How can biotechnology revolutionize heavy industries and convert carbon waste into a valuable resource?

In this special cross-posted episode—from our friends Erum and Karl at the Grow Everything Biotech Podcast and Messaginglab—we feature Moji Karimi, co-founder of Cemvita, a company leading the way in carbon conversion technology.

Moji shares Cemvita’s journey from a bold vision in industrial biotech to real-world solutions that repurpose carbon emissions into valuable products. From reshaping the energy and mining sectors to exploring applications in aerospace, he highlights the power of harnessing nature’s processes for sustainability.

Join us as we explore the evolving relationship between biotech and heavy industry—and a future where carbon waste is no longer a liability, but an opportunity.

(00:00) Introduction to Climate Biotech Podcast
(00:46) Special Episode Introduction
(03:22) Interview with Moji Karimi Begins
(04:02) Founding of Cemvita
(06:59) CO2 Utilization and Early Projects
(09:27) Navigating Platform vs. Product
(14:26) Spinning Out Subsidiaries
(25:29) Partnerships and Future Plans
(31:59) The Importance of Biodiversity in Climate Solutions
(32:28) Innovative Nature-Based Solutions
(33:49) The Role of Carbon Conversion in Biotech
(34:40) Cemvita's Unique Approach to Carbon Utilization
(36:47) Scaling Up: Challenges and Strategies
(44:17) Building a Company Culture
(49:18) Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
(52:56) Working with Family: Pros and Cons
(54:59) Final Thoughts and Future Vision

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(Recorded July 2024)

In this episode, Paul Reginato—co-founder of Homeworld Collective—turns the mic on Dan Goodwin, Homeworld’s co-founder and Executive Director, to explore his journey from near-failures in Boise, Idaho, to becoming a trailblazer in climate biotechnology.

Dan reflects on how his formative years at Harvey Mudd College and his time at Stanford under AI visionary Fei-Fei Li, coupled with his innovative stint at IDEO, ignited his passion for entrepreneurship and shaped his visionary approach. His story highlights the power of timing, collaboration, and resilience in transforming challenges into opportunities.

Together, they discuss the pressing hurdles facing climate biotech—from scalability issues to market forces that lag behind sectors like medical biotech and software development—and explore the critical need for centralized hubs of innovation. With a forward-thinking nonprofit approach, they discuss empowering practitioners to tackle the soluble problems at the intersection of climate and biotechnology.

Tune in as Dan and Paul emphasize the importance of starting with well-defined problems and draw inspiration from initiatives like the COVID fast grants to accelerate high-quality research funding. Dan also shares invaluable advice for aspiring biotechnologists, sprinkling in insights from historical breakthroughs like Peter Mitchell’s ox-phosphorylation discovery. Through Homeworld Collective, they envision a future where collaboration and innovation drive exponential growth in climate biotech.

(00:00) Introduction to the Climate Biotech Podcast
(00:31) Meet the Founders: Dan Goodwin's Journey
(01:44) Dan's Early Life and Education
(03:29) Transition to Entrepreneurship and AI
(11:39) The Birth of Homeworld Collective
(14:23) Challenges in Climate Biotech
(17:33) Homeworld's Mission and Garden Grants
(29:33) Advice for Aspiring Biologists
(31:51) Dan's Favorite Science Factoids
(33:26) Future Vision for Homeworld Collective
(41:28) Closing Remarks and Thank You

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Join us as we explore the innovative world of protein engineering with Samuel Thompson. Samuel's work focuses on engineering proteins to function in organic solvents, environments that would be hostile to traditional cell-based life. This approach has significant implications for bridging the gap between the enzymes market and the trillion-dollar specialty chemicals market, potentially leading to decentralized chemical production with a much lower environmental footprint.

In this episode, Samuel shares their personal journey, from growing up in West Texas to their current role as a postdoc at Stanford and the University of Washington. They discuss how their queerness informs their science and the long-term vision they have for their work — a commitment to solving complex problems often overlooked by mainstream science. With support from the Homeworld Collective, Samuel is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in protein engineering, aiming to create sustainable solutions for chemical production that could transform industries in the decades to come.

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