Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

In this special holiday replay episode, we revisit our conversation with Ashley Beckwith, founder of Foray Biosciences, who shares her groundbreaking work in plant cell culture and tissue engineering. Growing up in Colorado, Ashley watched forests disappear to housing development and wildfire—experiences that sparked her lifelong mission to reimagine how we produce plant materials. After training as an engineer and working in medical device development, she pivoted to apply tissue engineering concepts to plants, initially exploring lab-grown wood before discovering a more fundamental problem: the lack of accessible, efficient plant cell culture processes. Today, Foray develops fabricated seeds for forest restoration, creates harvest-free plant products, and builds AI-powered tools to accelerate plant science R&D. Ashley explains why plant cells are the fundamental building blocks for everything from molecules to materials to entire ecosystems, and how her company is working to solve the seed shortage crisis that prevents us from restoring 94% of post-wildfire sites. She also discusses the potential for de-extinction of recently lost plant species in California and the importance of creating regenerative rather than extractive relationships with plant systems. This conversation explores the intersection of synthetic biology, forestry, and biomanufacturing while reminding us that we are all, whether we know it or not, plant people.

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) - Holiday Greetings and Stranger Things on Broadway
• (00:04:41) - Introducing Ashley Beckwith and Foray Biosciences
• (00:07:17) - Growing Up in Colorado: Watching Forests Disappear
• (00:10:48) - From Medical Engineering to Plant Biology
• (00:15:00) - The Lab-Grown Wood Experiment
• (00:18:58) - Understanding Plant Cells as Versatile Production Agents
• (00:25:00) - Fabricated Seeds for California Biodiversity Restoration
• (00:33:00) - Addressing the Wildfire Restoration Seed Shortage
• (00:42:00) - Building the Plant Operating System with AI
• (00:50:00) - Why We're All Plant People

Links and Resources:

• Foray Biosciences⁠
• ⁠SF500 (Argentinian Global Venture Fund)⁠
• ⁠Syensqo Corporate Venture Fund⁠
• ⁠H.C. Wainwright⁠
• ⁠University of Vermont - Dr. Steve Keller⁠
• ⁠University of Maryland - Dr. Matt Fitzpatrick
• Foray Biosciences
• 154. No Trees Were Harmed: Symmetry Wood's Gabe Tavas on Growing Wood from Waste

Topics Covered: 

developmental biology, morphology, morphospace, planarians, electroceuticals, bioelectricity, tissue regeneration, biomedical applications, holidays, Christmas

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

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Email: [email protected]

Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

In this episode, Karl and Erum speak with Aradhita Parasrampuria, founder of CellSense, about revolutionizing the fashion embellishment industry through biology. Aradhita shares her journey from witnessing toxic dye masters in Gujarat textile factories to creating biodegradable sequins, beads, and buttons using algae and bacterial cellulose. She explains how her materials can be produced at room temperature, glow in the dark through bioluminescence, and are manufactured through an automated system that eliminates exploitative manual labor. With one in five garments containing embellishments, CellSense addresses a massive market while tackling microplastic pollution, worker health issues, and the 2027 EU ban on microbeads and lead. Aradhita discusses successful pilots with fashion brands and skincare companies, the challenges of achieving vivid colors and iridescence with biomaterials, and her vision for a circular system where anyone can upload a design and receive custom bioplastic solutions. The conversation explores the intersection of design, biotechnology, and sustainability, demonstrating how biology can create materials that don't just replace plastics—they surpass 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) - Introduction: Fungi as environmental game-changers
• (00:26:18) - Podcast updates and Michael Levin episode highlights
• (02:10:35) - Ashley Beckwith and Foray Biosciences: mining fungal biodiversity
• (04:57:22) - The untapped power of mycelium in biotechnology
• (08:04:15) - Launching the Future is Fungi Award
• (08:58:40) - Susanne Gløersen: Why fungi deserve to be core technology
• (00:12:09) - Fungi's role in solving climate, pollution, and soil degradation
• (00:27:06) - Quickfire questions with Susanne Gløersen
• (00:29:14) - Ricky Casini of Michroma: replacing synthetic food dyes with fungi
• (00:38:10) - Scaling fermentation capacity in South Korea
• (00:38:45) - Pitching fungal colorants to food manufacturers
• (00:40:22) - Regulatory wins and transparency in natural colors
• (00:41:19) - The future of fungal bio-factories in food production
• (00:43:05) - Scaling up production and strategic partnerships
• (00:44:09) - Why color matters in consumer packaged goods
• (00:45:46) - Winning the Future is Fungi Startup Award
• (00:46:59) - Quickfire questions with Ricky Cassini
• (00:49:02) - Dr. Britta Winterberg introduces Mycolever's clean beauty mission
• (00:50:00) - Fungal bio-compounds replacing petrochemicals in cosmetics
• (00:52:10) - Technical challenges and breakthroughs in fungal biotech
• (00:59:52) - Quickfire questions with Dr. Britta Winterberg
• (01:02:54) - Final reflections on the fungal innovation revolution

Links and Resources:

• Cellsense
• Cellsense Partnership with the United Nations
• Bioculture Event hosted by Biofabricate x Juniper VC
• Arahita - Linkedin
• Mountain and The Sea - Ray Nayler 
• 138. Living Textures, Wild Pigments: Suzanne Lee on Nature’s New Aesthetic Toolbox
• 154. No Trees Were Harmed: Symmetry Wood's Gabe Tavas on Growing Wood from Waste
• Grow Everything Substack
• Grow Everything Patreon

Topics Covered: 

biomaterials, fashion, embellishments, sequins, bacterial cellulose, fermentation

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

Karl and Erum explore the untapped potential of fungi through three groundbreaking interviews. First, they speak with Susanne Gloersen, founder of the Future is Fungi Award, about why fungi represent the next frontier in biotech and how her global platform is accelerating fungal innovation across industries—from soil remediation to firefighting foam. Next, they sit down with Ricky Cassini of Michroma, winner of the Future is Fungi Award, who explains how his team engineers fungi to produce natural food colorants that outperform synthetic dyes and plant-based alternatives, offering 50x more potency than traditional options while being heat and pH stable. Finally, they interview Dr. Britta Winterberg of Mycolever, runner-up of the award, who discusses how her company uses fungal biodiversity to create sustainable bio-compounds for cosmetics, including emulsifiers and enhanced beauty oils that replace petrochemicals without compromising performance. Throughout the episode, the hosts highlight recent developments like MIT researchers using fungal compounds to treat brain cancer, FDA's phase-out of synthetic dyes, and the growing shift toward bio-based ingredients in food, cosmetics, and beyond.

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: Fungi as environmental game-changers
• (00:26:18) - Podcast updates and Michael Levin episode highlights
• (02:10:35) - Ashley Beckwith and Foray Biosciences: mining fungal biodiversity
• (04:57:22) - The untapped power of mycelium in biotechnology
• (08:04:15) - Launching the Future is Fungi Award
• (08:58:40) - Susanne Gløersen: Why fungi deserve to be core technology
• (00:12:09) - Fungi's role in solving climate, pollution, and soil degradation
• (00:27:06) - Quickfire questions with Susanne Gløersen
• (00:29:14) - Ricky Casini of Michroma: replacing synthetic food dyes with fungi
• (00:38:10) - Scaling fermentation capacity in South Korea
• (00:38:45) - Pitching fungal colorants to food manufacturers
• (00:40:22) - Regulatory wins and transparency in natural colors
• (00:41:19) - The future of fungal bio-factories in food production
• (00:43:05) - Scaling up production and strategic partnerships
• (00:44:09) - Why color matters in consumer packaged goods
• (00:45:46) - Winning the Future is Fungi Startup Award
• (00:46:59) - Quickfire questions with Ricky Cassini
• (00:49:02) - Dr. Britta Winterberg introduces Mycolever's clean beauty mission
• (00:50:00) - Fungal bio-compounds replacing petrochemicals in cosmetics
• (00:52:10) - Technical challenges and breakthroughs in fungal biotech
• (00:59:52) - Quickfire questions with Dr. Britta Winterberg
• (01:02:54) - Final reflections on the fungal innovation revolution

Links and Resources:

• Future is Fungi Awards
• Future is Fungi Award Winners
• The Future is Fungi Award on LinkedIn

• michroma - 1st place winner 
• Michroma partners with CJ CheilJedang to advance precision fermented colors
• Mycolever - 2nd place winner
• XPRIZE
• The language of fungi - Andrew Adamatzky
• Cosmetic 360 Event
• 156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form
• 158. Mycelium On, Sound Off: How GOB's Lauryn Menard Makes Biomaterials Feel Like Culture
• 126. Sizzling Success: Eben Bayer of MyForest Foods on Scaling Mycelium Magic
• 46. Meat the Future: How Paul Shapiro is Brewing Superfoods at Better Meat Co.
• 131. Leaf It to Science: How Foray Bioscience's Ashley Beckwith is Reforesting the Future

Topics Covered: 

mycelium, fungi, mushrooms, Future is Fungi, bioinnovation, biotech, mycoremediation, food dyes, personal care and beauty

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

Lauryn Menard, co-founder of Gob, joins us to discuss how she's tackling the 40 billion petroleum-based earplugs produced annually by creating the first biodegradable, mycelium-based alternative. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2025 and featured in Time Magazine's Best Inventions, Lauryn shares her journey from industrial designer to biotech entrepreneur. She explains why she chose mycelium over other biomaterials, how she scaled production without building a factory from scratch, and her strategy for bringing sustainable products to mainstream consumers through cultural relevance—partnering with artists like Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan at major music venues. Lauryn also reveals her vision for Gob's future: replacing an entire category of single-use products, from cotton pads to condoms, with materials that return to the earth. This conversation explores the intersection of design, biomaterials, entrepreneurship, and the urgent need for better infrastructure to support a regenerative economy.

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: Lauryn's favorite subject - nature's zero waste system
• (00:06:00) - Lauryn's journey from luxury design to founding Gob
• (00:09:00) - The 40 billion earplug problem and material innovation
• (00:11:00) - Beginning with the end in mind: designing for product end-of-life
• (00:13:00) - Why mycelium? Finding the perfect material match
• (00:17:00) - Scale and volume: why small products have massive impact
• (00:22:00) - From concept to cylinder: the design process and user testing
• (00:24:00) - Cultural relevance over sustainability marketing
• (00:30:00) - Teaching the next generation of bio-designers at CCA
• (00:42:00) - Gob's future: replacing entire categories of single-use products

Links and Resources:

• GOB
• Ecovative
• 138. Living Textures, Wild Pigments: Suzanne Lee on Nature’s New Aesthetic Toolbox
• 126. Sizzling Success: Eben Bayer of MyForest Foods on Scaling Mycelium Magic
• Facts Machine - Science, comedy & trivia show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomaterials, single use goods, FCMG, mycelium, ear plugs, entrepreneurship, branding, storytelling, biofabrication

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

In this Thanksgiving replay, we revisit our conversation with Paul Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of Better Meat Co, who's pioneering the use of mycelium-based proteins as a sustainable alternative to animal meat. Paul shares his remarkable journey from starting an animal welfare organization in high school to becoming a biotech entrepreneur. He explains how fungi fermentation creates protein-rich, meat-like textures in less than 24 hours without the environmental toll of traditional agriculture. The episode explores the science behind mycoprotein, the challenges facing the alternative protein industry, the need for government investment in biomanufacturing, and why fungi may be the key to feeding both Earth and future space travelers. Paul also discusses Better Meat Co's recent $31 million Series A funding and their mission to make sustainable protein accessible at scale.

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) - Could Fungi Replace Factory Farms Forever?
• (00:01:00) - Welcome: TEDx MIT, Planetary Action & What's Growing
• (00:03:00) - Intelligence Beyond Brains: Reflecting on Michael Levin
• (00:06:00) - Thanksgiving Special: Gratitude for the Biotech Community
• (00:10:00) - Meet Paul Shapiro: From Activist to Mycoprotein Pioneer
• (00:13:00) - Origin Story: Fighting for Animals Led to Building Better Meat
• (00:19:00) - Alt Protein 2.0: What's Changed Since the 2018 Hype Cycle
• (00:24:00) - The Subsidy Problem: Why Meat Gets Billions & Clean Protein Gets Nothing
• (00:31:00) - Mycoprotein 101: Why Fungi Beat Plants for Meat Texture
• (00:38:00) - Engineering Neurospora: 24-Hour Fermentation at Scale
• (00:43:00) - Designing Super Strains: Breeding Microbes for Performance
• (00:48:00) - Creating Craveable Protein: Flavor Science & B2B Strategy
• (00:51:00) - Space Food Systems: Why Astronauts Will Farm Fungi, Not Cows
• (00:56:00) - Biomanufacturing Infrastructure: The $31M Series A Story
• (01:00:00) - Industry Reality Check: Cultivated Meat's Path Forward
• (01:03:00) - Beyond Food: Mycoremediation & Paul's Business for Good Podcast
• (01:05:00) - Closing Thoughts: Solving the Flavor Challenge & Scaling Impact

Links and Resources:

• Better Meat Co.
• Time's Best Inventions of 2025
• Paul Shapiro
• Clean Meat Novel by Paul Shapiro
• Homeworld Collective 
• Cascade Bio
• 33. Purple Reign, A Purple Tomato with a Genetic Twist, Nathan Pumplin of Norfolk Healthy Produce
• 83. Bottoms Up: Microbe Mixology with Zbiotics' Zack Abbott
• 156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form
• John Werner - TEDx
• The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

developmental biology, morphology, morphospace, planarians, electroceuticals, bioelectricity, tissue regeneration, biomedical applications, 

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

Join us for a mind-bending conversation with Professor Michael Levin, director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, as he reveals how cells make decisions without brains, store memories without DNA, and navigate anatomical space like we navigate physical space. Discover how his team created two-headed immortal worms whose memory persists across regeneration cycles, how bioelectrical patterns control body shape independently of genetics, and why the future of medicine lies in communicating with the collective intelligence of our cells rather than micromanaging their molecular machinery. From xenobots made of frog cells to the anatomical compiler that will revolutionize regenerative medicine, this episode explores the frontier where developmental biology, cognition, and robotics converge to redefine what it means to be alive.

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! Birthday Surprises and Setting the Stage
• (00:03:05) - Upcoming TEDx Talk and iGEM Competition Winners
• (00:05:14) - AI Book Recommendations and Octopus Intelligence
• (00:06:20) - Introducing Xenobots and Professor Michael Levin
• (00:09:43) - What Does Michael Levin Study? Developmental Biology Meets Cognition
• (00:13:42) - Cells as Decision-Making Networks: Cognition Without Neurons
• (00:19:43) - Inside the Lab: What Experiments Look Like
• (00:22:03) - The Two-Headed Worm Experiment: Rewriting Bioelectric Memory
• (00:38:15) - Xenobots and Mombot: Building Synthetic Living Machines
• (00:47:35) - Ethics of Creating Life and Human Augmentation
• (00:58:12) - The Future of Medicine: The Anatomical Compiler
• (01:03:48) - Quick Fire Questions with Michael Levin
• (01:09:20) - Wrap-Up and Reflections on Collective Intelligence

Links and Resources:

• Michael Levin at Tufts University
• Wyss Institute at Harvard
• The Levin Lab
• Thoughts on Science and The Mind
• Fauna Systems
• Workshop on Computationally Designed Organisms
• International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition
• 90. Flipping the Light Switch on Cells: Deniz Kent of Prolific Machines
• 94. Gaming the System: NVIDIA's Vega Shah on Accelerating Biotech Breakthroughs
• 28. Genetic Dreams to Underground Regimes: Andrew Hessel Takes on Digital and Physical Biology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

developmental biology, morphology, morphospace, planarians, electroceuticals, bioelectricity, tissue regeneration, biomedical applications

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

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Email: [email protected]

We sit down with Andrew Verbinnen, founder of HairDAO, who's revolutionizing how we approach hair loss research and treatment. After experiencing hair loss himself at nineteen, Andrew discovered that androgenetic alopecia - affecting 95% of hair loss cases - receives almost no funding because it's classified as cosmetic rather than a disease. By creating a patient-led biotech organization combining a thriving online community with an in-house high-throughput lab, HairDAO has driven research costs down from $250,000 per study to just $6,000 while accelerating results from two years to one month. Andrew shares how they've developed proprietary treatments available through their telehealth platform Anagen, built a unique human hair follicle organ culture model that's providing unprecedented data on fully intact human tissue, and created a token-based governance system where patients vote on which research to fund. We explore the blurring lines between pharmaceuticals and consumer products, the power of patient empowerment in driving innovation, and why Andrew believes the hair follicle data they're generating could unlock treatments for conditions far beyond hair loss.

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) - Andrew's Personal Hair Loss Journey and Introduction to HairDAO
• (00:01:48) - What is a DAO? Redefining Decentralized Organizations
• (00:03:53) - Why Hair Loss Gets Almost No Research Funding
• (00:06:41) - Understanding Androgenetic Alopecia: The Science Behind Hair Loss
• (00:09:43) - How HairDAO Cut Research Costs from $250K to $6K
• (00:12:47) - The Human Hair Follicle Organ Culture Model: A Breakthrough Innovation
• (00:16:47) - Token Governance: How the Community Votes on Research
• (00:21:48) - Anonymous Discord Researchers Outperforming Traditional Dermatologists
• (00:28:43) - Patient Empowerment: Balancing Short-Term Gains with Long-Term Efficacy
• (00:33:25) - Quickfire Round and Launching Topical Dutasteride
• (00:37:56) - The Blurred Line Between Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Products
• (00:42:15) - Building a Telehealth Platform: From Research to Patient Access
• (00:46:32) - Why Traditional Pharma Won't Touch Hair Loss
• (00:51:08) - The Future of Decentralized Science and Patient-Led Research
• (00:55:43) - Beyond Hair Loss: Applications for Other Underfunded Conditions

Links and Resources:

• AGEN.xyz
• HairDAO discord community channel
• Future is Fungi Awards
• TedX
• VitaDAO
• Molecule DAO
• AthenaDAO
• 26. Breaking Bad Hair Habits with Biology: Suveen Sahib's K18 Rescues Your Strands⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomaterials, wood, lumber, bacterial cellulose, industrial biomanufacturing, biotech, business

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

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Email: [email protected]

Karl and Erum sit down with Gabe Tavas, CEO and co-founder of Symmetry Wood, who is pioneering a revolutionary approach to wood production. Gabe shares his journey from design student to bio-innovator, inspired by his time volunteering in rural Ecuador where he witnessed the devastating impact of plastic waste. His company has developed Pyrus, the first solid wood made primarily from bacterial nanocellulose—specifically, waste from the world's largest kombucha brewery. Instead of logging endangered tropical hardwoods, Symmetry Wood is targeting the high-end guitar industry first, proving that biodesigned materials can meet the most demanding performance standards. Gabe discusses the technical challenges of working with living systems, the importance of starting with niche markets before scaling to mass production, and his vision for fab cities where wood and other materials are manufactured locally from urban waste. This conversation bridges design, biology, and entrepreneurship, offering a glimpse into a future where we can create beautiful, high-performance materials without harming forests or ecosystems.

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: Daylight Savings & The Joy of Extra Sleep
• (00:02:58) - The Art of Repair: Erum's Kintsugi Journey
• (00:05:18) - Wine as Art: Drops of God & Sensory Storytelling
• (00:06:25) - Cosmic Mysteries: Comet Atlas & The Wow Signal
• (00:09:39) - Synonym's Latest: Scaling Bio-Manufacturing
• (00:11:44) - Meet Gabe Tavas: The Man Growing Wood From Bacteria
• (00:15:00) - From Ecuador to Biodesign: Finding Purpose in Plastic Waste
• (00:18:58) - The Science Unveiled: How Pyrus Mimics Natural Wood
• (00:22:40) - Living Factories: The Challenge of Working With Microbes
• (00:25:00) - Circular Innovation: Transforming Kombucha Waste Into Premium Materials
• (00:31:23) - Strategic Launch: Why Start With $10,000 Guitars?
• (00:35:38) - Ecological Symbiosis: Co-Creating Materials With Nature
• (00:39:00) - The Fab City Vision: Localized Bio-Manufacturing Revolution
• (00:42:00) - Quick Fire: Gabe's Favorite Materials, Books & Bio-Inspirations
• (00:43:44) - Closing Thoughts: What It Takes to Build the Bio-Economy

Links and Resources:

• Symmetry Wood
• Symmetry Wood Instagram
• Symmetry Wood LinkedIn
• Symmetry Wood on CBS series The Visoneers
• Land Art Generator
• Invent Wood
• Synonym Partnered with Brenntag
• Biofabricate
• 138. Living Textures, Wild Pigments: Suzanne Lee on Nature’s New Aesthetic Toolbox
• Juniper VC
• 153. Ghosts of Biotech Past: Veronica Breckenridge’s Playbook for Smarter Scaling
• Avi Loeb on the 3I/ATLAS
• TedX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomaterials, wood, lumber, bacterial cellulose, industrial biomanufacturing, biotech, business

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: [email protected]

In this Halloween-themed episode, Veronica Breckenridge from First Bite returns to discuss her eye-opening "Industrial Bio-Manufacturing Graveyard Report." Drawing from her experience scaling companies like Apple and Tesla, Veronica reveals why 80% of bio-manufacturing startups fail—and it's not because of bad science. The conversation explores critical mistakes like targeting commodity markets too early, underestimating downstream processing costs, and the "build it and they will come" mentality that has buried promising ventures. Veronica explains why now is actually the best time to invest in bio-manufacturing, citing decreasing costs (3 million times cheaper in 25 years), rising consumer demand for healthier alternatives to petroleum-based products, and increased government support for domestic manufacturing. She shares tactical advice on patient capital structures, the importance of strategic partnerships over going solo, and why bio-manufacturing is more analogous to hardware scaling than pharmaceutical development. The episode offers valuable lessons for founders, investors, and anyone interested in the future of sustainable manufacturing.

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) - Halloween intro and SNL's Snack Homies discussion
• (00:04:17) - Zombie apocalypse: Could fungi or viruses cause real zombies?
• (00:09:12) - Beyond Meat stock surge and meme trading
• (00:11:34) - Introducing the Graveyard Report and Veronica Breckenridge
• (00:14:23) - Why Veronica moved from Tesla to bio-manufacturing
• (00:19:45) - The three recurring market fit errors killing startups
• (00:27:56) - Why targeting commodity markets is a seductive trap
• (00:35:18) - Downstream processing: The overlooked cost killer
• (00:42:31) - CapEx overruns and the importance of strategic partnerships
• (00:48:07) - Patient capital structures for deep tech ventures
• (00:53:22) - What makes this moment different: Why invest now
• (00:58:14) - Quick fire questions and closing thoughts

Links and Resources:

• First Bight
• The Industrial Biomanufacturing Graveyard Report
• Biowell Biotech Accelerator
• Ginkgo Consulting
• Capgemini
• McKinsey
• 120. Busting Biotech's Bottlenecks: Veronica Breckenridge on the Path to Industrial Scale
• 151. Report on Reports: Cash Flow, Carbon, and the Bioeconomy
• Zombie-like effects from fungus
• Beyond Meat’s Stock Spike
• TedX Boston
• Technoeconomic Analysis Tool⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

industrial biomanufacturing, biotech, business, growth stage, graveyard report, halloween

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

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Email: [email protected]

Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

In this episode, we explore how Varda Space Industries is pioneering pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity with Chief Strategy Officer Michael Riley and Chief Science Officer Adrian Radocea. The team discusses how removing gravity from the crystallization process enables better drug formulations—creating more stable, bioavailable medicines that don't require refrigeration. From their reusable spacecraft that can manufacture drugs in orbit and return them to Earth, to their vision of making space-based manufacturing routine and "boring," Varda is bridging aerospace engineering and biopharma to solve formulation challenges that have stumped the industry for decades. With $187 million in recent funding and spacecraft currently in orbit, they're transforming science fiction into a manufacturing platform that could expand access to medicines globally.

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Teaser and Introduction

(00:05:00) Meet the Team: From Semiconductors and Global Health to Space Pharma

(00:08:00) Microgravity as a Manufacturing Tool: Physics Over Chemistry

(00:13:00) Which Drugs Benefit Most? Small Molecules to Antibodies

(00:15:00) Bridging Aerospace and Biopharma Cultures

(00:17:00) Current Mission: A Lab (and Soon Factory) in Space

(00:21:00) Surprising Gravity Effects Even at 800 RPM

(00:25:00) Making Space Manufacturing Cost-Effective

(00:29:00) The 10-Year Vision: Routine, Industrial, and "Boring"

(00:31:00) Hiring Across Aerospace and Pharma + Quick Fire Questions

Episode Links:

• VARDA

• Elliot Hershberg on VARDA 

• Elliot Hershberg and Patrick McCormick on VARDA

• Elizabeth Reynolds

• Chris Mason Episode ⁠

• ⁠Kate Rubins Episode⁠ 

• ⁠Erika DeBenedictis Episode

• Kyle Landry Episode

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

Topics Covered: 

space biotech, drug development, space research, low earth orbit, microgravity, crystallization

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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