Amplafy Media Book a 30-minute strategy call
Menu Close

Episode 175

173. They Put the Ore in Organisms: Liz Dennett’s Microbial Mining at Endolith

· 51:00 · Host: Karl Schmieder & Erum Azeez

What if the oldest miners on Earth weren't humans at all—but microbes that have been extracting metals for billions of years? In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Liz Dennett, founder and CEO of Endolith, who's deploying extremophile microbial communities to unlock up to 1.9x more copper…

Play this episode

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Episode page on Captivate · RSS

Chapters

  1. 00:00:00 — Welcome to the Show: Microbes, Mining, and the Copper Crisis
  2. 00:01:53 — The PowerPoint-Google Slides Software Saga
  3. 00:03:47 — Meeting Clients In Person: Building Deeper Connections
  4. 00:05:05 — Erum's Panel Experience and the HairDAO Moment
  5. 00:06:56 — Mining, Microbes, and Copper in the Human Body
  6. 00:08:59 — Why Copper Matters for AI and Electrification
  7. 00:11:00 — Introducing Liz Dennett: From Alaska to Endolith
  8. 00:12:43 — Growing Up in Alaska: Natural Resources as Lived Reality
  9. 00:14:00 — The Moment Biology Met Mining
  10. 00:15:00 — What is Heap Leaching? Visualizing the Process
  11. 00:17:00 — Recovery Rates and Why 10% More Copper is Monumental
  12. 00:18:00 — Biology's Surprises: Communities Over Single Organisms
  13. 00:19:43 — Extremophiles: Microbes That Love Sulfuric Acid
  14. 00:21:00 — Dirty Biology: Engineering Control vs. Biological Adaptability
  15. 00:23:00 — Building Trust in a Conservative Industry
  16. 00:25:00 — Culture at Endolith: Safety, Feedback, and Snacks
  17. 00:27:00 — Validation Work and Customer-Specific Testing
  18. 00:28:00 — How Data, Biology, and Infrastructure Shape Resource Thinking
  19. 00:30:00 — The Copper Crisis: More Needed by 2050 Than Ever Before
  20. 00:33:00 — When Does Biology Work? Redox Reactions and Metal Recovery
  21. 00:34:00 — GMOs vs. Wild Type: The Labradoodle Analogy
  22. 00:36:00 — Bio-Leaching Evolved: Not Just One Microbe, A Full System
  23. 00:38:00 — Collaborating with Rio Tinto Nuton and Gunnison Copper
  24. 00:40:00 — Force Multipliers, Not Mine Operators
  25. 00:41:00 — The Copper Oxidation Series on Liz's Nails
  26. 00:42:00 — The 10-Year Vision: Biology as a Standard Mining Layer
  27. 00:44:00 — Quick Fire Questions: Wilderness vs. Mine Site, Copper vs. Lithium
  28. 00:45:00 — The Unwavering Playlist and Fundraising Energy
  29. 00:47:00 — Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts on Collaboration and the Energy Transition

Show notes

What if the oldest miners on Earth weren't humans at all—but microbes that have been extracting metals for billions of years? In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Liz Dennett, founder and CEO of Endolith, who's deploying extremophile microbial communities to unlock up to 1.9x more copper from existing mine heaps at industrial mining sites across the US. Liz shares her journey from growing up in resource-rich Alaska to pioneering bio-leaching technology that's tackling a critical challenge: we need more copper between now and 2050 than humanity has produced in its entire history—and every data center, EV, and AI query depends on it. But here's what makes this conversation different: Liz isn't trying to disrupt mining, she's working with it, bringing "purple-haired PhD energy" to one of the world's most conservative industries through safety-first culture, collaboration over competition, and under-promising, over-delivering results. This episode reveals why biology might be our best tool for responsible resource stewardship and what it really takes to bring breakthrough biotechnology into legacy industrial systems—plus, the copper oxidation series on Liz's nails.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

  • (00:00:00) - Welcome to the Show: Microbes, Mining, and the Copper Crisis
  • (00:01:53) - The PowerPoint-Google Slides Software Saga
  • (00:03:47) - Meeting Clients In Person: Building Deeper Connections
  • (00:05:05) - Erum's Panel Experience and the HairDAO Moment
  • (00:06:56) - Mining, Microbes, and Copper in the Human Body
  • (00:08:59) - Why Copper Matters for AI and Electrification
  • (00:11:00) - Introducing Liz Dennett: From Alaska to Endolith
  • (00:12:43) - Growing Up in Alaska: Natural Resources as Lived Reality
  • (00:14:00) - The Moment Biology Met Mining
  • (00:15:00) - What is Heap Leaching? Visualizing the Process
  • (00:17:00) - Recovery Rates and Why 10% More Copper is Monumental
  • (00:18:00) - Biology's Surprises: Communities Over Single Organisms
  • (00:19:43) - Extremophiles: Microbes That Love Sulfuric Acid
  • (00:21:00) - Dirty Biology: Engineering Control vs. Biological Adaptability
  • (00:23:00) - Building Trust in a Conservative Industry
  • (00:25:00) - Culture at Endolith: Safety, Feedback, and Snacks
  • (00:27:00) - Validation Work and Customer-Specific Testing
  • (00:28:00) - How Data, Biology, and Infrastructure Shape Resource Thinking
  • (00:30:00) - The Copper Crisis: More Needed by 2050 Than Ever Before
  • (00:33:00) - When Does Biology Work? Redox Reactions and Metal Recovery
  • (00:34:00) - GMOs vs. Wild Type: The Labradoodle Analogy
  • (00:36:00) - Bio-Leaching Evolved: Not Just One Microbe, A Full System
  • (00:38:00) - Collaborating with Rio Tinto Nuton and Gunnison Copper
  • (00:40:00) - Force Multipliers, Not Mine Operators
  • (00:41:00) - The Copper Oxidation Series on Liz's Nails
  • (00:42:00) - The 10-Year Vision: Biology as a Standard Mining Layer
  • (00:44:00) - Quick Fire Questions: Wilderness vs. Mine Site, Copper vs. Lithium
  • (00:45:00) - The Unwavering Playlist and Fundraising Energy
  • (00:47:00) - Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts on Collaboration and the Energy Transition

Links and Resources:

Topics Covered:

biomining, Copper, mining, microbes, bioleaching, heap leach, extremophiles, energy transition, electrification, critical minerals, industrial biotechnology

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music by: Nihilore 

Production by: Amplafy Media

About Grow Everything

Grow Everything reveals the world of biology as technology. Hosts Erum Azeez Khan and Karl Schmieder talk with the founders, scientists, and executives biologizing entire industries — biomaterials from waste, precision fermentation, cultivated food — and unpack how the bioeconomy is solving health and climate challenges. Winner of SynBioBeta's 2026 Impact Award.

See all 202 episodes of Grow Everything →

Book a 30-minute strategy call