The Butterfly Effect: Sustainable High-Performance Materials from Micro-Algae.

Apr 7

On this episode of the Grow Everything Biotech Podcast, hosts Karl and Erum were joined by Charles Dimmler of Checkerspot to discuss sustainable materials created using microbes. They talked about Checkerspot's mission to create sustainable products with superior performance, the potential of exploring microbes for scientific discoveries, and Biden's Biocon Executive Order. They also talked about different sustainable materials such as urethane-based products, disintermediation, material sourcing, and the challenges posed by the climate crisis. This episode covered a wide range of critical ideas surrounding biotech, sustainability, and innovation.

Topics Covered

0:00:00 Cherry Blossoms Blooming In Brooklyn Botanical Garden

00:04:03 Biden's Biocon Executive Order: Progress And Opportunities For Education On Growing Everything
00:05:07 Unpacking The Biden Biocon Blueprint And The Goal Of Growing Everything
00:08:56 Introduction To Checkerspot And Its Founding Story
00:11:34 Commercializing Microalgae Fermentation For Empowerment Of Third Parties
00:16:57 New Developments In Urethane-based Record Technology Showcased At South By Southwest
00:22:00 Biocon's Strategic Focus On Making Bio Manufacturing More Accessible And Relevant
00:25:24 Checkerspot's Unique Model For Sustainable Product Development And Testing
00:30:22 Disintermediation And The Importance Of Provenance In Consumer Brands' Material Sourcing
00:32:21 Pollinator Kit Enables Product Designers To Experiment With Cast Urethane
00:36:49 Non-vinyl Record And Other Applications Of Empowering Material
00:40:57 Company Headquarters In Alameda, CA
00:43:47 Checkerspot: Combining Performance And Sustainability In Product Design
00:51:27 Interview With Charles About A 10-20 Year Time Frame For A Project.
00:57:11 Podcast Gains Impressive Traction With Nearly 4000 Plays