Episode 21
20. The Butterfly Effect: Sustainable High-Performance Materials from Micro-Algae
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…
Show notes
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 Bioeconomy 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.
Grow Everything brings to life the bioeconomy when hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories from the field and interview leaders and influencers in the space. Life is a powerful force and it can be engineered. What are we creating?
Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything
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
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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.