Best Synbio Podcasts (2026)

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162. New Year’s Replay with New Insights: Orchestrating BioInnovation Without Missing a Beat 40:01

Play Pause

1d ago40:01

40:01

Karl and Erum kick off 2026 with deep reflections on prosperity, consciousness, and the idea that we might be living in a simulation. But the real focus is on a concept that could make or break biotech companies: orchestration. They dive into why most biotech innovations outside of pharma struggle to commercialize and introduce the idea of value ch…

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161. (Holiday Replay) Leaf It to Science: How Foray Bioscience's Ashley Beckwith is Reforesting the Future 52:29

9d ago52:29

52:29

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 reimagi…

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160. Sequins Without Sin: Santa Puts Cellsense's Aradhita Parasrampuria on the Nice List 49:08

16d ago49:08

49:08

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 ex…

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The Power of Curiosity with Shuguang Zhang 1:17:30

7d ago1:17:30

1:17:30

In this special episode, we sit down with Shuguang Zhang, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Architecture in the MIT Media Lab and a mentor to countless biotech explorers. His personal story has at least one literal "1 in 100 Million" moment and demonstrates the power of curiosity, kindness, and always asking questions. We trace how Shuguang's stu…

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159. The Future Is Fungi Awards: From Mushroom Dreams to Real-World Things 1:10:07

21d ago1:10:07

1:10:07

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 foa…

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Reimagining Bioreactors to Solve Manufacturing Bottlenecks with Brian Heligman 59:52

15d ago59:52

59:52

Biomanufacturing doesn’t fail for lack of clever biology; it stalls at the factory gate. We sit down with Biosphere CEO Brian Heligman to unpack how a materials scientist’s journey through batteries and perovskites led to a bold thesis for the bioeconomy: change the constraints of the bioreactor and you change everything downstream. Instead of mile…

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158. Mycelium On, Sound Off: How GOB's Lauryn Menard Makes Biomaterials Feel Like Culture 58:45

1M ago58:45

58:45

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 d…

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157. (Thanksgiving Replay) Meat the Future: How Paul Shapiro is Brewing Superfoods at Better Meat Co. 1:09:12

1M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

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 expla…

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156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form 1:18:08

1M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

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 persi…

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155. Bad Hairdo to Good HairDAO: Andrew Verbinnen on Reversing Hairloss Through Decentralization 52:12

2M ago52:12

52:12

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 cr…

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What Million Things are Circulating Inside You? with Jenna Hua 51:55

1M ago51:55

51:55

Pollution isn’t an abstract headline; it’s inside our bodies today. We sit down with Dr. Jenna Hua to reveal how small, everyday choices expose us to hormone-disrupting chemicals. Jenna explains why single-chemical research fails in a world of mixed exposures and shows how metabolomics turns invisible toxins into clear, personal insights you can ac…

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154. No Trees Were Harmed: Symmetry Wood's Gabe Tavas on Growing Wood from Waste 51:47

2M ago51:47

51:47

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 …

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153. Ghosts of Biotech Past: Veronica Breckenridge’s Playbook for Smarter Scaling 1:02:57

2M ago1:02:57

1:02:57

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 cri…

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152. Crystals in the Cosmos: Varda Rewrites Drug Formulation in Microgravity 41:00

2M ago41:00

41:00

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 t…

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151. Report on Reports: Cash Flow, Carbon, and the Bioeconomy 49:23

2M ago49:23

49:23

In this episode, Erum and Karl unpack six major reports that define the current state of synthetic biology and the bioeconomy. From investment trends to national security concerns, from manufacturing failures to trillion-dollar opportunities, these reports paint a complex picture of an industry at a critical turning point. Grow Everything brings th…

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150. Live at BioFab Fair. Celebrating 150 Episodes! 39:53

3M ago39:53

39:53

In this special 150th episode of Grow Everything, Erum and Karl broadcast live from the BioFab Fair 2025 in London. They explore the innovative world of biology as technology with special guests Elliot Roth and Amanda (from Mothership Materials), discussing community biotech labs, biopunk culture, and sustainable feedstocks for the bioeconomy. Chap…

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149. Beyond Capital: Phil Morle of Main Sequence Ventures on Collaboration as the New Competitive Edge 1:27:04

3M ago1:27:04

1:27:04

This episode explores the journey from scientific breakthrough to scalable industrial implementation. Phil Morle — partner at Main Sequence and co‑founder of Pollenizer — explains how strategic off‑takes generate market pull, the reasons nylon recycling advanced faster than PET, and the orchestration techniques required to progress from First-Of-A-…

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148: Wrinkle in Time? OneSkin’s Alessandra Zonari Says Not Anymore 51:43

3M ago51:43

51:43

In this episode of Grow Everything, hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez sit down with Dr. Alessandra Zonari, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at OneSkin. Alessandra shares her personal journey from Brazil to biotech, driven by a mission to transform how we think about aging. She explains the science of cellular senescence, the discovery of t…

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147: "Shhh…They’re Talking: Holoclara's Dr. Andrea Choe Tunes Into Worm Signals for Health” 1:03:45

4M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

What if we could treat debilitating diseases by listening in on the "secret, invisible language" of worms? In this groundbreaking episode, we talk with Dr. Andrea Choe, Co-Founder and CEO of Holoclara, who uncovered a "universal worm language" used for hundreds of millions of years. Dr. Choe reveals how our modern "aggressive hygiene routine" remov…

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Synthetic Biology Acceleration with Pam Silver 36:15

3M ago36:15

36:15

Professor Pam Silver from Harvard Medical School joins us as a founding figure and legend in synthetic biology whose scientific path led from pioneering work on nuclear localization to co-developing the revolutionary "bionic leaf"—a system that combines artificial catalysts with bacteria to convert sunlight and CO2 into fuels and compounds at effic…

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146. Pump It Up: Benji Leibowitz on DAO-ing Science Differently 58:23

3M ago58:23

58:23

In this episode of Grow Everything, hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez talk with Benji Leibowitz, Co-Founder of Pump Science, about what it really means to be “DAO-ing science differently.” From the early days of Molecule DAO to today’s crypto-native platform for funding longevity and nootropics research, Benji explains how decentralized science (…

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145: "Decentralized Science 101: Defining DeSci with the Experts" 27:17

4M ago27:17

27:17

In this highlight reel episode of Grow Everything, hosts Erum Azeez and Karl Schmieder dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of decentralized science (DeSci). Featuring expert insights from Albert Anis, Jocelyn Pearl, Michael Fisher, and Laura Minquinin, this episode explores how DeSci is revolutionizing the way research is funded, shared, and …

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Textile-immobilized Enzymes for CO2 Capture with Sonja Salmon 57:02

4M ago57:02

57:02

Sonja Salmon takes us on a fascinating journey through her 20-year quest to harness the power of enzymes and textiles to fight climate change. Her background in textile chemistry led to a deep understanding of natural polymers like cellulose and chitosan, which eventually connected to her fascination with enzymes during a 22-year career at the worl…

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144. Art Meets Agar: Karen Ingram Reimagines Biodesign 56:57

4M ago56:57

56:57

Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez sit down with Karen Ingram, Creative Director & Designer at Karen Ingram & Associates, Inc. From her iconic Biogenetic Blooms—Petri dish paintings made with living yeast—to her innovative teaching with BioBuilder and playful experiments like Fallacy Bingo, Karen shows how science and creativity can merge to inspire bro…

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143. Sunscreen from Space? Delavie’s Kyle Landry Turns Space Microbes into Skincare 59:37

5M ago59:37

59:37

Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez sit down with Dr. Kyle Landry, President and Co-founder of Delavie Sciences, to explore how extremophiles—microbes that survive in the harshest environments on Earth and space—are unlocking new frontiers in skincare and longevity. Kyle shares his unconventional path from food science to biodefense to NASA collabo…

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Optical biosensors for neural circuits and methane-eating enzymes with Loren Looger 55:51

5M ago55:51

55:51

When Loren Looger walks into a room, he doesn't want recognition, he wants to make things that work. The creator of revolutionary, open-source tools that transformed how we visualize brain activity is increasingly turning his protein engineering expertise to formidable challenges in climate, including methane degradation. . Methane sits at the hear…

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142. Petri Dishes & Policy Shifts: Capgemini’s Richard Traherne on Scaling Biology 1:05:23

5M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

Karl and Erum speak with Richard Traherne of Capgemini Invent and Cambridge Consultants, where they explore the explosive convergence of engineering biology, artificial intelligence, and sustainable innovation. Richard reveals how programmable biology is catalyzing a new industrial revolution—transitioning biotech from niche innovation to foundatio…

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141. Gut Check! Viome’s Momo & Guru Decode Your Inner Microbiome 1:10:08

5M ago1:10:08

1:10:08

In this episode of Grow Everything, Erum sits down with Momo Vuyisich and Guruduth (Guru) Banavar of Viome to explore how decoding the human microbiome could transform the way we understand and treat disease. From the depletion of beneficial gut bacteria to the cutting-edge use of AI in precision health, Momo and Guru share how Viome’s technology t…

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140. Behind The Scenes with Karl and Erum 37:17

5M ago37:17

37:17

In this special episode of Grow Everything, hosts Karl and Erum pull back the curtain on their own operations, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the podcast came to life. They discuss the core mission of sharing innovative bioengineering breakthroughs, the challenges of maintaining a weekly podcast, and the team behind it all. From the techn…

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139. Cultivating a Culture of Cultures? Genspace's Casey Lardner on Community Biotech 1:11:18

5M ago1:11:18

1:11:18

In this episode of Grow Everything, hosts Karl and Erum dive into the world of community biology with Dr. Casey Lardner, Executive Director of Genspace. They explore how this groundbreaking Brooklyn lab is reimagining who gets to participate in science — and how. From radical accessibility and inclusive education to the launch of Gotham Foundry, Ca…

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Redirecting the Microbiome: Rethinking Copper Mining with Sasha Milshteyn 47:09

5M ago47:09

47:09

What happens when a structural biochemist turns his attention to mountains of rock? Dr. Sasha Milshteyn takes us on a remarkable journey from studying tiny molecular movements in proteins to revolutionizing how we extract copper from massive mine heaps. The mining industry faces a critical challenge - we've depleted most easily-processed oxide copp…

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138. Living Textures, Wild Pigments: Suzanne Lee on Nature’s New Aesthetic Toolbox 48:07

6M ago48:07

48:07

In this thought-provoking episode of Grow Everything, host Karl sits down with Suzanne Lee, founder of Biofabricate and pioneer in the biomaterials revolution, for a conversation that redefines how we think about material innovation. With passion and precision, Suzanne shares her journey from fashion design to biodesign, revealing how her early exp…

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137. Hack to the Future: Shelby Newsad on Biohacking Breakthroughs 55:11

6M ago55:11

55:11

In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Shelby Newsad, Partner at Compound, to unpack the explosive rise of consumer biotech, biohacking, and radical health optimization. Shelby shares inside stories from Compound’s Biohacker Demo Day, exploring how crypto funding, accessible blood testing, and personal health data are reshaping the future of …

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Transforming Minerals with Biology: Rare Earth Extraction and Carbon Storage with Buz Barstow and Esteban Gazel 1:00:22

6M ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Mining has essentially been the same for 5,000 years, just now with bigger shovels. Imagine if we could drastically increase mining efficiency and output for both the environment and national security. That's exactly what Dr. Esteban Gazel, a Costa Rican-born geochemist, and Dr. Buz Barstow, a physicist-turned-synthetic biologist, are working on at…

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136. (Replay) DNA of Defense: Alexander Titus on How NSCEB is Advancing Biotech for National Security Challenges 56:13

6M ago56:13

56:13

Karl and Erum bring on Dr. Alexander Titus, a commissioner on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, to explore the exciting and challenging intersections of biotechnology and policy. Alexander shares his experiences from his unique journey across academia, government, and industry, diving into the role of biosecurity, the pote…

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135. Hormones Harmonized: Elle Shelley Black of Same Skincare on Syncing Skin to Life’s Rhythms 1:01:36

6M ago1:01:36

1:01:36

Karl and Erum sit down with Elle Black, a product designer and manufacturing strategist whose journey into the world of skincare, AI, and biology is anything but typical. Elle shares how her background in physical product development led her to dive deep into the supplement and cosmetics industries—spaces rich with opportunity and riddled with misi…

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134. Bio-Logic in Living Designs: bioMATTERS’ Nancy Diniz on Crafting with Biology 48:30

7M ago48:30

48:30

Karl and Erum are joined by Nancy Diniz, Co-Founder of bioMATTERS LLC, to explore the future of biodesign and sustainable materials. Drawing on her background in architecture and digital fabrication, Nancy unpacks how bioMATTERS is creating novel mycelium- and microbe-based materials that are not only biodegradable but alive. The conversation trave…

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Redesigning Photosynthesis to Boost Agricultural Yield with Chris Eiben 56:22

7M ago56:22

56:22

What if we could reinvent photosynthesis itself? GigaCrop founder and CEO Chris Eiben has a mission to dramatically increase crop yields by redesigning one of biology's most fundamental processes. With half of Earth's habitable land already dedicated to agriculture and growing demands for food, fiber, and materials, we face a critical choice: conve…

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133. Funding, Frameworks & Frenemies: Dr. Angela Belcher of NSCEB Gets Real on the $15B Biotech Boost Plan 49:59

7M ago49:59

49:59

Karl and Erum speak with Dr. Angela M. Belcher, MIT professor and pioneer in bioinspired materials, about how biology can transform the way we manufacture sustainable technologies. Drawing inspiration from how abalone build shells and viruses assemble structures, Angela shares how her lab uses genetically engineered viruses—like M13 bacteriophage—t…

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132. Bond. Enzyme Bond. CurieCo's Erika Milczek on Replacing Chemicals with Biotech 1:06:17

7M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Karl and Erum sit down with Erika Milczek, CEO and founder of Curie Co, to explore how synthetic biology is rewriting the rules of modern chemistry. Erika, a former Merck chemist, shares her journey from Big Pharma to launching a biotech startup that engineers enzymes to replace legacy chemicals in personal care and consumer goods. With insights gr…

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The Global Plastics Problem and Protein Engineering with Cesar Ramirez-Sarmiento 45:00

7M ago45:00

45:00

The solution to plastic waste looks different depending on where you stand in the world. While Northern Hemisphere biotech approaches to plastic recycling focus on high-temperature enzymes designed to regenerate plastic monomers (which works when you produce lots of plastic), Cesar's lab has engineered a completely different solution. Starting with…

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131. Leaf It to Science: How Foray Bioscience's Ashley Beckwith is Reforesting the Future 57:31

7M ago57:31

57:31

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…

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130. SynBioBeta 2025 Recap: Hyperscale Biology 1:00:33

7M ago1:00:33

1:00:33

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 th…

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Engineering the P450 Workhorse to Secure Supply Chains and Save Endangered Trees with Maria Astolfi 39:19

8M ago39:19

39:19

What if we could secure critical supply chains through bioengineering? What if the vaccines protecting millions worldwide didn't require harvesting 10,000 trees annually from Chilean mountains? Maria Astolfi is tackling this exact challenge through groundbreaking work with P450 enzymes. Growing up surrounded by biodiversity shaped Maria's unique pe…

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129. No Cells? No Problem! eXoZymes' Michael Heltzen on the Future of Microbe-Free Biotech 50:50

8M ago50:50

50:50

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. …

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Solving for the P in NPK Fertilization Using Enzymes with Benjamin Scott 40:30

8M ago40:30

40:30

The global food system has a phosphorus problem that few people talk about. Unlike nitrogen, which cycles naturally through our atmosphere, phosphorus is mined from finite deposits and has no natural cycle. A massive 100-kilometer conveyor belt—visible from space—transports phosphate-rich rock from the Sahara Desert to ships waiting to distribute t…

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128. Replay of Synbiobeta 2024 Recap with Fresh Commentary 1:18:34

8M ago1:18:34

1:18:34

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 no…

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127. Chain Reaction: Orchestrating BioInnovation Without Missing a Beat – with MessagingLab’s Erum & Karl 22:50

8M ago22:50

22:50

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 syndicate…

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126. Sizzling Success: Eben Bayer of MyForest Foods on Scaling Mycelium Magic 44:14

8M ago44:14

44:14

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 produc…

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125. The Synbio Symphony: SynBioBeta’s John Cumbers Harmonizes Biology and Industry 1:03:45

9M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

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 c…