Agbioscience

AgriNovus Indiana

This weekly podcast dives into agbioscience, where agriculture, life sciences and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs across food, animal health, plant science and agtech. This one-of-a-kind podcast offers updates on the latest advancements and future trends from those at the forefront of agbioscience innovation.

  1. 433. Purdue’s Dr. Trey Malone on simplifying ag economics research, preparing for the future vs. predicting it + how consumers are behaving amid a rapidly changing food system

    1d ago

    433. Purdue’s Dr. Trey Malone on simplifying ag economics research, preparing for the future vs. predicting it + how consumers are behaving amid a rapidly changing food system

    Convergence research: the idea of taking major agricultural themes and breaking them down into simple, digestible insights for various audiences. Necessary? Absolutely. And it’s the work that Dr. Trey Malone, Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness at Purdue University, has been doing with his team for awhile now. He brings his expertise in the studio today to dive into the intersection of entrepreneurship, policy and a massive agbioscience supply chain. Many highlights follow, including:    What the role of Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness has meant to Trey in his career and how it has scoped the work he is leading at Purdue today The realization behind convergence research and how they’ve seen it pay off in practice Pressure points Trey sees creating the most concern for the industry at large and what the economics say about how industry is responding to them The idea of “real options thinking” as less about predicting the future and more about preparing for it by placing small bets to widen your options rather than focusing on one path for success How real options thinking applies across the value chain How Trey has seen agbioscience businesses respond to the demands of the consumer and their shifting behavior over the last five years What moves the needle for consumers versus what’s mainly just perceived to be marketing The Health Halo effect, hard seltzer drinks and what they’ve taught industry about labeling, marketing and how they interact with the consumer The gap Trey sees that academic research needs to address for industry in agricultural economics Research that Trey wishes everyone had their hands on and used with regularity to drive insight and decision making What’s ahead for his time this year

    45 min
  2. 432. The future of the bioeconomy with FiberX’s Dave Skibinski, turning corn stover into circular innovation + TechPoint Mira honors as market validation

    Jun 8

    432. The future of the bioeconomy with FiberX’s Dave Skibinski, turning corn stover into circular innovation + TechPoint Mira honors as market validation

    From volatile markets to high input costs, farmers are facing a number of challenges that could be offset by additional markets and revenue streams. Today, we're joined by Fiber X CEO Dave Skibinski who's working to give producers exactly that: a new opportunity rooted in the growing demand for natural fiber. Fresh off of a big win at TechPoint’s Mira Awards, Dave shares how FiberX is helping farmers diversify their operations and how agricultural byproducts are enabling the future of the bioeconomy. Highlights include:  The work FiberX leads and who they serve through their work in a growing bioeconomy How their team chose the approach to leverage ag byproducts like corn stover to make bioindustrial resins and biocomposite plastics rather than other approaches FiberX’s differentiation from traditional petroleum-based plastics – both in terms of performance and sustainability Why they chose corn stover as the right feedstock for FiberX New applications or industries showing the strongest demand for biocomposite materials in this rapidly growing bioeconomy; and how these companies have evolved over time Performance metrics that industrial customers care most about and how FiberX is delivering on those benchmarks Barriers their team has faced getting manufacturers to adopt bio-based materials and how they tackle objection The FiberX // farmer relationship and how they execute that side; how their business model benefits them in terms of a new market unlock, additional revenue stream and more How the farmer relationship, alongside the manufacturer, creates a circular economy – and what that means The role of partnerships within the Indiana agbioscience ecosystem to grow and scale their technology Winning the Agbioscience Innovator Award at TechPoint’s Mira Awards and how that honor validated the company’s work and its trajectory Breakthroughs and milestones Dave believes will define the future of bioindustrial materials over the next decade

    42 min
  3. 431. SoySeal’s Jocelyn Erickson + Elizabeth Heckaman on transforming soybeans into industrial products + winning the Student Soybean Innovation Competition

    Jun 1

    431. SoySeal’s Jocelyn Erickson + Elizabeth Heckaman on transforming soybeans into industrial products + winning the Student Soybean Innovation Competition

    From styrofoam to concrete, the Student Soybean Innovation Competition at Purdue University has transformed a renewable resource into several industrial products over the last three decades. More than products, though, it has turned students into aspiring creators and entrepreneurs. Elizabeth Heckaman and Jocelyn Erickson from this year’s winning competition join us in studio this week to recap SoySeal, ideating a product to market viability and the ultimate joy of holding a grand prize check.  We get into:   SoySeal as an invention and how it came to be Why they chose an adhesive over other routes The formulation process – how does a soybean become an environmentally responsible adhesive? Its comparison to other tapes on the market, in terms of performance and sustainability Biggest challenges as they worked through the process of idea to market-ready product The role of the consumer in their creation process How they balanced team structure and skillsets across disciplines during development What this innovative pursuit taught them about their own professional development How they approached SoySeal from a business and commercialization perspective rather than just a technical and scientific idea The critical role of Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana farmers to help mentor and influence their process On-campus resources that enabled their team’s success Advice they have for student entrepreneurs Future plans for the team

    36 min

  4. May 28

    430. AgriNovus' Christy Wright recaps May, Corteva's HQ decision, USDA visit to Indiana, BioHeartland's launch, a new AgriNovus team member and MORE!

    We joke at the end of this episode, but it feels very on par -- May was a photo finish! And what a year this month shaped up to be in Indiana's agbioscience economy. AgriNovus CEO Christy Wright and VP Libby Fritz join Cayla in the studio to recap the following: Corteva chooses Indiana for its global HQDeputy Secretary of USDA Stephen Vaden visits Indiana following the decision to relocate SNAP to IndianapolisAgriNovus, alongside CICP, BioCrossroads and CIRDA, launched BioHeartland -- a shared identity designed to tell Indiana's distinct, unified story; the region's ability to invent, make and move bioscience solutions at global scale across human, animal and plant science like no other place in the world. Listen to the episode of Agbioscience that talks about the brand here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/428-introducing-bioheartland-a-unified-identity-to/id1412179095?i=1000768561869HHS, USDA and HATCH for Hunger announcing $7.5M dedicated to increasing protein access through cold chain infrastructureA NEW AGRINOVUS TEAM MEMBER!

    24 min
  5. 429. Keystone Cooperative’s Drew Garretson on navigating risk, finding the right innovation for farmers + agtech’s greatest opportunities for impact

    May 25

    429. Keystone Cooperative’s Drew Garretson on navigating risk, finding the right innovation for farmers + agtech’s greatest opportunities for impact

    From agtech adoption to agronomy, inputs, animal health services and beyond, agricultural cooperatives exist under one common objective: to enable farmer success. For 100 years, Keystone Cooperative has delivered that effort to communities across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, employing more than 1,700 workers and differentiating themselves through service and relationships.   Vice President of Member Engagement and Public Affairs Drew Garretson joins this week to talk about the Keystone Cooperative journey, including their expanded footprint post-merger and the approach they take to ensure they are delivering best-in-class innovation and services to their farmer members.  Highlights include:  The work Drew leads at Keystone Cooperative – including his many titles over the years with the organization – and how they serve American farmers Conversations with members as they head into the spring planting season How Keystone helps farmers navigate decisions and navigating risk while operating under tight margins Emerging technologies that Drew believes are having the greatest impact on U.S. farming operations over the next five years Criteria Keystone follows to determine whether a potential technology or service is a good fit for their members How Drew and the team have approached partnerships and collaborations over the years – and what makes quality partnerships work for Keystone The generational transition for agriculture and how Keystone approaches the decision-making mindset on farms where thoughts on innovation and sustainability may differ How the current economic and regulatory environment shapes the cooperative landscape and the challenges and opportunities those headwinds present Areas of agriculture Drew believes we’ve just begun to scratch the surface on, our biggest opportunities that lie ahead for farmers to get more efficient and gain net farm income over the next five years What’s ahead for the Keystone Cooperative team that has Drew most excited

    32 min

  6. May 19

    428. Introducing BioHeartland - a unified identity to share Indiana's bioscience story

    Today we are proud to announce the launch of BioHeartland, a shared identity designed to amplify Indiana’s leading bioscience ecosystem at the convergence of human, animal and plant health.   As Indiana competes globally for the next generation of bioscience jobs, companies and innovation, leaders across industry, academia and economic development are rallying around our unified story. Developed through a collaborative effort led by CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), AgriNovus and BioCrossroads, and in partnership with the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority (CIRDA), BioHeartland was created to give Indiana a more cohesive way to share Indiana’s story with investors, companies, researchers and talent around the world. This episode is hosted by CICP CEO Melina Kennedy where she is joined by AgriNovus CEO Christy Wright, BioCrossroads CEO Vince Wong and Mayor of The City of Fishers Scott Fadness.   Learn more and join the story at INBioHeartland.com.

    33 min
  7. 427. Alloy Partners’ Ben Lewis on the One Health Studio, Indiana’s unique advantage + startups + corporations winning together

    May 18

    427. Alloy Partners’ Ben Lewis on the One Health Studio, Indiana’s unique advantage + startups + corporations winning together

    The development and creation of startups and new companies is what allows an innovation ecosystem to thrive. Alloy Partners launched to co-create advantaged startups and venture studios in partnerships corporations and entrepreneurs, melding a future of collaboration between the two. This week, we are joined by One Health Studio Director Ben Lewis to talk market challenges, the studio model and what he sees ahead for the One Health opportunity. Highlights include:   The unique work Ben leads to enable company creation at Alloy Partners Ben’s personal story that led him to this point – tracing back to his time as an Olympic athlete Gaps identified in the market that led to the studio’s creation Alloy’s model and its differentiation from traditional corporate innovation programs How the process works: spinning a new coming with the Alloy One Health Studio Biggest challenges facing company creation in the One Health space Indiana as a breeding ground for quality partnerships and being structured to succeed when it comes to One Health innovation How Ben sees public-private partnerships evolving and the next steps in that process Balancing scientific depth with speed and urgency of startup life when working to create new companies How Ben’s past experience as an entrepreneur has prepared him well for this role One Health trends that are emerging that have Ben most excited for the next five to ten years What Alloy Partners is working on right now that has Ben most excited

    39 min
  8. 426. Purdue’s Dr. Lavanya Reddivari on her groundbreaking food is health research, partnerships moving discovery forward + Indiana’s opportunity to accelerate its impact

    May 11

    426. Purdue’s Dr. Lavanya Reddivari on her groundbreaking food is health research, partnerships moving discovery forward + Indiana’s opportunity to accelerate its impact

    Food is health is a growing conversation across the agbioscience landscape and research is moving the conceptual to tangible solutions. Dr. Lavanya Reddivari from Purdue University joins this week to talk groundbreaking food science research, advancing discovery through the innovation pipeline and how her family roots are making something old new again.   Highlights include:   A high level overview of her research at Purdue and its impact on food is health How Lavanya views food is health from a modern, scientific research perspective Her team’s recent findings of a compound in blueberries that aids people with digestive diseases; the discovery process and how it informed follow up Nutrition as a support function for chronic illnesses that are critically impacting the U.S. population and her team’s “aha” moment where the gut microbiome was the foundation to overall health A grant Lavanya’s team received through the Heartland Children’s Nutrition Collaborative and what it has enabled their research to do How the right partnerships have enabled them to move through different stages of their exploration Lavanya’s family roots and how this story is personal for her Applying her team’s findings and putting them into practice How Lavanya wants to see this research make an impact on the world and the health of its people What she believes are our biggest opportunities to advance Food is Health, given our strengths in Indiana What’s ahead with her laboratory team that has her most excited

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

This weekly podcast dives into agbioscience, where agriculture, life sciences and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs across food, animal health, plant science and agtech. This one-of-a-kind podcast offers updates on the latest advancements and future trends from those at the forefront of agbioscience innovation.

Information

  • Creator
    AgriNovus Indiana
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    429
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AgriNovus Indiana
  • Show Website
    Agbioscience

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