Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

201. Out of Cell Experience: Michael Heltzen Drives Pure Chemistry at eXoZymes

Michael Heltzen, CEO of Exozymes, joins Grow Everything to explain how cell free biomanufacturing is opening new possibilities for natural products, nutraceuticals, and m

200. That's One Cell of a Machine: Jason Kelly of Gingko Automates Labs to Accelerate Discovery

For the 200th episode of Grow Everything, Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan talk with Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks and former chair of the US Natio

199. Space, the Final Fermenter: Mario Maggio Brews Biology in Orbit with Ambrosia Space

Biology may be the most important technology we take off planet, and Mario Maggio is building the hardware to prove it. The founder and CEO of Ambrosia Space joins Erum A

198. A Grain of Truth: Chef Pierre Thiam Scaled Fonio Without Losing Its Roots

Chef and entrepreneur Pierre Thiam joins Grow Everything to explain how fonio, a resilient ancient grain from West Africa, can become a platform for biodiversity, regener

197. What’s in Your Cart? A Grocery Store Walkthrough of Next-Gen Food Innovation

Food technology is moving from farms and petrochemicals into bioreactors, fungi, engineered crops, and circular feedstocks. In this Grow Everything highlights episode, Er

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 Jaff

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

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

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 d

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 Bi

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 do

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

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 ar

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

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 pr

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 techn

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

What if the building you live in could be grown instead of built, feed people while it goes up, and lock away carbon for a century? Architect Chris Maurer of Red House Ar

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

Most of biotech runs on a tiny handful of "model" organisms — E. coli, baker's yeast — while millions of wild species sit unstudied in what scientists call microbial dark

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

Senator Todd Young joins the Grow Everything podcast to discuss the critical intersection of biotechnology and national security, sharing how his military background, Ind

182. SynBioBeta 2026 Recap, It's Biologist Approved

Karl and Erum are back from SynBio Beta 2026 in San Jose,  and they brought home an Impact Award. In this special recap episode, they break down the biggest moments from