Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

Karl and Erum are joined by Dr. Ashley Beckwith, Founder & CEO of Foray Bioscience, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of biomaterials and the emerging role of plant culture in shaping it. Ashley unpacks how Foray is pioneering new approaches to growing materials directly from plant cells, redefining how we produce, restore, and preserve biological resources.

The episode explores the untapped potential of plant culture in bioproduction, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity preservation when applied with care and intention. Ashley shares her path from growing up in Colorado to pursuing mechanical engineering and bioengineering, and how that interdisciplinary foundation ultimately led her to start Foray.

Throughout the conversation, Ashley describes how Foray is building the foundational infrastructure for plant culture. The company develops core capabilities from the ground up and then partners with others to scale and specialize applications. This platform-based approach reflects Foray’s belief that unlocking the full potential of plant systems requires a collaborative ecosystem rather than the efforts of a single company.

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 - Kicking Off with a Big Question: Can We Rebuild Nature from the Cell Up?
• 00:00:15 - Summer Vibes and Bio Talk: Memorial Day Weekend Catch-Up
• 00:00:46 - Synbio Beta Sparks: The Pulse of Next-Gen Biotech
• 00:02:27 - Argentina to IndieBio: The Unstoppable Founders You Need to Know
• 00:04:01 - Biotech Gets Corporate: The Rise of Strategic Venture Funds
• 00:05:11 - Deal Flow & Discovery: HC Wainwright’s Biotech Bash
• 00:08:18 - Brooklyn Bio Buzz: A Night Out with the Community
• 00:10:24 - From the Explorers Club to Seed Vaults: Sci-Fi Meets Soil
• 00:11:22 - Meet Dr. Asheley Beckwith: Engineering the Future of Fashion with Cells
• 00:27:35 - Biology Meets Ecology: How Engineered Plants Could Aid Conservation
• 00:30:12 - Sci-Fi to Soil: Fabricating Seeds for Extinct Ecosystems
• 00:32:21 - The Wild Frontier: Overcoming the Barriers in Plant Cell Cultivation
• 00:45:52 - Nature Meets Code: Using AI to Unlock the Secrets of Plants
• 00:50:20 - Imagining Tomorrow: The Vision Behind ForayBio’s Living Materials
• 00:51:50 - Full Circle: Final Reflections from the Edge of Biodesign

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

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, cell free biomanufacturing, enzymes, nutraceuticals, biotech, pharmaceuticals, AI, spinouts

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 energetic recap of SynBioBeta 2025, Erum and Karl bring listeners straight into the heart of the year’s most important synthetic biology gathering. From Drew Endy’s visionary keynote on distributed, localized manufacturing to the ever-present theme of AI as the enabler of hyperscale biology, this episode unpacks the biggest ideas shaping the future of biomanufacturing and materials innovation. The duo reflect on how the conference architecture—from hallway conversations to main stage moments—facilitated cross-disciplinary collisions and bold discussions about biology as the foundational infrastructure of the 21st century. Whether you're a bioengineer, startup founder, or investor, this debrief connects the dots between culture, technology, and sustainability in the evolving bioeconomy.

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 – Kicking Off with Erum & Karl: SynBio Banter and Big Energy
• 00:00:34 – Straight from San Jose: SynBioBeta 2025, Unpacked
• 00:01:05 – Imagining 2050: Drew Endy's Blueprint for a Biological Future
• 00:02:25 – Bio Meets Geopolitics: Why Localized Manufacturing is Liberation
• 00:03:20 – Not Just Biology—Infrastructure for a New Economy
• 00:03:45 – Who is Drew Endy? The Mind Behind SynBio’s Movement
• 00:04:32 – Inside the Conference: Boots on the Ground at San Jose
• 00:05:29 – Hyperscale Bio is Here: AI + SynBio = Exponential Potential
• 00:07:16 – Biopharma in the Hot Seat: What’s Holding the Sector Back?
• 00:09:20 – Protein Design Gets Creative: Custom-Built Biology Takes Stage
• 00:19:53 – Space, Security, and the Pentagon’s Synthetic Playbook
• 00:28:42 – Best of the Breakouts: Panels, Pitches, and Power Moves
• 00:32:02 – Bio Beyond the Hype: What Practitioners Really Need to Know
• 00:32:29 – The Dirty Biology Manifesto: Getting Real with Nature
• 00:33:14 – Strategic Alliances Panel: Where Collaboration Meets Competition
• 00:33:52 – Deal Drama: Why Biotech Partnerships Are So Hard to Land
• 00:37:48 – Beauty in 2030: The Biodesign Revolution in Personal Care
• 00:39:22 – State of Funding: Who's Still Betting on Biotech?
• 00:41:59 – Rethinking Capital: Creative Models for SynBio Startups
• 00:46:43 – Longevity, Hype, and the Future of Human Lifespan
• 00:53:12 – What We Learned: Reflections, Revelations, and Real Talk
• 00:54:16 – Final Words: Gratitude, Community, and What’s Next

Links and Resources:

• SynBioBeta
• Drew Endy – Stanford Professor
• Constructive Bio
• Biomatter
• Cradle Bio
• IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances)
• BIOMADE
• DARPA BTO
• NASA
• Rhodium Scientific
• Linkgevity
• Amplify Ventures
• Starlab Space
• Cultivarium
• Ample Agriculture
• Cargill
• P&G
• Insempra
• BIOWEG
• Hawkwood Biotech
• Green Bioactives
• Cellugy
• OneSkin
• Plasmidsaurus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, cell free biomanufacturing, enzymes, nutraceuticals, biotech, pharmaceuticals, AI, spinouts

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

Erum sits down with Michael Heltzen, CEO of eXoZymes, to dive into the transformative world of cell-free biomanufacturing. Michael shares the origin story of ExoZymes—from a student bioengineering dream at UCLA to ringing the NASDAQ bell—and unpacks why scalability, sustainability, and design thinking are central to the next generation of biotech. If you're curious about how biology can be engineered without living cells, what it takes to commercialize breakthrough science, or how new business models in synthetic biology are emerging, this is the episode for you. Get ready to rethink what’s possible when biology breaks free from the cell wall.

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 – Unlocking a New Era: Rethinking Natural Resources for the Future
• 00:00:17 – SynBioBeta Afterglow: Late Nights, Big Ideas, and Bio Buzz
• 00:02:39 – Breaking the Cell Wall: The Power of Cell-Free Biomanufacturing
• 00:03:33 – Meet Michael Heltzen: The Visionary Behind the Next Bio Revolution
• 00:09:54 – Inside NCTX: The Molecule That Might Change Everything
• 00:16:06 – No Scale, No Impact: Tackling SynBio’s Toughest Bottlenecks
• 00:26:43 – From Supplements to Cures: Bio’s Leap Across Sectors
• 00:27:19 – AI x Enzymes: Cracking Nature’s Code in Real Time
• 00:28:06 – Making Biology Predictable: ML Meets Molecular Design
• 00:30:14 – Faster Than Nature: How AI Shrinks Production Timelines
• 00:33:29 – Go-to-Market Moves: Biotech Strategy for the Real World
• 00:36:07 – Bio Click™: Targeted Enzymes with Industrial Precision
• 00:38:38 – Life After the Bell: IPOs, Growth, and Big Bio Energy
• 00:42:29 – Zooming Out: Big-Picture Thinking for What Comes Next

Links and Resources:

• eXoZymes
• NCTx 
• BioClick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, cell free biomanufacturing, enzymes, nutraceuticals, biotech, pharmaceuticals, AI, spinouts

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

Karl and Erum revisit their energetic and unfiltered recap of SynBioBeta 2024. With candid reflections on the conference and the broader synthetic biology ecosystem, they spotlight key trends including the rise of accessible community bio labs, decentralized events like the Biopunk gathering, and the convergence of deep tech and culture. This is not your average event recap—it's a tour through the evolving architecture of the bioeconomy, from the mainstream to the fringes. Whether you missed the event or want to relive the highlights, this episode captures the pulse of where biotech is heading.

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 Back! Why This Replay Matters
• 00:00:14 - SynBioBeta 2024: The Moments That Blew Our Minds
• 00:01:40 - The Biopunk Underground: Bio for All, No Badge Required
• 00:03:11 - Serendipity, Old Friends & Building the SynBio Tribe
• 00:05:43 - Black Mirror or Just the Future? Wild Tech at the Edge of Medicine
• 00:08:04 - AI-Generated Soundtracks & the New Synesthetic Biology
• 00:12:16 - Brewing Bio at Home: DIY Fermentation, Micro-Growth & More
• 00:16:05 - SynBioBeta 2025 Teasers & The AI Takeover of Bio Design
• 00:25:26 - When Space Meets Biomanufacturing: New Frontiers in Orbit
• 00:33:12 - From Mycelium to Mind Expansion: The Psychedelic Thread
• 00:42:08 - Big Names, Bigger Bets: Who Showed Up and Why It Matters
• 00:42:43 - L’Oréal Goes Biotech: The Beauty of Strategic Collabs
• 00:44:31 - Are You a Platform or a Product? The Debate That Won’t Die
• 00:46:48 - Where the Money Is: What Investors Really Want in 2025
• 00:51:28 - How to Crush a Conference (Without Burning Out)
• 00:55:01 - CEO Power Lunches and Glowing Plants: Yes, Really
• 00:59:46 - When Bioluminescence Meets Culture: Awe, Meaning & Light
• 01:06:16 - Heroes, Hacks, and the People Moving Bio Forward
• 01:09:33 - Swag, Specimens & Scenes from the Expo Hall
• 01:15:28 - Looking Ahead: What’s Next in the Bio Revolution

Links and Resources:

• Messaginglab
• Biopunk Lab 
• What Are Binaural Beats?
• Genspace ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, synbiobeta, recaps, black mirror, functional music

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

Erum and Karl break down a concept they've lived and breathed—but rarely spelled out: orchestration. If you're building a startup in synthetic biology or advanced materials, this is a must-listen deep dive into how influence is built before your product lands or your funding closes. They pull back the curtain on how to create "value chain syndicates," why intros aren’t just intros, and how real biotech momentum comes from aligning stakeholders across an entire ecosystem—not just impressing one customer.

Taped just ahead of SynBioBeta 2025, this episode crackles with tactical wisdom, from designing credibility scaffolds to creating the conditions for inbound interest before traditional biz dev ever kicks in. Orchestration, they argue, is the true differentiator in biotech's current era—more critical than science alone.

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 – Gearing Up: SynBioBeta Buzz and Real-World Prep
• 00:02:18 – Why Orchestration Is Biotech’s Unspoken Superpower
• 00:05:25 – What’s Really Blocking Biotech from Breaking Through?
• 00:08:10 – K18 Hair: A Masterclass in Vertical Bio-Play
• 00:10:09 – Ecosystem Marketing: The Influence Strategy No One Talks About
• 00:16:15 – How to Engineer Ecosystems That Actually Work
• 00:22:20 – What’s Peaking in Biotech? Trends You Can’t Ignore
• 00:27:08 – The Orchestration Era: Your Next Move Starts Now

Links and Resources:

• Messaginglab
• National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology's Report: Charting the Future of Biotechnology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, value chain orchestration, supply chains, supply networks, ecosystem building, ecosystem marketing, influencing, business development, strategy

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

Karl and Erum reconnect with Eben Bayer, Board Chair at MyForest Foods, for a compelling follow-up conversation on the evolution of mycelium-based food products. Eben dives deep into the scaling journey of MyBacon, a plant-based bacon alternative created through solid-state fermentation using gourmet mushroom mycelium. From early experiments producing just six packs a week to now operating at multiple farms across North America and Europe, Eben outlines the technical, economic, and operational hurdles his team has overcome. Listeners will discover how MyForest Foods is pioneering a distributed, farm-based manufacturing model and why MyBacon is outpacing pork bacon in select markets. If you're curious about biomaterials, novel fermentation tech, or the practical future of sustainable food systems, this episode offers a front-row seat to the revolution.

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 - Liftoff! Imagining the Future with Space Elevators
• 00:00:15 - Back in Action: Your Favorite Bio-Futurists Return
• 00:00:31 - Erum’s Arctic Escape: Sauna Talks & Synbio Dreams
• 00:02:27 - Biotech Bonding: Unexpected Encounters in the North
• 00:04:39 - From Lava Fields to Lab Ideas: Iceland Inspires
• 00:04:48 - Travel Hack: How ChatGPT Became Our Digital Tour Guide
• 00:06:59 - Survival, Science & Synbio: Adventures at the Edge
• 00:09:37 - Deep Dive: Oceans, Algae & the Blue Carbon Breakthrough
• 00:12:29 - Enter Eben Bayer: Mycelium Magic and Fungi Futures
• 00:24:22 - Farming the Future: A Global Mycelium Network Emerges
• 00:25:13 - Teaming Up: Mycelium Hits the Mainstream Food Scene
• 00:26:30 - Eco-Revolution: Why Fungi Might Just Save the Planet
• 00:27:52 - What’s Next? The Tasty Future of Bio-Engineered Foods
• 00:29:35 - Fungi Meets Firmware: Mycelium, Tech & the Rise of Bio-AI
• 00:30:51 - From Farm to Factory: The Scale-Up Challenge Conquered
• 00:32:41 - Off-World Growth: Mycelium and the Final Frontier
• 00:38:30 - Wrap-Up: Big Ideas, Bold Futures, and What’s Coming Next

Links and Resources:

• MyForest Foods
• Ecovative
• HotdogJudge on Instagram
• Extremophiles on Mars: One group of living   things that may be able to survive these extreme conditions is lichens,
• Blue Carbon documentary- carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, mycelium, biomaterials, ecovative, bacon, mycelium bacon, plant based foods.

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

Karl and Erum welcome back Dr. John Cumbers—founder of SynBioBeta and Biological Enlightenment Studios—to dive deep into the transformative power of synthetic biology. From designing personalized proteins and sustainable materials to programming life for space exploration, John unpacks why synthetic biology could be the defining technology of our century. The conversation spans the central dogma, programmable cells, AI-designed genomes, and even the ethics of growing brainless human clones. With themes ranging from planetary health to Pixar-style science storytelling, this episode offers a biologically enlightened vision of a future where we grow everything—from meat to materials to machines.

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 Club: The Biologically Enlightened Begin
• 00:00:26 – Biotech Meets Copenhagen: Global R&D, Beer, and Bold Ideas
• 00:01:53 – AI Roasts, Inside Jokes, and the Business of Podcasting
• 00:04:00 – Dire Wolves, CRISPR, and the Wild World of De-Extinction
• 00:09:49 – Microscopes, Microbes, and the Future of Biotech Gaming
• 00:12:14 – Enter John Cumbers: Mastermind of Synthetic Biology
• 00:31:22 – Hyperscale Biology: AI-Bio Collisions at the Frontier
• 00:32:16 – From Intimidation to Innovation: Embracing AI in the Lab
• 00:34:24 – Beyond the Hype: AI, Quantum, and the Bio Black Box
• 00:36:13 – Remixing Life Itself: Non-Canonical Amino Acids Take the Stage
• 00:41:50 – From Niche to Mainstream: Biotech’s Cultural Awakening
• 00:45:12 – Rewriting the Future: Bio Strategies for a Greener Planet
• 00:48:39 – Too Radical to Fail? Brain Swaps and Body Clones
• 00:54:05 – SynBioBeta 2025: The Party, The Panels, The Possibilities
• 00:56:58 – What We Learned: Final Reflections and Nerdy Joy

Links and Resources:

• Synbiobeta (Listen to this episode for a special discount to attend! You're welcome ;))
• Common Side Effects
• Time Magazine Cover of Colossal De-extincting the dire wolf
• Dehli’s laptop repair market
• Osmos Video Game⁠

Topics Covered: 

synbio, conferences, biotech, community, AI in bio, space biotech, biotech education, biotech edutainment.

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

What if you could grow health-boosting compounds—not in fields, but in bioreactors—using the power of plant cells? In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Ilan Sobel, CEO of BioHarvest, to explore how the company is reshaping biotech, nutraceuticals, and biomanufacturing. From leveraging botanical synthesis to create highly bioavailable compounds like piceid resveratrol, to scaling sustainable DTC operations that rival software margins, Ilan reveals how BioHarvest is closing the gap between nature, science, and commerce. Hear how this Coca-Cola veteran is building a biological infrastructure poised to disrupt pharma, food, and beyond—one cell at a time.

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 - Kicking Off with Biotech That Prints Money
• 00:00:21 - $9 Trillion Vanishes: Markets, Mayhem, and Monday Mood
• 00:00:36 - Brooklyn Birthdays, Bio Buzz & Citizen Scientists Unite
• 00:02:24 - Tariffs, Pharma, and the Future of Drug Supply Chains
• 00:04:20 - Reddit Rabbit Holes and Underrated Science That Could Change Everything
• 00:06:49 - Pharma’s Dirty Secret: Why Cures Don’t Always Win
• 00:09:39 - Meet Ilan Sobel: From Coca-Cola Exec to Biotech World-Changer
• 00:19:13 - What the Heck Is Botanical Synthesis? (And Why It’s a Game-Changer)
• 00:26:46 - Tiny Footprint, Massive Impact: Economics That Would Make Silicon Valley Jealous
• 00:29:02 - How a Grape Cell Became the King of Blood Flow Supplements
• 00:35:09 - Why Longevity Starts with Blood, Not Kale
• 00:37:32 - The Secret Sauce Behind Supplements That Actually Work
• 00:38:55 - How BioHarvest Orchestrated a Biotech Masterpiece
• 00:40:20 - From Plant Cells to Profit: Scaling Biotech Like a Pro
• 00:43:10 - Open Sourcing the Future: CDMO Deals with Global Impact
• 00:48:47 - Making Sweeteners Smarter (And Actually Tasty)
• 00:51:35 - Building the Tesla of Biomanufacturing—Globally
• 00:57:39 - What’s Next for BioHarvest? Legacy, Longevity, and Global Scale

Links and Resources:

• BioHarvest
• Vinia.com
• PwC’s US Tariff Industry Analysis – Pharmaceutical, Life Science, and Medical Device
• Reddit: Scientific Ideas that haven’t gotten enough traction
• Common Side Effects (tv series)
• Genesis Machine (book)

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, botanical cellular synthesis, plant biology, phytonutrients, sweet proteins,  distributed biomanufacturing, direct to consumer biotech

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 of Grow Everything, Karl and Erum dive deep into the transformative world of biomanufacturing with Molly Morse, CEO and Co-founder of Mango Materials. Molly shares how her team is using methane—one of the most potent greenhouse gases—as a feedstock to create PHAs, a class of biodegradable bioplastics. From wastewater treatment partnerships to collaboration with brands like Allbirds and Stella McCartney, Mango Materials is setting a new standard in sustainable innovation. The conversation spans synthetic biology, microbial fermentation, the challenges of scaling, and even bioplastics in space. If you're passionate about circular economies, advanced materials, or cutting-edge climate tech, this episode is 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 - Kicking Things Off: Weekend Tales & Seal Surprises
• 00:00:36 - A Shiny Seal, Beach Drama & Wildlife Wisdom
• 00:02:51 - AI is Basically Michael Scott… And That’s a Good Thing
• 00:04:40 - Can We Trust World Leaders Taking Advice from ChatGPT?
• 00:07:44 - AI That Talks Back: Selling Smarter with Conversational Tech
• 00:09:35 - Muscles Made in a Lab? Welcome to the Future of Biology
• 00:12:36 - Molly Morse Joins: Turning Methane into Magic with Mango Materials
• 00:29:33 - Waste to Wealth: How Municipal Methane Becomes a Revenue Stream
• 00:30:16 - From Landfills to Livestock: Where the Methane Goldmine Is
• 00:31:33 - Scaling Science: The Real Talk Behind Biomanufacturing Challenges
• 00:33:47 - Zero Gravity, Big Ideas: Mango’s Mission in Space
• 00:38:34 - From Microbes to Market: Scaling PHA Pellet Production
• 00:46:11 - What Does “Biodegradable” Really Mean? Let’s Break It Down
• 00:51:35 - Big Picture: What’s Next for Mango Materials and Biotech Innovation

Links and Resources:

• Mango Materials
• Michael Scott Guide to AI Terminologies
• Engineered Muscles That Move Like the Real Thing? MIT Just Made It Happen
• Protoclone: Bipedal Musculoskeletal Android V1 by Clone Robotics
• Mango Materials Zero G Experience on G-Force One to test fermentation on a membrane-based bioreactor system in weightlessness

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, biomaterials, greenhouse gas, waste to value, biopolymers

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

Karl and Erum sit down with Daniel Goodwin, co-founding Director of Homeworld Collective alongside his friend and collaborator Paul Reginato. Together, they explore how to build resilient, values-aligned infrastructure for a flourishing bioeconomy—beyond the venture model.

From climate biotech to systems thinking, Daniel shares how Homeworld Collective is more than just a network—it's an emergent, mycelial community focused on care, collaboration, and collective intelligence. The conversation weaves through everything from the limits of "techno-solutionism" to the power of story in science, and the need to design not just tools, but the conditions for innovation to thrive.

If you’re thinking about the future of biotech, and how culture, community, and infrastructure intersect to make it real—this episode is 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 – Welcome to the Biofuture: Erum and Karl kick things off in full grind mode.
• 00:00:16 – Biotech Boom Times: Why the field never sleeps (and neither do the hosts).
• 00:01:01 – Inside the AI Emergence Summit: Smell farms, AGI hype, and real talk on moats.
• 00:03:21 – DIY Healthcare with AI: What happens when you feed your genome to a chatbot?
• 00:05:35 – Can AI Decode Biology? Drug discovery and the limitations of human cognition.
• 00:07:49 – Mammoths, Models & Media: Colossal Biosciences and the narrative power of science.
• 00:11:32 – Meet Daniel Goodwin: Systems thinker, community builder, biotech whisperer.
• 00:12:03 – On George Church: The unintentional influence that shaped Homeworld's DNA.
• 00:18:07 – What Is Homeworld Collective? Building more than a Slack—building a system.
• 00:20:47 – Imagining the Next Bio Era: Biotech’s renaissance as culture, not just tech.
• 00:26:52 – Idea Porn & Biotech Fiction: When storytelling shapes science (and vice versa).
• 00:29:54 – Collaborating with Biology: Designing with, not against, nature’s blueprint.
• 00:30:07 – Rivers as Systems: What infrastructure can learn from ecosystems.
• 00:30:54 – Biomanufacturing Is Hard: Real talk on what it takes to scale with biology.
• 00:32:08 – Carbon Capture, Naturally: Biodesign, fermentation, and the future of CO₂.
• 00:33:45 – Biosecurity + Ethics: Guardrails, governance, and growing with intention.
• 00:41:18 – Prototype Like a Scientist: What biotech can borrow from product design.
• 00:49:07 – Cleaning Up Chemistry: Synbio’s role in reshaping industrial pollution.
• 00:52:46 – Looking Ahead: Final reflections, future infrastructure, and quiet revolutions.

Links and Resources:

• Homeworld Collective
• The Climate Biotech Podcast
• Karl and Erum on the Climate Biotech Podcast
• AI Circle 
• Osmo.AI
• Doctors Told Him He Was Going to Die. Then A.I. Saved His Life.
• Colossal Biosciences
• Hoping to revive mammoths, scientists create 'woolly mice'
• George Church episode, interviewed by Homeworld Collective
• Neuroscience Needs Hackers, Scientific American 
• Liquid Trees 
• A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species by Robb Dunn

Topics Covered: 

climate biotech, George Church, Churchian Juxtaposition, idea porn, genetic engineering, geo biotech, environmental engineering,

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553 

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Email: [email protected]

Music by: Nihilore