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Grow Everything Biotech PodcastAuthor: Messaginglab
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. Language: en-us Genres: Life Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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160. Sequins Without Sin: Santa Puts Cellsense's Aradhita Parasrampuria on the Nice List
Friday, 19 December, 2025
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 explains how her materials can be produced at room temperature, glow in the dark through bioluminescence, and are manufactured through an automated system that eliminates exploitative manual labor. With one in five garments containing embellishments, CellSense addresses a massive market while tackling microplastic pollution, worker health issues, and the 2027 EU ban on microbeads and lead. Aradhita discusses successful pilots with fashion brands and skincare companies, the challenges of achieving vivid colors and iridescence with biomaterials, and her vision for a circular system where anyone can upload a design and receive custom bioplastic solutions. The conversation explores the intersection of design, biotechnology, and sustainability, demonstrating how biology can create materials that don't just replace plastics—they surpass them.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: Fungi as environmental game-changers(00:26:18) - Podcast updates and Michael Levin episode highlights(02:10:35) - Ashley Beckwith and Foray Biosciences: mining fungal biodiversity(04:57:22) - The untapped power of mycelium in biotechnology(08:04:15) - Launching the Future is Fungi Award(08:58:40) - Susanne Gløersen: Why fungi deserve to be core technology(00:12:09) - Fungi's role in solving climate, pollution, and soil degradation(00:27:06) - Quickfire questions with Susanne Gløersen(00:29:14) - Ricky Casini of Michroma: replacing synthetic food dyes with fungi(00:38:10) - Scaling fermentation capacity in South Korea(00:38:45) - Pitching fungal colorants to food manufacturers(00:40:22) - Regulatory wins and transparency in natural colors(00:41:19) - The future of fungal bio-factories in food production(00:43:05) - Scaling up production and strategic partnerships(00:44:09) - Why color matters in consumer packaged goods(00:45:46) - Winning the Future is Fungi Startup Award(00:46:59) - Quickfire questions with Ricky Cassini(00:49:02) - Dr. Britta Winterberg introduces Mycolever's clean beauty mission(00:50:00) - Fungal bio-compounds replacing petrochemicals in cosmetics(00:52:10) - Technical challenges and breakthroughs in fungal biotech(00:59:52) - Quickfire questions with Dr. Britta Winterberg(01:02:54) - Final reflections on the fungal innovation revolutionLinks and Resources:CellsenseCellsense Partnership with the United NationsBioculture Event hosted by Biofabricate x Juniper VCArahita - LinkedinMountain and The Sea - Ray Nayler 138. Living Textures, Wild Pigments: Suzanne Lee on Nature’s New Aesthetic Toolbox154. No Trees Were Harmed: Symmetry Wood's Gabe Tavas on Growing Wood from WasteGrow Everything SubstackGrow Everything PatreonTopics Covered: biomaterials, fashion, embellishments, sequins, bacterial cellulose, fermentationHave a question or comment? Message us here:Text or Call (804) 505-5553
