Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

55 minutes 50 seconds

196. Beyond the Red Tape: Greg Jaffe on Policy as an Accelerator for Bio-Innovation

Biotech is moving fast, but regulation, public trust, and infrastructure still shape how quickly new ideas reach the market. In this episode of Grow Everything, Greg Jaffe joins Karl Schmieder to explore the regulatory future of the bioeconomy, drawing on Greg’s experience in environmental law, consumer advocacy, and as the USDA’s chief regulatory officer. They discuss why founders need to think about regulatory strategy early, how production methods, product claims, and intended use can dramatically change the path through agencies like USDA, EPA, and FDA, and why clear oversight can help build the trust emerging technologies need to scale. Greg and Karl also examine the regional nature of biomanufacturing, the importance of rural infrastructure and local partnerships, and why the future of the bioeconomy will require coordinated policy, stronger market demand, international access, and regulatory pathways that support innovation while protecting public confidence.

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) Intro: Moderna cancer vaccine news, Sargassum in Miami, and K18’s viral hairball activation
(00:13:00) Greg Jaffe’s path from environmental law to biotech policy
(00:16:30) Why the coordinated framework for biotechnology still matters
(00:20:00) What biotech startups need to understand about USDA, EPA, and FDA
(00:25:15) How claims, intent, and language can change a regulatory pathway
(00:28:15) Why public trust is essential for biomanufactured food and biotech products
(00:31:30) How biotech regulation differs in the United States, Africa, and Southeast Asia
(00:35:20) Why biomass and biomanufacturing are inherently local
(00:38:00) Which bio based sectors may be ready to scale first
(00:42:20) The role federal policy can play in making bio based products the default

Links and Resources:

Topics Covered:

USDA regulation, FDA food regulation, GRAS process, cultivated meat regulation, precision fermentation, food safety policy, bioeconomy policy, agricultural biotechnology, ultra-processed foods

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

28 August 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 10 minutes

195. Because You’re Worth Biology: Olivier Rolland Talks Biotech at L’Oréal

Industrial biotechnology has enormous potential to create resilient supply chains, high performance ingredients, and a more sustainable bioeconomy, but good science alone is not enough. In this episode of Grow Everything, Karl and Erum speak with Olivier Rolland about the economic and industrial realities of scaling biology. Drawing on his experience across Michelin, TotalEnergies, Toulouse White Biotechnology, and L’Oréal, Olivier explains why biotech ventures must align sustainability, performance, cost, and customer expectations from the beginning. The conversation explores how techno economic analysis, early process constraints, industrial partnerships, standardization, and supportive policy can reduce risk and move promising molecules from the laboratory into commercial production. Olivier also discusses the biomanufacturing investment gap in Europe, the importance of resilient value chains, the limits of direct fossil replacements, and the opportunity to develop new molecules that deliver the same or better functions by design.

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): Music festivals, Mike Levin, and consciousness at every scale
(00:07:00): Biotech news, Houston biomanufacturing, and the Michelin Guide analogy
(00:14:00): Genome astrology, ingredient transparency, and food regulation
(00:21:00): Olivier Rolland on L’Oréal, Scope 3 emissions, water, and resilient supply chains
(00:28:00): Finding the sweet spot between performance, economics, and sustainability
(00:35:00): Techno economic analysis, retrofit constraints, and industrial partnerships
(00:42:00): Europe’s scale up funding gap and the emerging EU biotech framework
(00:49:00): Coalitions, fragmented value chains, and practical commercialization
(00:56:00): What sustainable aviation fuel teaches beauty about market pull
(01:03:00): Isofunctional molecules, biotech myths, duckweed, and rapid scale up

Links and Resources:

L'Oreal
Advanced Biotech for Sustainability
Ep. 156. When Matter Makes Decisions: Michael Levin on the Intelligence of Form
"What's it like to be a Cucumber" New York Magazine article about Mike Levin
BMS picks Texas for new $2.3B manufacturing campus
Bio-AI is All Atlases and Nowhere to Go by Jake Wintermute and American Wetware
BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything
Grow Everything LinkedIn

Topics Covered:

biomanufacturing, industrial biotechnology, sustainable materials, green chemistry, biotechnology commercialization, scope 3 emissions, defossilization, sustainable beauty, bio-based ingredients, bioeconomy

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

21 August 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 12 minutes

194. Beauty Is in the AI of the Beholder: Debut’s Joshua Britton Turns Claims into Molecules

Joshua Britton, founder and CEO of Debut, joins Erum Azeez Khan and Karl Schmieder to explain why the future of molecular creation belongs to AI and biotechnology. Joshua shares how watching biologists create complex natural molecules in days inspired his shift from traditional chemistry and shaped Debut’s vertically integrated model for discovering, manufacturing, formulating, and commercializing high performance beauty ingredients. The conversation explores why technical breakthroughs alone do not build durable biotech businesses, how consumer demand and measurable performance should guide discovery, and why formulation, supply chains, scientific communication, and brand education are essential to commercialization. Joshua also describes how Debut uses computational models to screen vast chemical spaces, validates promising candidates in the lab, balances fast internal innovation with longer corporate partnerships, and prepares brands for regulatory changes affecting familiar cosmetic ingredients. For founders, scientists, investors, and operators building the bioeconomy, this episode offers a practical playbook for turning biological innovation into products consumers understand, trust, and choose.

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, beauty, and the battle between performance and chemistry
(00:07:00) Bio dyes, consumer perception, and why color changes experience
(00:14:00) Joshua Britton’s path from organic chemistry to biotechnology
(00:21:00) Why Debut chose vertical integration and consumer led discovery
(00:28:00) Formulation failures that reshaped Debut’s commercial strategy
(00:35:00) Balancing startup speed with global beauty partnerships
(00:42:00) Regulatory pressure and the opportunity for new biological ingredients
(00:49:00) Scientific communication, clinical proof, and brand adoption
(00:56:00) What it takes to move biotechnology into the mass market
(01:02:00) Key lessons on performance, AI, communication, and commercialization

Links and Resources:

Debut Biotech
Dye vs No Dye Doritos Cheetos Taste Test on Youtube
Dye vs No Dye Doritos Cheetos Taste Test on LinkedIn
New imaginary color, "Olo"
BioInnovations Events - For 25% off use code: Grow Everything
Grow Everything LinkedIn

Topics Covered:

biotech beauty, synthetic biology beauty, AI ingredient discovery, biomanufacturing, vertically integrated biotech, beauty innovation, skincare ingredients, cosmetic formulation, consumer biotech, premium skincare

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

14 August 2026, 11:00 am

54 minutes 22 seconds

193. The Full Color Spectrum: Nick Milne Ferments One Pathway for Every Color at Octarine Bio

Nick Milne, founder of Octarine Bio, joins Grow Everything to unpack how biology can reshape the future of color. In this episode, Nick explains why synthetic dyes have dominated textiles for more than a century, why sustainability alone is not enough to drive adoption, and how Octarine is building bio based pigments that can compete on performance, price, and scale. The conversation explores the environmental and human health problems tied to petrochemical dyes, especially azo dyes used in polyester, while showing how precision fermentation can create high strength pigments that work as drop in replacements for existing dye house workflows. Nick also shares how Octarine thinks about scale up, regulatory pressure in Europe, investor expectations, product development, and the practical realities of bringing biotech products into old and highly cost sensitive industries.

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) Nick previews Octarine’s high strength pigment platform
(00:00:23) Karl and Erum open with science policy, AI, biosecurity, and discovery in nature
(00:12:18) Introducing Nick Milne and Octarine Bio’s mission to rewrite color with biology
(00:14:03) Why biology can outperform chemistry in rare but powerful commercial use cases
(00:16:21) The slow shift from petrochemical dyes to bio based alternatives in textiles
(00:18:31) What Pure Palette looks like as a drop in replacement for synthetic dyes
(00:20:13) Octarine’s color pipeline, from purple and black to green, blue, red, and yellow
(00:21:39) How stronger pigments create a path toward price parity for textile customers
(00:28:13) Why European regulation may accelerate sustainable color adoption
(00:31:15) Scale up, consistency, azo dyes, and lessons for biotech founders

Links and Resources:

Topics Covered:

Octarine Bio, bio-based pigments, synthetic dye replacement, sustainable textile dyes, fermentation-derived colors, metabolic engineering, azo dye alternatives, textile color sustainability, precision fermentation pigments, sustainable fashion materials

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

7 August 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 1 minute

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

31 July 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 6 minutes

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

24 July 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 43 seconds

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

17 July 2026, 11:00 am

48 minutes 34 seconds

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

10 July 2026, 2:22 pm

1 hour 11 minutes

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

3 July 2026, 11:00 am

1 hour 19 minutes

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

26 June 2026, 11:00 am

39 minutes 31 seconds

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:

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

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media

18 June 2026, 11:00 am