
Grow Everything Biotech Podcast
Grow Everything reveals the world of biology as technology. Hosts Erum Khan and Karl Schmieder interview leaders and influencers biologizing industries with tools like synthetic biology, precision fermentation, bioprospecting, and more. These companies make biomaterials from waste, cosmetics that restore healthy hair and skin, and delicious cultivated foods in a bioreactor and so much more. Join us as we discuss the latest and greatest across biotech, synbio, entrepreneurship, and culture and how this transition is solving healthcare and climate change challenges.
Show episodes

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

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

125. The Synbio Symphony: SynBioBeta’s John Cumbers Harmonizes Biology and Industry
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 th

124. Cell-ebrating Success: Ilan Sobel Blends Science and Strategy to Scale-up BioHarvest
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 cre