: Jesse Adler Colors the Future with Pitri 180. Fungi in Full Color: Ricky Cassini Reimagines Dye at Michroma 181. Can Hue Believe It? Gerit Tolborg’s Quest for Pure Color at Chromologics The Next 500 years - Chris Mason BioAstra Grow Everything LinkedIn BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: biological dyes, microbial color production, sustainable black dye, textile dye pollution, fermentation-based colorants, bio-based textile dyes, regenerative fashion, traceable garment dyes, synthetic dye alternatives, Lite-1 Bio Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • July 24 · 1 hr 6 min

    191. Beyond the Lab Bench: Karl & Erum on Human Connections as the Ultimate Biotech Moat

    With Episode 200 coming up, Karl and Erum switch roles and interview each other the way they usually interview their guests. Karl shares why he decided not to become a doctor, how interviewing bands in college taught him to connect with anyone, and what he learned about storytelling during a decade in public relations before starting Messaging Lab. Erum talks about her unexpected path from studying forensic chemistry and working in pharmaceutical labs to executive coaching, joining a startup accelerator on a ship traveling around the world, and working in energy policy from the Navajo Nation to Brussels. They also discuss what waiting tables taught them about sales and humility, why early-stage startups should sometimes stay quiet until they have real traction, and why strong relationships are something AI cannot replace. Along the way, they revisit favorite moments from past guests, including Vishaal Bhuyan, Casey Lardner, Glennis Mehra, Linnea Fletcher, Elizabeth Hénaff, Phil Morle, Michael Specter, and Sabriya Stukes. Their conversation is a reminder that there is no single path into the bioeconomy. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and speak with the leaders and innovators using biology to change the world. Biology is the world’s oldest technology, and it can be engineered. So, what are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Karl and Erum interview each other ahead of Episode 200 (00:06:45) Erum’s experience building a startup at sea with the Unreasonable Institute (00:13:30) Genspace’s Break Into Biotech program and lessons from college (00:19:58) Leaving the pharmaceutical lab for positive psychology and executive coaching (00:26:40) What working in restaurants teaches about sales, empathy, and humility (00:33:20) How energy and water policy work with the Navajo Nation shaped Erum’s perspective (00:40:02) Why staying quiet can be better than making a big launch announcement for an early-stage biotech company (00:46:31) Michael Specter discusses mistrust in science and the need for greater biology education (00:53:15) Career changes, layoffs, and staying adaptable in the age of AI (00:59:58) Advice for their younger selves and quick-fire questions Links and Resources: 45. Insuring Your Lunch: Aanika’s Vishaal Bhuyan Cracks the Microbial Code of Food Security 139. Cultivating a Culture of Cultures? Genspace's Casey Lardner on Community Biotech 30. Breaking into Biotech: Linnea Fletcher's Inclusive Education and Workforce Upskilling at InnovATEBIO 117. From Lab Coats to CEO Notes: BioLabs' Glennis Mehra on Biotech Business in NYC 104. Unseen Worlds: Exploring Environmental Microbiomes and Their Secrets of Human and Climate Impact with Dr. Elizabeth Henaff 149. Beyond Capital: Phil Morle of Main Sequence Ventures on Collaboration as the New Competitive Edge 44. Spec-Tacular Science: A Chat with Michael Specter on Denying Denialism 39. From Microbe to Unicorn: IndieBio's Sabriya Stukes on the Journey of Biotech Startups AI Value Pyramid Grow Everything LinkedIn BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: community biotech, biotech storytelling, biotech founders, biotech communications, life lessons in biotech, biotech careers, science entrepreneurship, biotech media, biotech community building, biotech journey Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • July 17 · 1 hr

    190. Pour Some Sugar on Yeast: Lisa Roessler Scales Biology at Amyris

    Lisa Ressler has spent more than 35 years working in science-based businesses, including DuPont and Evonik, and now serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Amyris. In this conversation, she joins Karl and Erum to discuss where Amyris stands today, what the company learned from Chapter 11, and why returning its focus to B2B science was the right move. Lisa explains the company’s 1.5 million-liter fermentation facility in Barra Bonita, Brazil, its partnership with Wacker to develop bio-based personal care ingredients, and the simple framework she uses to decide which markets are worth pursuing. She also shares what it takes for a bio-based ingredient to move beyond higher “green” pricing and reach large-scale commercial use, making the case that strong performance is ultimately what convinces customers. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Introduction and catching up after the Fourth of July (00:05:00) - Soil health, regenerative agriculture, and current biotech trends (00:10:00) - Biomanufacturing in China and the global race for scale and speed (00:15:00) - Meet Lisa Ressler, Chief Commercial Officer at Amyris (00:19:00) - What Amyris produces and how it works with partners across the supply chain (00:24:00) - Amyris’s return to B2B and what enterprise customers want after Chapter 11 (00:31:00) - How Amyris and Wacker collaborate from research through development (00:37:00) - Proprietary molecules and how Amyris chooses which markets to pursue (00:41:00) - Exploring Amyris’s molecule portfolio, from squalane to vaccines (00:48:00) - The future of precision fermentation and quick-fire questions Links and Resources: Amyris Lisa Roessler Amyris' sustainable squalene Amyris, Inc. Launches New Production Line at Brazil Precision Fermentation Plant WACKER and biomanufacturing pioneer Amyris join forces in the personal-care sector 179. D.C. Climate Week LIVE: The Road to Remake Everything 183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security 73. At the Bleeding Edge: Cresilon's Joe Landolina on Rapid Wound Care 141. Gut Check! Viome’s Momo & Guru Decode Your Inner Microbiome 158. Mycelium On, Sound Off: How GOB's Lauryn Menard Makes Biomaterials Feel Like Culture SilvaBio and Foray Bioscience Announce Acceleration to Restore the American Chestnut Common Ground - agriculture documentary Siphonophore - longest animal BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: precision fermentation, Amyris, squalane, sustainable beauty ingredients, bio-based chemistry, PFAS alternatives, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, vaccine adjuvant squalene, green chemistry Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • July 10 · 48 min

    189. Infinite Threads: Recycling Athleisure Waste with Samsara’s Vanessa Vongsouthi

    Vanessa Vongsouthi, Research Founder and Head of Bioengineering at Samsara Eco, joins host Erum on the Grow Everything Podcast to discuss how engineered enzymes and AI are making it possible to recycle textiles and plastics repeatedly. Vanessa explains how Samsara uses AI-assisted protein design and ancestral sequence reconstruction to create enzymes that break down complex polymers, including Nylon 6,6, into their original chemical building blocks. Those materials can then be returned to existing supply chains and used to create virgin-equivalent products that are indistinguishable from materials made from petrochemicals. She also shares the story behind the world’s first enzymatically recycled Nylon 6,6 jacket, created in partnership with Lululemon, and explores how Samsara Eco was built through Main Sequence Ventures’ orchestration model alongside partners such as Woolworths and the Australian National University. The conversation also looks at what a future built around distributed, local recycling infrastructure could mean for designers, manufacturers, consumers, and the global circular economy. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and innovators changing the world through biology. Biology is the world’s oldest technology, and it can be engineered. So, what are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Intro: Heat waves, climate impacts, and the bioeconomy (00:03:00) - Would Big Tech buy a pharmaceutical company? (00:08:00) - Brewed human collagen: Gelatech x Hugel partnership (00:10:00) - France bans fast fashion: Shein, Temu, and the Atacama Desert (00:13:00) - Introducing Vanessa Vongsouthi of Samsara Eco (00:17:00) - Biology as future industrial infrastructure (00:22:00) - Programming enzymes with AI and ancestral sequence reconstruction (00:29:00) - The Lululemon jacket: proof that enzymatic recycling scales (00:35:00) - Distributed recycling and a circular material economy (00:42:00) - Post-interview debrief and key takeaways Links and Resources: Forbes - Vanessa Vongsouthi Samsara Eco Samsara Eco - LinkedIn How Samsara Eco made a jacket with Lululemon from enzymatically recycled polyester lululemon and Samsara Eco Announce 10-Year Plan to Advance Recycled Material Portfolio The world has an anchovy problem AI Age Anthropic launches AI drug discovery program, joining tech giants in betting on healthcare FDA to fast-track food as medicine Jellatech Partners with South Korea’s Hugel to Bring Cell-Cultured Human Collagen to Market French parliament passes fast fashion bill targeting Shein and Temu 149. Beyond Capital: Phil Morle of Main Sequence Ventures on Collaboration as the New Competitive Edge 45. Insuring Your Lunch: Aanika’s Vishaal Bhuyan Cracks the Microbial Code of Food Security 122. Ecohacking the Planet: Daniel Goodwin of Homeworld Collective Brews Up Planetary-Scale Solutions 175. Seaweed Is the New Oil: Mari Granström Builds Origin by Ocean Grow Everything LinkedIn BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: enzymatic recycling, nylon 66 recycling, textile waste, circular economy, bioengineering, protein engineering, infinite recycling, sustainable fashion, Lululemon recycled jacket, plastic recycling technology Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • July 3 · 1 hr 11 min

    188. Which Came First: Chicken, Egg, or Medicine? Neion Bio Turns Evolution into a Precision Factory

    What happens when an evolutionary biologist and an aerospace engineer both arrive at the same conclusion — that the future of drug manufacturing isn't steel, it's biology? In this episode, Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan sit down with Sam Levin (Co-Founder & CTO) and Dimi Kellari (Co-Founder & CEO) of Neion Bio to unpack one of the most counterintuitive ideas in modern biomanufacturing: producing therapeutic medicines inside genetically engineered chicken eggs. Rather than optimizing the same mammalian cell culture systems that have defined biopharma for 50 years, Neion Bio's Raptor platform replaces complex steel bioreactor infrastructure with a self-replicating, two-input biological system — chicken feed and water in, life-saving medicines out. The conversation covers their stealth-to-commercial journey, a multi-product monoclonal antibody partnership announced alongside $11M in seed funding, the scalability and supply chain resilience advantages of egg-based manufacturing, how they navigate FDA regulation with a living bioreactor, and their North Star: dropping end-to-end production costs of monoclonal antibodies below $10 per gram — an order of magnitude that could fundamentally reshape who has access to biologics and where they're made. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Intro & 4th of July: America's 250th anniversary celebrations (00:03:00) - America's Living Library Act & NDAA biotech provisions (00:06:00) - Midjourney's ultrasonic body scanner & patient data ownership (00:10:00) - NVIDIA's AI co-scientist, the AI value pyramid & AbbVie's $11B Apogee acquisition (00:20:00) - Introducing Sam Levin & Dimi Kellari of Neion Bio (00:26:00) - Neion Bio's Raptor platform: making medicines inside chicken eggs (00:33:00) - Scalability, onshoring & true supply chain resilience (00:39:00) - Downstream purification: cracking eggs vs. CHO cell lysate (00:47:00) - FDA pathways & batch-to-batch consistency in a living bioreactor (00:50:00) - Drug supply chain fragility & national health security (00:56:00) - $10/gram North Star: end-to-end cost breakdown (01:00:00) - Quickfire Q&A: engineering challenges, union demands & investor misconceptions (01:04:00) - Outro: calls to action & what's next for Neion Bio Links and Resources: Neion Bio Contact to partner with Neion Bio Chicken Eggs Become Biorectors Neion Bio Raises Oversubscribed $23 Million Series A to Advance Biologics Manufacturing Platform and Expand Pipeline 183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security 186. N.Y. Tech Week Live Demo: Engineering the Future of Manufacturing with Roebling's Brentan Alexander 170. There's a Bug for That: Sophia Xu on CarbonBridge's Notebook Bioreactors 176. Dare to Commercialize: Damien Perriman’s eXoZymes Playbook NVIDIA announces BioNeMo A.I. Value Pyramid - Murat Aktihanoglu AbbVie to acquire Apogee for $11B Grow everything LinkedIn BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: chickens, eggs, biomanufacturing, therapeutic medicines, CHO cells, monoclonal antibodies, supply chain, biosimilars, Raptor, national health security Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • June 26 · 1 hr 19 min

    187. One Small Step for a Microbe: Lynn Rothschild’s Leap from Astrobiology to Bioengineering at NASA

    What does it actually take to keep humans alive on Mars? Not the SpaceX version — the biology version. Dr. Lynn Rothschild, research scientist at NASA Ames and adjunct professor at Brown and Stanford, has spent decades at the intersection of astrobiology and synthetic biology, and her answer is both elegant and radical: life itself is the technology. On this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with one of the scientists who helped build NASA's synthetic biology program to talk about on-demand drug manufacturing in space, growing habitats out of fungal mycelium, engineering bacteria to pull specific metals from e-waste, and the audacious "Hell Cell" project that aims to stack every survival superpower nature has ever evolved into a single organism. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when evolutionary biology meets aerospace engineering meets materials science — with a healthy dose of iGEM undergrads and Tetris metaphors — this one's for you. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - NYC energy, the Knicks parade, and when does biotech get its ticker tape? (00:04:00) - Peptides: biohacking goes mainstream, and why the back alley of your gym is not a pharmacy (00:10:00) - Bemotrizinol: the first new active sunscreen ingredient cleared in the US in over 20 years (00:14:30) - Listener shoutouts and a night with sci-fi legend Kim Stanley Robinson at Pioneer Works (00:22:30) - SpaceX goes public at a $2.5 trillion valuation — what the space economy actually means (00:26:00) - Why biology — not steel or solar — is the only real answer to the upmass problem (00:35:00) - Lynn's origin story: from studying extremophiles to being told to engineer them for NASA (00:42:00) - The astro pharmacy: programming bacteria to brew medicine on demand during a six-month Mars transit (00:51:00) - The Hell Cell, AI in the lab, and Lynn's Tetris approach to building multi-disciplinary teams (01:04:00) - Gravity, radiation, the 2030s Mars timeline, and what from Lynn's lab shows up in your house first Links and Resources: Lynn Rothschild NASA interview with Lynn Rothschild Nature's Hardware Store - Lynn on Building the Future with Biology The Peptide Gold Rush Bemotrizinol - new FDA approved sunscreen ingredient 185. Brick Happens: Chris Maurer of Redhouse Studio Redesigns Remote Living for Earth and Mars 93. Houston, We Have a Protocol: NASA's Kate Rubins on Biotech in Space 116. Cell Yeah for Space!: Pioneer Labs' Erika DeBenedictis on Engineering Life for Mars 156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form 111. Space Genes and Subway Scenes: Chris Mason on Planning Life’s Next Big Leap BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: Synthetic biology in space, astrobiology, space biomanufacturing, Mars missions, biomining, on-demand pharmaceuticals, extremophiles, mycelium architecture, space sustainability, lunar infrastructure Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • June 18 · 39 min

    186. N.Y. Tech Week Live Demo: Engineering the Future of Manufacturing with Roebling's Brentan Alexander

    Recorded live at New York Tech Week, Karl and Erum sit down with Brenton Alexander (CTO at Roebling) to unpack one of the biggest bottlenecks in scaling “biology as technology”: figuring out what it really takes to design and finance physical infrastructure. Brenton walks through how Roebling uses AI alongside deterministic engineering models (physics/thermodynamics) to accelerate early facility design, generate capex/opex estimates with uncertainty ranges (not false precision), and help teams run scenarios fast—so founders, investors, and operators can make better go/no-go decisions earlier, reduce wasteful iteration across siloed teams, and focus human expertise where it matters most. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Welcome to Grow Everything Live at NY Tech Week (00:02:10) The “infrastructure gap”: why feasibility work is slow and expensive (00:03:05) What Roebling does: accelerating the path from R&D to final investment decision (00:05:05) Live demo setup: building a yeast-based fermentation facility for a red bio-dye (00:07:15) What the platform decides (and why inputs matter): equipment, DSP, and cost drivers (00:10:00) “Why not just use Claude?” Deterministic models + AI tooling for defensible results (00:14:30) Handling uncertainty: ranges, distributions, and Monte Carlo-style scenario runs (00:18:40) What changes for engineers/consultants: shifting effort from manual work to judgment (00:23:10) Reading the outputs: capex/opex, IRR, and the “tornado chart” of uncertainty drivers (00:28:10) Audience Q&A: logistics/customer delivery, AI’s impact on costs, review fatigue, and assumptions (00:29:30) Long-term direction: more fidelity, narrower bounds, EPC-ready handoff (00:30:05) Audience Q&A begins (00:30:30) Q1: logistics + customer delivery costs (not just “at the gate”) (00:32:55) Q2: how AI changes operating cost assumptions over time (00:34:15) Q3: review fatigue—how to structure checks and triage what matters (00:36:10) Q4: what did the model assume for “colorant”? (and why specificity matters) (00:38:15) Wrap-up + thank-yous Links and Resources: Roebling Roebling Early Access Program Brentan Alexandar Edward Shenderovich 65. Scaling Cells, Dreaming Big: The Biomanufacturing Cloud with Synonym’s Edward Shenderovich 166. The Great Reformulation: Joshua Lachter Rethinks How We Make Everything at Scale 172. Generating Needles in Haystacks: Elise de Reus Designs Proteins with Cradle BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: Roebling, bioprocess modeling, techno-economic analysis, fermentation economics, food dyes, bio-based ingredients, process engineering, AI for biomanufacturing, scale-up planning, regulatory considerations, industrial engineering AI. Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • June 12 · 1 hr 19 min

    185. Brick Happens: Chris Maurer of Redhouse Studio Redesigns Remote Living for Earth and Mars

    What if the building you live in could be grown instead of built, feed people while it goes up, and lock away carbon for a century? Architect Chris Maurer of Red House Architecture and MycoHab joins Karl and Erum to explain how he turns 12 tons of invasive bush into mushrooms that feed a community and mycelium blocks that test stronger than concrete. He breaks down the now famous sledgehammer test, why a ductile living material survives the earthquakes that shatter cinder block, and the counterintuitive truth that more mycelium does not make a stronger brick. Then things get cosmic. Chris walks through his NASA backed work growing habitats that pack down tight, fly to Mars, and unfold to grow their own radiation shielding from algae and fungi, plus the Biocycler that eats the toxins out of old houses and turns that waste into something safe. If you care about biomaterials, regenerative design, and the business models that could actually build us out of the climate crisis, this conversation will rewire how you see the walls around you. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Cold open and the first trillion dollar biotech (00:06:05) Robling's live demo: an AI process engineer for biomanufacturing (00:07:50) The Longevity Global Summit and the business of living longer (00:15:05) A warming planet is unleashing flesh eating microbes (00:18:35) Meet Chris Maurer: architecture that grows, decays, and feeds people (00:20:05) What Africa taught him about regenerative architecture (00:27:05) Building MycoHab with MIT and Standard Bank (00:32:25) The sledgehammer test: ductile mycelium versus brittle concrete (00:39:35) Failures, tuning biology, and the 60 day sweet spot (00:42:35) Does biology first design give the Global South an advantage? (00:48:35) Deployable Mars habitats that grow their own walls (00:53:05) The Biocycler: turning old toxic buildings into new ones (00:56:05) How fungi break down petrochemicals and chelate heavy metals (01:00:05) The hard nut of building a business around mycelium (01:02:00) The economics of mushrooms, materials, and carbon credits (01:03:35) Eco luxury myco habs and the first buyers (01:05:05) Why biobased construction becomes the rule by mid century (01:10:05) Earth or Mars, the weirdest material, and meeting Lynn Rothschild Links and Resources: Redhouse Studio Architecture Chris Maurer NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program Can 'mycotecture' provide the building blocks? 143. Sunscreen from Space? Delavie’s Kyle Landry Turns Space Microbes into Skincare 173. They Put the Ore in Organisms: Liz Dennett’s Microbial Mining at Endolith 156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form 126. Sizzling Success: Eben Bayer of MyForest Foods on Scaling Mycelium Magic 159. The Future Is Fungi Awards: From Mushroom Dreams to Real-World Things AI value pyramid Our warming planet is a petri-dish for new and deadly microbes BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: mycelium, regenerative architecture, biofabrication, carbon sequestration, fungal materials, circular economy, biomimicry, sustainable construction, extraterrestrial habitats, biogenic materials Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • June 5 · 1 hr 13 min

    184. The Multiverse of Microbes: Henry Lee on Building Cultivarium and Training with Titans

    Most of biotech runs on a tiny handful of "model" organisms — E. coli, baker's yeast — while millions of wild species sit unstudied in what scientists call microbial dark matter. In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Henry Lee, co-founder of Cultivarium, to explore why the future of synthetic biology depends on learning to grow, study, and engineer the organisms we've ignored. Henry breaks down the real difference between model and non-model organisms, why simply culturing a new microbe can take years, and how Cultivarium is standardizing growth recipes and building an open digital platform so any researcher can work with strains that were once impossible to handle. Along the way: a fistulated cow, a spectacular failure that ultimately cracked the genetics of cement-making bacteria, extreme microbes that could free fermentation from fresh water, and Cultivarium's evolution from a Focused Research Organization into a "Frontier Research Contractor." The conversation closes on the state of American science — funding, public trust, and AI — plus the America's Living Library Act and a quick-fire round on archaea, overused buzzwords, and whether we're alone in the universe. Before the interview, Karl and Erum spill some biotech tea on "Biotech Barbie" Cathy Tie and unpack what the video game Stray gets right about engineered microbes escaping into the wild. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) — Summer vibes & a little biotech gossip: meet "Biotech Barbie" (00:07:42) — What a video game about a lost cat teaches us about runaway microbes (00:12:38) — How Henry went from building circuits to falling for biology (00:16:25) — So what actually is a "non-model" organism? (00:22:30) — Yes, we really talk about a cow with a window in its stomach (00:25:40) — Step inside Cultivarium: incubators, recipes & happy accidents (00:33:35) — Borrowing nature's best ideas: fungi, archaea & glowing jellyfish (00:39:15) — The failure that taught us everything (a cement-making bacteria story) (00:43:45) — Could the ocean fuel the future of fermentation? (00:48:45) — Real talk: science funding, public trust & the promise of AI (00:53:25) — Reinventing how big science gets funded — and a library of life (01:00:10) — Dream organisms, pet-peeve buzzwords & "are we alone?" (01:05:55) — Karl & Erum unpack their favorite moments Links and Resources: Cultivarium Biosphere Project 27. Charting the Unexplored Microverse for Biological Gold with CULTIVARIUM’s Nili Ostrov 147. Shhh…They’re Talking: Holoclara's Dr. Andrea Choe Tunes Into Worm Signals for Health 98. Gotta Get Them All: bitBiome's Quest to Decode All Microbes with Yuji Suzuki 183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security Kathy Tie Biotech Barbie Gene Editing Stray - A Synthetic Biology Video Game BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: non-model organisms, microbial dark matter, model organisms, Cultivarium, industrial biotechnology, microbial engineering, DNA repair, CRISPR, fermentation, frontier research contractor Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • May 29 · 42 min

    183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security

    Senator Todd Young joins the Grow Everything podcast to discuss the critical intersection of biotechnology and national security, sharing how his military background, Indiana roots, and role as chairman of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology shaped his understanding of the bioeconomy as a strategic imperative. From DARPA's shelf-stable powdered blood to the America's Living Library Act — a first-of-its-kind effort to sequence the DNA of flora and fauna across US national parks — Senator Young lays out a compelling vision for distributed biomanufacturing, AI-powered biological discovery, and why the US must act now in what he calls a generational tech competition with China. Karl and Erum also recap highlights from Suppliers Day hosted by the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, including biotech-forward exhibitors like Probiotical, Origins by Ocean, Geltor, and the unveiling of BioAtlas — the first open source map of industrial biotech. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Suppliers Day Recap: Biotech Innovations in Beauty & Personal Care (00:07:00) - BioAtlas: The First Open Source Map of Industrial Biotech (00:09:00) - Setting Up the Interview with Senator Todd Young (00:12:00) - How a Marine Turned Senator Became a Biotech Champion (00:16:00) - Why Biology Is Reshaping National Security in the 21st Century (00:20:00) - America's Living Library Act: Sequencing Our National Parks (00:24:00) - Unlocking New Industries from Spider Silk to Bioluminescent Peaches (00:27:00) - The Biggest Barriers Preventing Biotech from Reaching Scale (00:31:00) - A Vision for Distributed Biomanufacturing Across Rural America (00:37:00) - Quick-Fire Questions, Shout-Outs & Closing Thoughts Links and Resources: America's Living Library Act of 2026 National Security Commission on Emerging Biotech The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) National Institute of Standards and Technology Engineering silk that is stronger than steel Yellowstone Microbe that helped with PCR tests Hawkwood’s BioAtlas 179. D.C. Climate Week LIVE: The Road to Remake Everything 175. Seaweed Is the New Oil: Mari Granström Builds Origin by Ocean 143. Sunscreen from Space? Delavie’s Kyle Landry Turns Space Microbes into Skincare 31. No Bones About It: Brewing Human and Vegan Collagens with Geltor's Alex Lorestani *** Tickets for the GE Live Ep. NY Tech Week with Roebling *** BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, America's living library, US Government, Congress, bioeconomy, biotechnology Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • May 22 · 54 min

    182. SynBioBeta 2026 Recap, It's Biologist Approved

    Karl and Erum are back from SynBio Beta 2026 in San Jose, and they brought home an Impact Award. In this special recap episode, they break down the biggest moments from the conference: Neon's audacious plan to engineer chicken eggs as bioreactors, P&G's push into bio ceramides with their Native brand, Twist Bioscience's expansion from DNA synthesis into proteins, and Anthropic's deepening footprint in pharma through its acquisition of Coefficient Bio and partnership with Eli Lilly. They cover panels on the dark proteome, engineered longevity, bio-based colors replacing synthetic dyes, programmable nutrition, and the future of alternative meat, plus a standing-room-only session on bio-literacy featuring Drew Endy. Along the way, they share stories from the hallways, highlight emerging founders in DNA data storage and space biotech, recap Chef Pierre Thiam's fonio-fueled dinner, and reflect on why strengthening relationships across the bioeconomy matters more than ever. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Grow Everything Wins the SynBio Beta 2026 Impact Award (00:04:30) - Conference Highlights, Listener Meetups & Walking the Exhibit Hall (00:08:15) - Cellular Intelligence, BioBrain AI & Neon's Chicken Egg Bioreactor (00:13:00) - P&G's Bio Ceramides, Twist Bioscience & the Everyday Bio Panel (00:19:30) - Engineered Longevity: Gene Therapy, Matter Bio & Measuring Aging (00:22:30) - AI Meets Pharma: Anthropic, Eli Lilly's Tune Lab & Startup Alliances (00:29:00) - Bruce Friedrich on the Future of Alternative Meat (00:32:00) - Programming Nutrition: When Snacking Meets Medicine (00:36:15) - Bio-Literacy with Drew Endy & the Teaching Disorder (00:42:00) - Panel Recaps: Dark Proteome, Bio Colors, Enzymes & Chef Pierre Thiam Links and Resources: Links and Resources Document Topics Covered: fungi pigments, bio-based colorants, fungal dyes, natural pigments, sustainable color, food colorants, synthetic dyes alternatives, antioxidant pigments, food and beverage, clean ingredients Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • May 15 · 51 min

    181. Can Hue Believe It? Gerit Tolborg’s Quest for Pure Color at Chromologics

    Gerit Tolborg, CEO and co-founder of Chromologics, joins Karl and Erum to explore how filamentous fungi can replace synthetic and plant-extracted food dyes with a fermentation-derived red pigment called Tellurin. Gerit shares how a PhD discovery in Denmark led to a venture-backed startup producing a tasteless, odorless, and highly vibrant natural color that performs across processed food categories, from cured meats to bakery to dairy. The conversation covers the real economics of bio-based colorants (including the critical concept of cost-in-use versus kilo price), the challenges of scaling downstream processing from a two-liter reactor to industrial CMOs, and how regulatory pathways at the FDA and EU's FSA are evolving to accommodate fermentation-derived ingredients. Gerit also makes a compelling case for fermentation as a tool for decentralizing and de-risking global supply chains, freeing agricultural land from color crop production and building resilience against climate and geopolitical disruption. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Science News: A Sulfur Exoplanet and What It Means for Extremophile Life (00:03:45) - Is Biotech Winter Over? New IPOs and the Industrial Biotech Outlook (00:08:45) - Introducing Gerit Tolborg and the Chromologics Origin Story (00:10:15) - Discovering Novel Fungal Pigments During a PhD in Denmark (00:13:15) - How Fermentation Produces a Tasteless, Odorless Red Pigment (00:16:30) - Color Vibrancy, Purity, and Competing with Synthetic Dyes (00:19:00) - Building a Mission-Driven Team in the Post-COVID Purpose Economy (00:20:45) - Color as the Forgotten Ingredient and Main Purchase Decision Driver (00:23:00) - Navigating FDA and EU Regulation for Novel Food Colors (00:25:45) - The GMO Perception Gap Between Europe and the US (00:27:30) - Scaling Fermentation: Downstream Processing and Cost Realities (00:30:15) - Cost-in-Use vs. Kilo Price: The Real Economics of Bio-Based Color (00:34:15) - Target Markets: Meat, Bakery, Dairy, Cosmetics, and Beyond (00:37:15) - Clean Labels, E-Numbers, and Naming a Novel Ingredient (00:42:00) - Quick Fire Round and Host Takeaways Links and Resources: Chromologics Chromologics raises $ bring its natural colour ingredients closer to market Chr. Hansen - Color House (now Novonesis) Scientists found new sulfur-rich exoplanet Tickets for the GE Live Event with Roebling BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: fungi pigments, bio-based colorants, fungal dyes, natural pigments, sustainable color, food colorants, synthetic dyes alternatives, antioxidant pigments, food and beverage, clean ingredients Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • May 8 · 48 min

    180. Fungi in Full Color: Ricky Cassini Reimagines Dye at Michroma

    Ricky Cassini, CEO of Michroma and a former logistics professor turned biotech founder, breaks down why replacing synthetic food dyes is harder than it sounds—and why fermentation-based colorants can outperform both petrochemical dyes and many plant-based “natural” extracts. The conversation covers the core technical constraints that matter to food companies (thermal stability, pH stability, coloring power, flavor neutrality, and supply reliability), why fermentation behaves more like manufacturing than farming, and how regulatory shifts are accelerating demand for bio-based reds and whites (including titanium dioxide alternatives). For an audience following the future of materials and biomanufacturing, this episode is a practical look at how industrial fermentation can modernize a legacy supply chain while meeting performance and consumer expectations. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Cold open: “Are we eating printing ink?” + beverage innovation (00:06:55) Conference mode + introducing Ricky Cassini (Michroma) (00:11:05) How a strategy consultant became a fungal pigments CEO (00:14:10) Pigment vs dye: soluble vs dispersed (coffee analogies) (00:16:05) The “food contradiction”: healthy intent, petrochemical reality (00:18:40) Why plant-based reds struggle (cost, stability, supply chain) (00:22:35) Pricing confusion: cost per kilo vs cost-in-use (paint analogy) (00:26:05) What colors Michroma is starting with (red, yellow/orange, white) (00:28:05) Performance specs that matter: heat, pH, light, flavor, reliability (00:30:05) Labeling: “Red 40 / Yellow 5” vs natural naming + how novel fermented colors may be listed (00:33:05) Go-to-market: choosing categories where stability is the bottleneck (dairy, bakery, snacks, vitamins) (00:35:15) Unexpected use cases: aquaculture (salmon) + packaging inks that can migrate into food (00:36:55) Manufacturing strategy: partnering with CJ vs building plants; “time compression” and capex discipline (00:38:10) Scaling pressure points: regulatory timeline + the time/capital reality for novel ingredients (00:39:45) 5–10 year vision: same bright foods, but colors made via microbes (supply chain shift) (00:40:35) Quickfire round: fluorescent food-grade pigments, Gantt charts, and GMO marketing (00:41:40) Wrap + host outro + upcoming episodes and partner promo Links and Resources: michroma Michroma says fermentation will power next wave of natural colors 2025 1st Place Winner of The Future is Fungi Awards 159. The Future Is Fungi Awards: From Mushroom Dreams to Real-World Things CJ bio - Global Fermentation World Bio Markets - Our new partners BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything World Bio Markets - Podcasts Mars Snacking Molecule Manifesto - Advanced Biotech for Sustainability Report Tickets for the GE Live Event with Roebling Topics Covered: fungi pigments, bio-based colorants, fungal dyes, natural pigments, sustainable color, food colorants, synthetic dyes alternatives, antioxidant pigments, food and beverage, clean ingredients Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • May 1 · 58 min

    179. D.C. Climate Week LIVE: The Road to Remake Everything

    Recorded live during DC Climate Week, the Grow Everything team sits down with investors Veronica Breckenridge, Jillian Chase, and Michael Luciani to unpack the real state of the US bioeconomy race with China, why fermentation and scale-up capacity are a persistent bottleneck, and how policy, non-dilutive funding, and better founder execution can close the gap. The panel argues that the US still leads in innovation, AI, and robotics, but needs faster, clearer regulatory pathways and smarter go-to-market strategy, including focusing on high-margin “profit pools” first, designing for manufacturability and downstream processing, and building consumer demand through clearer storytelling about health and product benefits. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Live from DC Climate Week: intro and panelist lineup (00:06:00) US vs China: how real is the biomanufacturing gap (00:12:00) Policy signals: DOD, DARPA, and non-dilutive funding (00:18:00) Biggest bottleneck: fermentation infrastructure and scale-up capacity (00:24:00) The “graveyard” lessons: downstream costs and manufacturability (00:30:00) Go-to-market strategy: profit pools vs TAM, and unit economics (00:36:00) Consumer storytelling: health, microplastics, and demand creation (00:42:00) AI + robotics: how they change the bioeconomy race (00:48:00) What unlocks US biomanufacturing: regulation and faster pathways (00:54:00) What to watch next: RNA, peptides, and proof of profitable companies Links and Resources: D.C. Climate Week Graveyard Report NSCEB SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: bioeconomy, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, fermentation, biological materials, industrial biotech, US-China competition, venture capital, bio-based supply chain, biodiversity Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • April 24 · 1 hr 1 min

    178. Pretty in Pigments: Jesse Adler Colors the Future with Pitri

    Karl and Erum talk with Jesse Adler, founder of Pitri, about why color is not just aesthetic, but chemical, biological, and deeply tied to human and environmental health. Jesse traces their path from biomolecular science and biodesign into building fungal pigments that can replace synthetic and animal-derived colorants, starting with the beauty industry as a high-margin, ingredient-driven entry point. The conversation explores how consumer expectations and industrial infrastructure were built around petrochemical dyes, why biological materials are often unfairly judged against synthetics, and what it takes to create drop-in, high-performing pigments from living systems. Along the way, Jesse reframes color as a functional feature in nature, shares early experimentation stories, and points to future opportunities like multifunctional pigments and the “holy grail” of opaque white. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Spring in Brooklyn, the BioD series, and why nature’s colors feel “high definition” (00:02:55) The Allbirds “AI pivot” and what meme-stock dynamics look like in real time (00:04:55) A major biotech IPO and the rise of in-licensing drugs from China (00:10:10) Spain’s investment into Boston biotech and signals of a thawing biotech winter (00:12:35) Introducing Jesse Adler and Petri: fungi-grown pigments for beauty (00:15:05) Jesse’s origin story: biomolecular science, creative making, and discovering biodesign (00:18:05) A “molecular worldview”: how materials constantly interact with our bodies and environments (00:20:20) The history of synthetic dyes and the hidden costs of “best available” color (00:23:45) What Petri’s pigments should feel like: drop-in performance plus better provenance (00:26:10) Early lab experiments, unexpected outcomes, and learning through making (00:29:15) Color as function in nature: UV protection, stress response, and antimicrobial roles (00:31:30) Lessons from Pangaia: lab-to-launch gaps, scale, and the mismatch of expectations (00:37:20) Working with living systems: consistency, fermentation “witchcraft,” and honest partnerships (00:40:10) Why petrochemical infrastructure matters: machines, print heads, and manufacturing risk (00:42:35) Where fungal pigments disrupt first: beauty vs textiles vs food (00:47:45) A future where colorants are multifunctional, not inert (00:51:10) Quickfire: misunderstood colors, surprising pigment use, and the “holy grail” of opaque white (00:55:05) Wrap-up: why the color revolution is just beginning Links and Resources: Pitri Bio To Dye For - Alden Wicker 75. Dye Another Day: The New Way to Color Textiles with Colorifix's Orr Yarkoni 176. Dare to Commercialize: Damien Perriman’s eXoZymes Playbook 15. Meet the Willy Wonka of Algae. Elliot Roth D.C. Climate Week 2026 (April 20th - 26th) Brooklyn Botanic Garden Allbirds AI Pivot Kailera breaks IPO record $625M SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: fungi pigments, bio-based colorants, fungal dyes, natural pigments, sustainable color, cosmetic colorants, synthetic dyes alternatives, antioxidant pigments, ingredient storytelling, clean beauty ingredients Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • April 17 · 1 hr 2 min

    177. Dye Another Day (REPLAY): The New Way to Color Textiles with Colorifix's Orr Yarkoni

    In this replay episode of Grow Everything, Karl and Erum catch up after recent travel, reflect on a standout mainstream biotech article about biology reshaping the global chemical industry, and discuss why “tissue-on-a-chip” experiments in space matter for long-duration missions. They then kick off a deeper dive into bio-based dyes by revisiting their interview with Orr Yarkoni, co-founder and CEO of Colorifix, who explains how engineered microbes can both produce and directly deposit pigment onto textiles to dramatically reduce toxic chemistry, water use, and energy demand compared to conventional dyeing. The conversation covers why black and high-performance reds remain the hardest colors to replace, how Colorifix approaches scale-up through distributed on-site fermentation hardware, and what it takes to meet the real-world fastness and safety standards that brands and mills require. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Travel catch-up and what the hosts have been thinking about lately (00:05:30) Mainstream biotech gets it right: biology as “Mother Nature’s R&D lab” for the chemical industry (00:07:15) Artemis and why deep-space biology experiments matter (00:08:40) Project Hail Mary and communicating across radically different biology (00:12:55) Why this season is focusing on bio dyes, and why textiles are a key wedge industry (00:16:55) Interview begins: Orr’s background and the pivot from arsenic biosensing to dyeing (00:20:15) How conventional textile dyeing works, and why it is so chemically and water intensive (00:24:10) What Colorifix does differently: microbes that make dye and fix it onto fabric (00:27:10) Performance realities: lightfastness, washfastness, and why “green but fragile” is not sustainability (00:29:35) Finding pigments in nature, choosing the right biosynthetic routes, and translating them across materials (00:34:20) Who buys what: dye houses, mills, and how the business model works (00:36:55) Scaling fermentation the hard way: standardizing hardware and enabling on-site production (00:40:05) Hardware basics and the economics of bioreactors for commodity chemicals (00:44:05) Worker health, safer chemistry, and toxicity testing across the full process (00:46:05) Where you can find Colorifix in-market, and which materials are trending (00:49:00) Color priorities: why blue is easiest, and why black is the biggest challenge (00:51:15) Regulation tailwinds: why some black chemistries are being phased out (00:55:15) The future: bio-manufacturing everyday goods at scale (00:58:45) Orr’s film recommendation: The Man in the White Suit (01:00:00) Closing: upcoming live recording at DC Climate Week and SynBioBeta Links and Resources: Colorifix 75. Dye Another Day: The New Way to Color Textiles with Colorifix's Orr Yarkoni Tracking the removal of Petroleum-based Food Dyes Food Safety and Health Concerns of Synthetic Food Dyes National Geographic Spider Silk Artemis Mission - Lunar Flyby DC Climate Week SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: industrial biotech, synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, microbial fermentation, engineered microbes, sustainable textiles, bio-based dyes, textile dyeing process, green chemistry Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • April 10 · 45 min

    176. Dare to Commercialize: Damien Perriman’s eXoZymes Playbook

    Damien Perriman, Chief Commercial Officer of eXoZymes and the commercial lead behind the NCTx spinout, breaks down why cell-free biomanufacturing changes the rules for scaling nature’s rare molecules. Damien explains why the team spun NCTX out as a separate commercial vehicle, what it means to successfully transfer a process to a partner manufacturer (including a milestone Cayman validation), and why NCT (n-trans-caffeoyl tyramine), a trace compound found in peppercorns and hemp seed husks, has drawn so much attention as the only known agonist of HNF4A, a metabolic “switch” tied to mitochondrial function. The conversation also covers the logic behind launching first in supplements, how to build credibility in a crowded category through safety and product consistency, how regulatory timelines shape strategy, and why industrial biotech needs to move from platform-first stories to molecule-led business cases that match real market demand. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Welcome, introductions, and why tech transfer matters (00:02:10) Why eXoZymes spun out NCTX to commercialize faster (00:03:30) Cayman scale-up milestone: 99% conversion and 99.6% purity (00:05:20) What the Cayman validation proves for product delivery and partners (00:08:10) Why launch NCT in supplements first, and what GRAS enables (00:10:00) Building credibility in supplements: safety, purity, and consistency (00:12:05) What HNF4A is, and why NCT is the only known agonist (00:14:30) What’s next: more human use studies, dose regimens, and GLP-1 adjacencies (00:16:00) NCT vs GLP-1s: “metabolic restoration” and where it might fit (00:18:10) “Natural” vs safe and effective: what really matters (00:21:00) Examples of trace natural molecules scaled for human use (00:22:30) GRAS + FDA timelines: how they’re navigating regulatory reality (00:26:00) The Molecule Manifesto: why industrial biotech needs molecule-led business cases (00:31:00) How eXoZymes chooses what to work on (idea management system) (00:33:00) Vision: what success looks like in 5–10 years (00:35:00) Quickfire: NCT in ice cream, NCT as “WALL-E,” and other rapid takes (00:38:10) What people misunderstand about cell-free biomanufacturing (00:40:00) Wrap-up + post-episode reflection Links and Resources: eXoZymes Interview: Cayman Chemical validates eXoZymes' technology and scalability eXoZymes’ Cell-Free Biomanufacturing Platform Gets Positive Feedback from Cayman Chemical eXoZymes on LinkedIn Damien Perriman - new CCO 129. No Cells? No Problem! eXoZymes' Michael Heltzen on the Future of Microbe-Free Biotech 29. Gut Check with Stephanie Culler: Persephone’s Quest for Microbiome Breakthroughs 170. There's a Bug for That: Sophia Xu on CarbonBridge's Notebook Bioreactors 166. The Great Reformulation: Joshua Lachter Rethinks How We Make Everything at Scale Topics Covered: cell-free biomanufacturing, industrial biotech, NCTx, HNF4A, metabolic switch, tech transfer, CDMO, supplements vs pharma, GRAS, purity and consistency Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • April 3 · 47 min

    175. Seaweed Is the New Oil: Mari Granström Builds Origin by Ocean

    Mari Granstrom, founder and “chief executive activist” of Origin By Ocean, joins the Grow Everything podcast to explain how massive seaweed blooms, driven by nutrient pollution and eutrophication, can become a regenerative feedstock for bio-based and biodegradable chemicals. Mari shares how a career in industrial biochemistry, plus years of scuba diving and growing up near the polluted Baltic Sea, shaped their mission to transform invasive sargassum into high-performance ingredients that can replace many oil-derived inputs in everyday products. The conversation covers the scale of the sargassum problem across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, how Origin By Ocean processes seaweed into “white powders” customers can use in cosmetics and nutraceuticals, and why the future of climate entrepreneurship needs diversity, integrity, and business models that restore ecosystems instead of extracting from them. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) Seaweed is the oil we never used (00:01:00) Karl’s Hidden Brain live show story + talking to strangers (00:03:00) Spring break travel + staying plugged into biotech (00:04:05) Pfizer Oscars ad: what “breakthrough” messaging gets right (00:08:15) Echo Biotech + NYC’s biotech network, from biomaterials to investing (00:11:10) Meet Mari Granstrom and Origin By Ocean (how they met at Climate Week) (00:14:00) Mari’s path: biochemical expertise inside big chemical companies (00:16:25) Eutrophication 101 + spotting seaweed blooms as future biomass (00:19:20) The sargassum crisis: 40–60M tons/year in the Caribbean + Gulf (00:21:00) Is this just a Gulf issue? Baltic Sea vs “real oceans” (00:23:00) Turning research into a real biorefinery business (00:25:00) “Chief executive activist”: science, entrepreneurship, advocacy as one role (00:28:05) How seaweed can replace oil-derived functionality in everyday products (00:30:10) Regenerative value chains vs ESG (doing less harm vs net-positive) (00:33:00) Why diversity (backgrounds, not just demographics) drives better solutions (00:34:00) Future-casting: where marine biomass will (and won’t) make sense (00:37:00) Quickfire: ocean’s passive-aggressive text, algae blooms, nudibranchs (00:40:00) Demo products: cosmetics, hair growth, makeup + showing customers potential (00:41:00) Wrap-up reflections (seaweed as feedstock, alternate history) Links and Resources: Mari Granstorm episode links SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: fermentation, biomanufacturing, yeast, Lallemand, enzymes, biofuels, xylose, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, genomics, synthetic biology Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • March 27 · 55 min

    174. From Beer to Billions: Kevin Wenger Scales Microbes at Lallemand

    Kevin Wegner, VP of R&D at Lallemand, joins Karl and Erum to share three decades of wisdom from the frontlines of industrial fermentation. From his gateway into the industry through homebrewing beer to leading global teams that deliver high-value microbial products at billion-gallon scale, Kevin reveals why a 1% improvement in ethanol yield translates to massive economic value, how his team engineered yeast strains that produce both enzymes and ethanol simultaneously, and why scaling from large to even larger bioreactors requires solving genetic and environmental puzzles simultaneously. The conversation explores Lallemand's century-long evolution from baker's yeast to cutting-edge synthetic biology, the untapped potential of xylose and complex sugars for expanding biomanufacturing feedstocks, and Kevin's vision for anaerobic fermentation, digital twins of cells, and biodegradable materials with perfectly tuned lifecycles. Whether you're fascinated by the microbial diversity hiding in America's public lands, curious about why sour beer yeast is a game-changer for Brooklyn craft brewers, or wondering how fermentation could revolutionize water treatment and replace single-use plastics, this episode unpacks the science, strategy, and scale needed to grow everything. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Flux capacitor, compost heat, and New York City garbage as fuel (00:03:10) - AI regulation and “synthetic beings” (00:06:00) - Shoutouts and recent hangs (Paul Shapiro, Superorganism, The Wooly) (00:09:40) - Longevity + a sauna networking event (00:13:30) - Advanced Biotech for Sustainability report + introducing Kevin Wegner (00:15:50) - Kevin’s origin story: chemistry, microbiology, and homebrewing beer (00:17:00) - Early lessons in large-scale fermentation and scale-up realities (00:22:00) - What Lallemand does today and who they serve (00:33:40) - How legacy fermentation drives innovation (including sour beer yeast) (00:37:30) - America’s Living Library Act, Molecule Manifesto, digital twins, and “anaerobic everything” (00:46:40) - Quickfire round + plastics moonshot (00:49:30) - Wrap-up and upcoming events (DC Climate Week, SynBioBeta) Links and Resources: Lallemand Lallemand Patent Approval Novel Yeast- Mascoma, Lallemand Jointly Marketing the New Product ⁠SynBioBeta Pass⁠ - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: fermentation, biomanufacturing, yeast, Lallemand, enzymes, biofuels, xylose, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, genomics, synthetic biology Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media

  • March 20 · 51 min

    173. They Put the Ore in Organisms: Liz Dennett’s Microbial Mining at Endolith

    What if the oldest miners on Earth weren't humans at all—but microbes that have been extracting metals for billions of years? In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Liz Dennett, founder and CEO of Endolith, who's deploying extremophile microbial communities to unlock up to 1.9x more copper from existing mine heaps at industrial mining sites across the US. Liz shares her journey from growing up in resource-rich Alaska to pioneering bio-leaching technology that's tackling a critical challenge: we need more copper between now and 2050 than humanity has produced in its entire history—and every data center, EV, and AI query depends on it. But here's what makes this conversation different: Liz isn't trying to disrupt mining, she's working with it, bringing "purple-haired PhD energy" to one of the world's most conservative industries through safety-first culture, collaboration over competition, and under-promising, over-delivering results. This episode reveals why biology might be our best tool for responsible resource stewardship and what it really takes to bring breakthrough biotechnology into legacy industrial systems—plus, the copper oxidation series on Liz's nails. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing? Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: (00:00:00) - Welcome to the Show: Microbes, Mining, and the Copper Crisis (00:01:53) - The PowerPoint-Google Slides Software Saga (00:03:47) - Meeting Clients In Person: Building Deeper Connections (00:05:05) - Erum's Panel Experience and the HairDAO Moment (00:06:56) - Mining, Microbes, and Copper in the Human Body (00:08:59) - Why Copper Matters for AI and Electrification (00:11:00) - Introducing Liz Dennett: From Alaska to Endolith (00:12:43) - Growing Up in Alaska: Natural Resources as Lived Reality (00:14:00) - The Moment Biology Met Mining (00:15:00) - What is Heap Leaching? Visualizing the Process (00:17:00) - Recovery Rates and Why 10% More Copper is Monumental (00:18:00) - Biology's Surprises: Communities Over Single Organisms (00:19:43) - Extremophiles: Microbes That Love Sulfuric Acid (00:21:00) - Dirty Biology: Engineering Control vs. Biological Adaptability (00:23:00) - Building Trust in a Conservative Industry (00:25:00) - Culture at Endolith: Safety, Feedback, and Snacks (00:27:00) - Validation Work and Customer-Specific Testing (00:28:00) - How Data, Biology, and Infrastructure Shape Resource Thinking (00:30:00) - The Copper Crisis: More Needed by 2050 Than Ever Before (00:33:00) - When Does Biology Work? Redox Reactions and Metal Recovery (00:34:00) - GMOs vs. Wild Type: The Labradoodle Analogy (00:36:00) - Bio-Leaching Evolved: Not Just One Microbe, A Full System (00:38:00) - Collaborating with Rio Tinto Nuton and Gunnison Copper (00:40:00) - Force Multipliers, Not Mine Operators (00:41:00) - The Copper Oxidation Series on Liz's Nails (00:42:00) - The 10-Year Vision: Biology as a Standard Mining Layer (00:44:00) - Quick Fire Questions: Wilderness vs. Mine Site, Copper vs. Lithium (00:45:00) - The Unwavering Playlist and Fundraising Energy (00:47:00) - Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts on Collaboration and the Energy Transition Links and Resources: Links and resources Doc SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything Topics Covered: biomining, Copper, mining, microbes, bioleaching, heap leach, extremophiles, energy transition, electrification, critical minerals, industrial biotechnology Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media