Talk BIO to Me

Chorus Studios
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  • Life Sciences

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.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Inside Cradle: How AI Is Accelerating Scientific Discovery with Elise de Reus

    Ever wonder what happens when a wet lab biologist and a bunch of Google machine learning engineers decide to start a company? You get Cradle — and on this episode, co-founder Elise de Reus joins host Flo Lumsden to explain why. Elise breaks down how Cradle turns protein design into a genuine back-and-forth between scientists and machine learning models — less "here's your AI, unbox it and go," more "let's figure this out together." Flo presses her on what "ML-native" actually means (spoiler: it involves a scissors analogy that somehow works), and Elise explains why the real magic isn't the model alone — it's the loop itself. They also get into the bigger picture: antibodies that skip the mouse, enzymes that survive your laundry machine, and why designing proteins faster — and in the loop, not in isolation — could mean faster answers for the diseases we're all still waiting on treatments for. Recorded live at SynBioBeta, where the scientists, the machine learning crowd, and (increasingly) the compute giants all show up to compare notes. White Paper: https://www.cradle.bio/whitepaper

  2. Jul 7

    AI Is About to Redesign Life Itself: SynBioBeta's John Cumbers Explains

    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

  3. Jun 29

    Can AI Debug Biology? Nicholas Larus-Stone, AI @ Benchling

    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/

  4. Jun 23

    Finding the Next TechBio Unicorn with Krish Ramadurai, AIX Ventures

    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.

  5. Jun 16

    From Pollution to Designer Jacket? It's in the Microbe.

    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.

  6. Jun 12

    Who Knew Spores were so Metal?! Chris Kantrowitz, Quorum Earth

    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.

  7. Episode 1

    Talk BIO to Me...

    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!

Trailer

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Chorus Studios
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chorus Studios LLC