Talk BIO to Me Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/talk-bio-to-me What happens when you mix a disco-dancin' podcaster with some of the brightest minds in biotech? You get Talk BIO to Me. Recorded live at SynBioBeta, this interview series takes you inside the world of synthetic biology through conversations with pioneering scientists, founders, investors, and AI innovators building the future of life. Chorus Studios LLC 77e09f00-ebc3-52e2-85e5-c727eed95e96 yes Talk BIO to Me... en Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:21:46 -0400 Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:22:12 -0400 https://img.transistorcdn.com/8hiloilv7fih8Loap6tqCIPrQ1D14-Ju0wZDcPmt2Tc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81MDA2/ZGI1OTIwZTE0NTZl/MTVhMzkzYTUzZjc0/ZGE5NS5wbmc.jpg Talk BIO to Me episodic Chorus Studios What happens when you mix a disco-dancin' podcaster with some of the brightest minds in biotech? You get Talk BIO to Me. Recorded live at SynBioBeta, this interview series takes you inside the world of synthetic biology through conversations with pioneering scientists, founders, investors, and AI innovators building the future of life. What happens when you mix a disco-dancin' podcaster with some of the brightest minds in biotech. biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research Florence Lumsden flo@chorus-studios.com No No From Probing Alien Life to Bioreactors: Luke McKay on Why Life Is Redox Chemistry 10 10 From Probing Alien Life to Bioreactors: Luke McKay on Why Life Is Redox Chemistry full 3126e637-1fd0-480c-8c04-7d38ecf4ee77 https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/10 Luke McKay is CTO and co-founder of synbi.bio, a company giving the biomanufacturing industry something it's been missing: real-time visibility into the biology actually doing the work inside industrial bioreactors. Most companies monitoring fermentation and production systems are tracking chemical byproducts — pH, temperature, metabolites — but flying blind on the microbes themselves. Luke and his team built the tools to close that gap, catching things like contamination or strain drift before they become expensive shutdowns.

But before symbi,bio, Luke's career took him to some of the most extreme environments on Earth: 2,000 meters down in the Alvin submersible to sample hydrothermal vents, the Western Antarctic Peninsula, Yellowstone's hot springs, and the first research cruise out to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill just a week after the explosion. His NASA-funded postdoc research into astrobiology — studying extremophiles to understand where and how life could exist elsewhere in the universe — eventually led him to LanzaTech, where he applied his microbial ecology background to scaling up gas fermentation (turning waste carbon into ethanol) at industrial scale.

In this conversation, Luke breaks down what synbi.bio actually does, why "life is redox chemistry," and how a career studying alien-adjacent microbiology led to solving a very practical, very Earthbound industrial problem.

Guest: Luke McKay, CTO & Co-Founder, symbi-bio
Connect with Luke on Linkedin.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • LanzaTech (gas fermentation to ethanol technology)
  • The Most Unknown (documentary, produced by Vice Motherboard, Science Sandbox/Sandbox Films)
  • SynBioBeta conference
]]> Luke McKay is CTO and co-founder of synbi.bio, a company giving the biomanufacturing industry something it's been missing: real-time visibility into the biology actually doing the work inside industrial bioreactors. Most companies monitoring fermentation and production systems are tracking chemical byproducts — pH, temperature, metabolites — but flying blind on the microbes themselves. Luke and his team built the tools to close that gap, catching things like contamination or strain drift before they become expensive shutdowns.

But before symbi,bio, Luke's career took him to some of the most extreme environments on Earth: 2,000 meters down in the Alvin submersible to sample hydrothermal vents, the Western Antarctic Peninsula, Yellowstone's hot springs, and the first research cruise out to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill just a week after the explosion. His NASA-funded postdoc research into astrobiology — studying extremophiles to understand where and how life could exist elsewhere in the universe — eventually led him to LanzaTech, where he applied his microbial ecology background to scaling up gas fermentation (turning waste carbon into ethanol) at industrial scale.

In this conversation, Luke breaks down what synbi.bio actually does, why "life is redox chemistry," and how a career studying alien-adjacent microbiology led to solving a very practical, very Earthbound industrial problem.

Guest: Luke McKay, CTO & Co-Founder, symbi-bio
Connect with Luke on Linkedin.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • LanzaTech (gas fermentation to ethanol technology)
  • The Most Unknown (documentary, produced by Vice Motherboard, Science Sandbox/Sandbox Films)
  • SynBioBeta conference
]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2026 15:52:49 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 901 Luke McKay is CTO and co-founder of synbi.bio, a company giving the biomanufacturing industry something it's been missing: real-time visibility into the biology actually doing the work inside industrial bioreactors. Most companies monitoring fermentation and production systems are tracking chemical byproducts — pH, temperature, metabolites — but flying blind on the microbes themselves. Luke and his team built the tools to close that gap, catching things like contamination or strain drift before they become expensive shutdowns.

But before symbi,bio, Luke's career took him to some of the most extreme environments on Earth: 2,000 meters down in the Alvin submersible to sample hydrothermal vents, the Western Antarctic Peninsula, Yellowstone's hot springs, and the first research cruise out to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill just a week after the explosion. His NASA-funded postdoc research into astrobiology — studying extremophiles to understand where and how life could exist elsewhere in the universe — eventually led him to LanzaTech, where he applied his microbial ecology background to scaling up gas fermentation (turning waste carbon into ethanol) at industrial scale.

In this conversation, Luke breaks down what synbi.bio actually does, why "life is redox chemistry," and how a career studying alien-adjacent microbiology led to solving a very practical, very Earthbound industrial problem.

Guest: Luke McKay, CTO & Co-Founder, symbi-bio
Connect with Luke on Linkedin.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • LanzaTech (gas fermentation to ethanol technology)
  • The Most Unknown (documentary, produced by Vice Motherboard, Science Sandbox/Sandbox Films)
  • SynBioBeta conference
]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No Can DNA Solve the Data Center Energy Crisis? Anagha Rajesh, CEO at BioCompute 9 9 Can DNA Solve the Data Center Energy Crisis? Anagha Rajesh, CEO at BioCompute full 5f8ee53f-23e4-4ec2-91e6-98297107dd7e https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/9 We all know how unpopular data centers are, especially when it comes to energy consumption and environmental concerns. As AI and cloud computing continue to explode, the problem is only getting worse. But what if the solution to the energy crisis was hiding in.. biology?! Specifically DNA. 

In this episode, Flo sits down with Anagha Rajesh founder of Biocompute, at SynBioBeta, to explore how DNA could revolutionize data storage. 


We dive into:

  • How DNA actually works as a storage medium
  • Why natural DNA beats synthetic DNA for this application
  • The surprising supply chain challenges of building biotech hardware
  • Biocompute's ambitious 2026 roadmap: getting DNA storage out of the lab and into real data centers
  • Why Anagha chose to build at the intersection of biology and commercialization

If you're curious about the future of computing, sustainability, or biotech startups, this conversation will blow your mind.


More about our guest: Anagha holds a Masters in Chemistry, and was a gene therapy researcher before she started BioCompute. Her startup takes a breakthrough approach to encoding data in DNA which is 70,000x cheaper than that of her competitors. She is the co-author of the world's first comprehensive book on DNA Data Storage published by Springer Nature, and has raised capital from stalwarts in the field. Watch her Tedx Talk!
Connect with Anagha on Linkedin
 
Learn more about BioCompute: https://www.biocomputeinc.com/

Thank you to SynBioBeta for hosting me this year! 
Learn about SynBioBeta: https://www.synbiobeta.com/

]]> We all know how unpopular data centers are, especially when it comes to energy consumption and environmental concerns. As AI and cloud computing continue to explode, the problem is only getting worse. But what if the solution to the energy crisis was hiding in.. biology?! Specifically DNA. 

In this episode, Flo sits down with Anagha Rajesh founder of Biocompute, at SynBioBeta, to explore how DNA could revolutionize data storage. 


We dive into:

  • How DNA actually works as a storage medium
  • Why natural DNA beats synthetic DNA for this application
  • The surprising supply chain challenges of building biotech hardware
  • Biocompute's ambitious 2026 roadmap: getting DNA storage out of the lab and into real data centers
  • Why Anagha chose to build at the intersection of biology and commercialization

If you're curious about the future of computing, sustainability, or biotech startups, this conversation will blow your mind.


More about our guest: Anagha holds a Masters in Chemistry, and was a gene therapy researcher before she started BioCompute. Her startup takes a breakthrough approach to encoding data in DNA which is 70,000x cheaper than that of her competitors. She is the co-author of the world's first comprehensive book on DNA Data Storage published by Springer Nature, and has raised capital from stalwarts in the field. Watch her Tedx Talk!
Connect with Anagha on Linkedin
 
Learn more about BioCompute: https://www.biocomputeinc.com/

Thank you to SynBioBeta for hosting me this year! 
Learn about SynBioBeta: https://www.synbiobeta.com/

]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:12:24 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 708 We all know how unpopular data centers are, especially when it comes to energy consumption and environmental concerns. As AI and cloud computing continue to explode, the problem is only getting worse. But what if the solution to the energy crisis was hiding in.. biology?! Specifically DNA. 

In this episode, Flo sits down with Anagha Rajesh founder of Biocompute, at SynBioBeta, to explore how DNA could revolutionize data storage. 


We dive into:

  • How DNA actually works as a storage medium
  • Why natural DNA beats synthetic DNA for this application
  • The surprising supply chain challenges of building biotech hardware
  • Biocompute's ambitious 2026 roadmap: getting DNA storage out of the lab and into real data centers
  • Why Anagha chose to build at the intersection of biology and commercialization

If you're curious about the future of computing, sustainability, or biotech startups, this conversation will blow your mind.


More about our guest: Anagha holds a Masters in Chemistry, and was a gene therapy researcher before she started BioCompute. Her startup takes a breakthrough approach to encoding data in DNA which is 70,000x cheaper than that of her competitors. She is the co-author of the world's first comprehensive book on DNA Data Storage published by Springer Nature, and has raised capital from stalwarts in the field. Watch her Tedx Talk!
Connect with Anagha on Linkedin
 
Learn more about BioCompute: https://www.biocomputeinc.com/

Thank you to SynBioBeta for hosting me this year! 
Learn about SynBioBeta: https://www.synbiobeta.com/

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No AI Creates First Synthetic Virus - with Samuel King, Stanford 8 8 AI Creates First Synthetic Virus - with Samuel King, Stanford full 8c8ff0ac-0684-4e94-a75e-05f0fd1fd20b https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/8 (Recently featured in The New York Times.) What happens when you train an AI model not on the internet, but on millions of genomes? Samuel King, a PhD candidate at Stanford, working at the intersection of AI and bioengineering, joins host Flo Lumsden to unpack it — including how his team used AI to generate the first fully functional bacteriophage genome from scratch, and why that could mean far more targeted treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.

They also get into the designer baby question and what makes a PhD less narrow than people assume.

Recorded live at SynBioBeta 2026, where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

About Samuel King:
Samuel King is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at Stanford University and the Arc Institute. His current research aims to advance human and planet health by leveraging large language models trained on DNA for biological discovery and design. He previously co-founded a genomics biotech start-up and received an M.S. from Stanford and B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia.

Connect with Samuel:
Website
Linkedin

]]> (Recently featured in The New York Times.) What happens when you train an AI model not on the internet, but on millions of genomes? Samuel King, a PhD candidate at Stanford, working at the intersection of AI and bioengineering, joins host Flo Lumsden to unpack it — including how his team used AI to generate the first fully functional bacteriophage genome from scratch, and why that could mean far more targeted treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.

They also get into the designer baby question and what makes a PhD less narrow than people assume.

Recorded live at SynBioBeta 2026, where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

About Samuel King:
Samuel King is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at Stanford University and the Arc Institute. His current research aims to advance human and planet health by leveraging large language models trained on DNA for biological discovery and design. He previously co-founded a genomics biotech start-up and received an M.S. from Stanford and B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia.

Connect with Samuel:
Website
Linkedin

]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:37:03 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 1041 (Recently featured in The New York Times.) What happens when you train an AI model not on the internet, but on millions of genomes? Samuel King, a PhD candidate at Stanford, working at the intersection of AI and bioengineering, joins host Flo Lumsden to unpack it — including how his team used AI to generate the first fully functional bacteriophage genome from scratch, and why that could mean far more targeted treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.

They also get into the designer baby question and what makes a PhD less narrow than people assume.

Recorded live at SynBioBeta 2026, where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

About Samuel King:
Samuel King is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at Stanford University and the Arc Institute. His current research aims to advance human and planet health by leveraging large language models trained on DNA for biological discovery and design. He previously co-founded a genomics biotech start-up and received an M.S. from Stanford and B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia.

Connect with Samuel:
Website
Linkedin

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No The Wright Brothers Moment of Biology: Genyro Founders Adrian Woolfson & Kaihang Wang 7 7 The Wright Brothers Moment of Biology: Genyro Founders Adrian Woolfson & Kaihang Wang full d98f8473-8bac-48d8-9fa4-858d6a68e943 https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/7 This one's a joyride. Flo catches Adrian Woolfson, CEO and co-founder of Genyro, and his co-founder Kaihang Wang at SynBioBeta for a conversation that starts with genome writing and ends somewhere between Doctor Who and a custom unicorn order form. Along the way, the two break down how bringing the humble "page number" from publishing into DNA assembly made their process a million times more accurate, why that could shrink personalized cancer vaccines from months to days, and how one of their collaborators built the first-ever computer-designed new species — biology's own "Wright Brothers moment." It's big ideas — DNA as a programmable material, storing your entire photo library in a strand of genetic code, redesigning crops for a hotter planet — delivered with a ton of laughs and genuine, can't-help-it enthusiasm. But it's not all fun and games: Adrian and Kaihang are clear-eyed about the responsibility that comes with this power, making the case that this technology must be used safely and ethically, with real reverence for preserving the nature we're learning to rewrite. Come for the science, stay for the unicorn with wings. Talk BIO to me!

]]> This one's a joyride. Flo catches Adrian Woolfson, CEO and co-founder of Genyro, and his co-founder Kaihang Wang at SynBioBeta for a conversation that starts with genome writing and ends somewhere between Doctor Who and a custom unicorn order form. Along the way, the two break down how bringing the humble "page number" from publishing into DNA assembly made their process a million times more accurate, why that could shrink personalized cancer vaccines from months to days, and how one of their collaborators built the first-ever computer-designed new species — biology's own "Wright Brothers moment." It's big ideas — DNA as a programmable material, storing your entire photo library in a strand of genetic code, redesigning crops for a hotter planet — delivered with a ton of laughs and genuine, can't-help-it enthusiasm. But it's not all fun and games: Adrian and Kaihang are clear-eyed about the responsibility that comes with this power, making the case that this technology must be used safely and ethically, with real reverence for preserving the nature we're learning to rewrite. Come for the science, stay for the unicorn with wings. Talk BIO to me!

]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:19:00 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 1145 This one's a joyride. Flo catches Adrian Woolfson, CEO and co-founder of Genyro, and his co-founder Kaihang Wang at SynBioBeta for a conversation that starts with genome writing and ends somewhere between Doctor Who and a custom unicorn order form. Along the way, the two break down how bringing the humble "page number" from publishing into DNA assembly made their process a million times more accurate, why that could shrink personalized cancer vaccines from months to days, and how one of their collaborators built the first-ever computer-designed new species — biology's own "Wright Brothers moment." It's big ideas — DNA as a programmable material, storing your entire photo library in a strand of genetic code, redesigning crops for a hotter planet — delivered with a ton of laughs and genuine, can't-help-it enthusiasm. But it's not all fun and games: Adrian and Kaihang are clear-eyed about the responsibility that comes with this power, making the case that this technology must be used safely and ethically, with real reverence for preserving the nature we're learning to rewrite. Come for the science, stay for the unicorn with wings. Talk BIO to me!

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No Inside Cradle: How AI Is Accelerating Scientific Discovery with Elise de Reus 6 6 Inside Cradle: How AI Is Accelerating Scientific Discovery with Elise de Reus full 68d17e84-857e-48f3-8336-152dbce8a386 https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/6 What happens when a renowned wet lab biologist and Google brain machine learning engineers get together to work on biotech? You get Cradle! In this episode, co-founder Elise de Reus joins host Flo Lumsden to break down how Cradle turns protein design into a genuine back-and-forth between scientists and machine learning models. Elise explains why the real magic isn't the model alone — it's the loop itself. The bigger picture? Antibodies that skip the mouse, enzymes that survive your laundry machine, and why designing proteins faster — and in the loop— could mean faster answers for the diseases we're all still waiting on... including Flo!
Recorded live at SynBioBeta - where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

Cradle 2026 White Paper: https://www.cradle.bio/whitepaper

]]> What happens when a renowned wet lab biologist and Google brain machine learning engineers get together to work on biotech? You get Cradle! In this episode, co-founder Elise de Reus joins host Flo Lumsden to break down how Cradle turns protein design into a genuine back-and-forth between scientists and machine learning models. Elise explains why the real magic isn't the model alone — it's the loop itself. The bigger picture? Antibodies that skip the mouse, enzymes that survive your laundry machine, and why designing proteins faster — and in the loop— could mean faster answers for the diseases we're all still waiting on... including Flo!
Recorded live at SynBioBeta - where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

Cradle 2026 White Paper: https://www.cradle.bio/whitepaper

]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:25:28 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 765 What happens when a renowned wet lab biologist and Google brain machine learning engineers get together to work on biotech? You get Cradle! In this episode, co-founder Elise de Reus joins host Flo Lumsden to break down how Cradle turns protein design into a genuine back-and-forth between scientists and machine learning models. Elise explains why the real magic isn't the model alone — it's the loop itself. The bigger picture? Antibodies that skip the mouse, enzymes that survive your laundry machine, and why designing proteins faster — and in the loop— could mean faster answers for the diseases we're all still waiting on... including Flo!
Recorded live at SynBioBeta - where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes.

Cradle 2026 White Paper: https://www.cradle.bio/whitepaper

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No AI Is About to Redesign Life Itself: SynBioBeta's John Cumbers Explains 5 5 AI Is About to Redesign Life Itself: SynBioBeta's John Cumbers Explains full 96158621-c35b-497f-a822-b9aa889e9395 https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/5 Join host Flo Lumsden as she sits down with John Cumbers, CEO and founder of SynBioBeta, at the world's largest synthetic biology conference this past May. In this conversation, John shares how AI is fundamentally reshaping the field of biology — from large language models designing novel enzymes and antibodies to full-stack scientific innovation.

Discover the most exciting breakthroughs happening right now, including xenotransplantation with humanized pig organs, consumer biotech products like probiotic hangover cures, and genetically engineered glowing plants. John also reveals what he's most excited about at the intersection of AI and biotech, the challenges that lie ahead, and why he believes we're approaching AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).

Plus, learn the origin story of SynBioBeta — how a small meeting of 150 people in a law firm grew into a 2,000+ person conference with over 100 exhibitors and sponsors — and why creating community and "paying it forward" is at the heart of everything he does.

Outline with Timecodes:
00:00 - Introduction & Podcast Overview 
00:36 - SynBioBeta Origin Story 
02:17 - John Cumbers, CEO & Founder Introduction 
02:23 - Evolution of SynBioBeta: From 150 to 2,000+ Attendees 
02:57 - John's Passion for Event Production & Community Building 
03:42 - "Paying It Forward" Culture & Success Stories 
04:31 - Science as a Competitive Advantage for Startups 
05:18 - AI at the Intersection of Biotech 
05:30 - Large Language Models for Genes and Genomes 
06:22 - How AI is Designing Novel Enzymes & Organisms 
07:03 - Antibody Development for Drug Discovery 
07:14 - Challenges & Limitations of AI Implementation 
08:09 - Healthcare Innovations: Xenotransplantation 
08:55 - Consumer Biotech Applications 
09:03 - Zbiotics & Probiotic Products 
09:18 - GLP-1 Peptides & Cellular Reprogramming 
10:17 - New Innovations: Glowing Plants & Hardware/Software Tools 
11:04 - Full-Stack AI Integration in Biotech 
12:12 - SynBioBeta 2026 Themes & Community Sessions 
13:00 - Closing Remarks

]]> Join host Flo Lumsden as she sits down with John Cumbers, CEO and founder of SynBioBeta, at the world's largest synthetic biology conference this past May. In this conversation, John shares how AI is fundamentally reshaping the field of biology — from large language models designing novel enzymes and antibodies to full-stack scientific innovation.

Discover the most exciting breakthroughs happening right now, including xenotransplantation with humanized pig organs, consumer biotech products like probiotic hangover cures, and genetically engineered glowing plants. John also reveals what he's most excited about at the intersection of AI and biotech, the challenges that lie ahead, and why he believes we're approaching AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).

Plus, learn the origin story of SynBioBeta — how a small meeting of 150 people in a law firm grew into a 2,000+ person conference with over 100 exhibitors and sponsors — and why creating community and "paying it forward" is at the heart of everything he does.

Outline with Timecodes:
00:00 - Introduction & Podcast Overview 
00:36 - SynBioBeta Origin Story 
02:17 - John Cumbers, CEO & Founder Introduction 
02:23 - Evolution of SynBioBeta: From 150 to 2,000+ Attendees 
02:57 - John's Passion for Event Production & Community Building 
03:42 - "Paying It Forward" Culture & Success Stories 
04:31 - Science as a Competitive Advantage for Startups 
05:18 - AI at the Intersection of Biotech 
05:30 - Large Language Models for Genes and Genomes 
06:22 - How AI is Designing Novel Enzymes & Organisms 
07:03 - Antibody Development for Drug Discovery 
07:14 - Challenges & Limitations of AI Implementation 
08:09 - Healthcare Innovations: Xenotransplantation 
08:55 - Consumer Biotech Applications 
09:03 - Zbiotics & Probiotic Products 
09:18 - GLP-1 Peptides & Cellular Reprogramming 
10:17 - New Innovations: Glowing Plants & Hardware/Software Tools 
11:04 - Full-Stack AI Integration in Biotech 
12:12 - SynBioBeta 2026 Themes & Community Sessions 
13:00 - Closing Remarks

]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:37:42 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 826 Join host Flo Lumsden as she sits down with John Cumbers, CEO and founder of SynBioBeta, at the world's largest synthetic biology conference this past May. In this conversation, John shares how AI is fundamentally reshaping the field of biology — from large language models designing novel enzymes and antibodies to full-stack scientific innovation.

Discover the most exciting breakthroughs happening right now, including xenotransplantation with humanized pig organs, consumer biotech products like probiotic hangover cures, and genetically engineered glowing plants. John also reveals what he's most excited about at the intersection of AI and biotech, the challenges that lie ahead, and why he believes we're approaching AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).

Plus, learn the origin story of SynBioBeta — how a small meeting of 150 people in a law firm grew into a 2,000+ person conference with over 100 exhibitors and sponsors — and why creating community and "paying it forward" is at the heart of everything he does.

Outline with Timecodes:
00:00 - Introduction & Podcast Overview 
00:36 - SynBioBeta Origin Story 
02:17 - John Cumbers, CEO & Founder Introduction 
02:23 - Evolution of SynBioBeta: From 150 to 2,000+ Attendees 
02:57 - John's Passion for Event Production & Community Building 
03:42 - "Paying It Forward" Culture & Success Stories 
04:31 - Science as a Competitive Advantage for Startups 
05:18 - AI at the Intersection of Biotech 
05:30 - Large Language Models for Genes and Genomes 
06:22 - How AI is Designing Novel Enzymes & Organisms 
07:03 - Antibody Development for Drug Discovery 
07:14 - Challenges & Limitations of AI Implementation 
08:09 - Healthcare Innovations: Xenotransplantation 
08:55 - Consumer Biotech Applications 
09:03 - Zbiotics & Probiotic Products 
09:18 - GLP-1 Peptides & Cellular Reprogramming 
10:17 - New Innovations: Glowing Plants & Hardware/Software Tools 
11:04 - Full-Stack AI Integration in Biotech 
12:12 - SynBioBeta 2026 Themes & Community Sessions 
13:00 - Closing Remarks

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No Can AI Debug Biology? Nicholas Larus-Stone, AI @ Benchling 4 4 Can AI Debug Biology? Nicholas Larus-Stone, AI @ Benchling full ea2422bf-503a-4a34-8a58-e7f2b091da7b https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/4 For years, AI has helped scientists organize data and streamline research, but it's now beginning to tackle biology's toughest scientific challenges. In this episode, Flo sits down with Nicholas, Head of AI at Benchling, to discuss why the physical world has been AI's biggest blind spot—and why that's finally changing. From generative protein design to the future of drug discovery and diagnostics, Nicholas explains how biology is increasingly being engineered in silico (by compute) before it reaches the lab. Plus, he shares what excites him most about the next wave of AI-powered biology - the future of the bioeconomy!

Connect:
Nicholas on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlarusstone/
Benchling: https://www.benchling.com/

]]> For years, AI has helped scientists organize data and streamline research, but it's now beginning to tackle biology's toughest scientific challenges. In this episode, Flo sits down with Nicholas, Head of AI at Benchling, to discuss why the physical world has been AI's biggest blind spot—and why that's finally changing. From generative protein design to the future of drug discovery and diagnostics, Nicholas explains how biology is increasingly being engineered in silico (by compute) before it reaches the lab. Plus, he shares what excites him most about the next wave of AI-powered biology - the future of the bioeconomy!

Connect:
Nicholas on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlarusstone/
Benchling: https://www.benchling.com/

]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:37:22 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 579 For years, AI has helped scientists organize data and streamline research, but it's now beginning to tackle biology's toughest scientific challenges. In this episode, Flo sits down with Nicholas, Head of AI at Benchling, to discuss why the physical world has been AI's biggest blind spot—and why that's finally changing. From generative protein design to the future of drug discovery and diagnostics, Nicholas explains how biology is increasingly being engineered in silico (by compute) before it reaches the lab. Plus, he shares what excites him most about the next wave of AI-powered biology - the future of the bioeconomy!

Connect:
Nicholas on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlarusstone/
Benchling: https://www.benchling.com/

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No Finding the Next TechBio Unicorn with Krish Ramadurai, AIX Ventures 3 3 Finding the Next TechBio Unicorn with Krish Ramadurai, AIX Ventures full a9427e73-087a-4957-abd9-3e8ae1c545ea https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/3 Ever wonder what separates a billion-dollar TechBio unicorn from a well-funded experiment? Krish Ramadurai of AIX Ventures does—and he's backed some of the coolest ones. We dive into why understanding the actual science matters, why mice are terrible at predicting human outcomes (sorry, lab mice), and how the next generation of drug discovery is being built by teams brave enough to let AI nerds and wet lab scientists actually talk to each other. Plus, he'll tell you why he thinks you should care about making drugs people can actually afford.

]]> Ever wonder what separates a billion-dollar TechBio unicorn from a well-funded experiment? Krish Ramadurai of AIX Ventures does—and he's backed some of the coolest ones. We dive into why understanding the actual science matters, why mice are terrible at predicting human outcomes (sorry, lab mice), and how the next generation of drug discovery is being built by teams brave enough to let AI nerds and wet lab scientists actually talk to each other. Plus, he'll tell you why he thinks you should care about making drugs people can actually afford.

]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:20:52 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 1110 Ever wonder what separates a billion-dollar TechBio unicorn from a well-funded experiment? Krish Ramadurai of AIX Ventures does—and he's backed some of the coolest ones. We dive into why understanding the actual science matters, why mice are terrible at predicting human outcomes (sorry, lab mice), and how the next generation of drug discovery is being built by teams brave enough to let AI nerds and wet lab scientists actually talk to each other. Plus, he'll tell you why he thinks you should care about making drugs people can actually afford.

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No From Pollution to Designer Jacket? It's in the Microbe. 2 2 From Pollution to Designer Jacket? It's in the Microbe. full 20280fa7-ef3c-49d2-9848-af5932f0b25f https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/2 In this episode, Flo sits down with Dr. Michael Köpke, Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech, to explore how specialized microbes are literally eating industrial emissions and transforming them into valuable products (Michael's cool Jacket!). From sustainable aviation fuels to the jacket Michael is wearing—which started its life as emissions from a steel plant—LanzaTech's carbon-fixing microbes are closing the loop on our circular economy. Michael shares his journey from academic microbiology research to commercializing this breakthrough technology, and reveals how LanzaTech now operates six commercial plants globally, capturing half a million tons of CO2 annually while producing 300,000 tons of products. Discover how nature's zero-waste systems are inspiring the next generation of biomanufacturing and how waste gases are becoming the feedstock for a sustainable future.

Connect with Dr. Michael Kopke on X and Linkedin.

More about Michael and LanzaTech: Dr. Michael Köpke is the Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech ($LNZA), a global leader in carbon capture and sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials production. Since joining the company in 2009, he has built up the company's biology platform and directs innovation strategy and technology partnerships.


Michael earned his Ph.D. in biotechnology from Ulm University and brings over two decades of international experience in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing. Widely recognized as a pioneer in carbon-fixing microbial technologies, Dr. Köpke holds more than 500 patents and received major honors such as the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the ACS National Award for Team Innovation, and inclusion in The Bioeconomy 500.


Beyond his role at LanzaTech, Dr. Köpke is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and serves on the boards of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and the International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES). Michael has led over 50 peer reviewed studies and development of community research roadmaps bringing together stakeholders from academia, industry, government and non-profits. Michael also chaired several international conferences and contributes in several editorial, education and advisory functions.

]]> In this episode, Flo sits down with Dr. Michael Köpke, Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech, to explore how specialized microbes are literally eating industrial emissions and transforming them into valuable products (Michael's cool Jacket!). From sustainable aviation fuels to the jacket Michael is wearing—which started its life as emissions from a steel plant—LanzaTech's carbon-fixing microbes are closing the loop on our circular economy. Michael shares his journey from academic microbiology research to commercializing this breakthrough technology, and reveals how LanzaTech now operates six commercial plants globally, capturing half a million tons of CO2 annually while producing 300,000 tons of products. Discover how nature's zero-waste systems are inspiring the next generation of biomanufacturing and how waste gases are becoming the feedstock for a sustainable future.

Connect with Dr. Michael Kopke on X and Linkedin.

More about Michael and LanzaTech: Dr. Michael Köpke is the Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech ($LNZA), a global leader in carbon capture and sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials production. Since joining the company in 2009, he has built up the company's biology platform and directs innovation strategy and technology partnerships.


Michael earned his Ph.D. in biotechnology from Ulm University and brings over two decades of international experience in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing. Widely recognized as a pioneer in carbon-fixing microbial technologies, Dr. Köpke holds more than 500 patents and received major honors such as the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the ACS National Award for Team Innovation, and inclusion in The Bioeconomy 500.


Beyond his role at LanzaTech, Dr. Köpke is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and serves on the boards of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and the International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES). Michael has led over 50 peer reviewed studies and development of community research roadmaps bringing together stakeholders from academia, industry, government and non-profits. Michael also chaired several international conferences and contributes in several editorial, education and advisory functions.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:29:33 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 513 In this episode, Flo sits down with Dr. Michael Köpke, Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech, to explore how specialized microbes are literally eating industrial emissions and transforming them into valuable products (Michael's cool Jacket!). From sustainable aviation fuels to the jacket Michael is wearing—which started its life as emissions from a steel plant—LanzaTech's carbon-fixing microbes are closing the loop on our circular economy. Michael shares his journey from academic microbiology research to commercializing this breakthrough technology, and reveals how LanzaTech now operates six commercial plants globally, capturing half a million tons of CO2 annually while producing 300,000 tons of products. Discover how nature's zero-waste systems are inspiring the next generation of biomanufacturing and how waste gases are becoming the feedstock for a sustainable future.

Connect with Dr. Michael Kopke on X and Linkedin.

More about Michael and LanzaTech: Dr. Michael Köpke is the Chief Innovation Officer at LanzaTech ($LNZA), a global leader in carbon capture and sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials production. Since joining the company in 2009, he has built up the company's biology platform and directs innovation strategy and technology partnerships.


Michael earned his Ph.D. in biotechnology from Ulm University and brings over two decades of international experience in synthetic biology and biomanufacturing. Widely recognized as a pioneer in carbon-fixing microbial technologies, Dr. Köpke holds more than 500 patents and received major honors such as the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the ACS National Award for Team Innovation, and inclusion in The Bioeconomy 500.


Beyond his role at LanzaTech, Dr. Köpke is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and serves on the boards of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and the International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES). Michael has led over 50 peer reviewed studies and development of community research roadmaps bringing together stakeholders from academia, industry, government and non-profits. Michael also chaired several international conferences and contributes in several editorial, education and advisory functions.

]]> lanzatech, microbes, emissions, biotech, carboncapture, pollution, innovation No Who Knew Spores were so Metal?! Chris Kantrowitz, Quorum Earth 1 1 Who Knew Spores were so Metal?! Chris Kantrowitz, Quorum Earth full 58360b76-5ea4-41de-9816-165e6f1a970f https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/1 Meet Chris Kantrowitz, founder of Quorum Earth, who's literally making fungal spores that eat bugs—and he's weirdly charming about it. In this first episode of Talk Bio to Me, Chris breaks down how specialized fungal spores are taking on invasive species without any CRISPR or GMO shenanigans, just pure fungal magic. 

]]> Meet Chris Kantrowitz, founder of Quorum Earth, who's literally making fungal spores that eat bugs—and he's weirdly charming about it. In this first episode of Talk Bio to Me, Chris breaks down how specialized fungal spores are taking on invasive species without any CRISPR or GMO shenanigans, just pure fungal magic. 

]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:30:32 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 676 Meet Chris Kantrowitz, founder of Quorum Earth, who's literally making fungal spores that eat bugs—and he's weirdly charming about it. In this first episode of Talk Bio to Me, Chris breaks down how specialized fungal spores are taking on invasive species without any CRISPR or GMO shenanigans, just pure fungal magic. 

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No Talk BIO to Me... 1 1 Talk BIO to Me... trailer 1c87d931-ab77-400f-b6e2-e43746adc94c https://talkBIOtome.transistor.fm/trailer1 Welcome to Talk BIO to Me! The show where we sit down with the people building the future of biology. This year, we headed to SynBioBeta, the world's largest conference for synthetic biology. This mini-series (or mini-pod) features interviews with some of the most fascinating founders, scientists, researchers, investors, and AI innovators shaping the future of biotech. Subscribe to get the first two episodes in your feed this week!

]]> Welcome to Talk BIO to Me! The show where we sit down with the people building the future of biology. This year, we headed to SynBioBeta, the world's largest conference for synthetic biology. This mini-series (or mini-pod) features interviews with some of the most fascinating founders, scientists, researchers, investors, and AI innovators shaping the future of biotech. Subscribe to get the first two episodes in your feed this week!

]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:39:44 -0400 Chorus Studios Chorus Studios 86 Welcome to Talk BIO to Me! The show where we sit down with the people building the future of biology. This year, we headed to SynBioBeta, the world's largest conference for synthetic biology. This mini-series (or mini-pod) features interviews with some of the most fascinating founders, scientists, researchers, investors, and AI innovators shaping the future of biotech. Subscribe to get the first two episodes in your feed this week!

]]> biotech, synthetic, AI, futurism, biology, pharmaceuticals, research No