111. Space Genes and Subway Scenes: Chris Mason on Planning Life’s Next Big Leap

Karl and Erum welcome Dr. Chris Mason. He’s a professor of genomics, physiology, and biophysics, as well as co-founder / COI of BiotiaNYC, Ursa Bio, and Onegevity. Chris will take you on a journey from the mysteries of space genomics to the hidden worlds of Earth's microbiomes. He discusses the intersection of advanced biology and space exploration, diving into his work with NASA’s twin study, the possibilities of planetary engineering, and his fascination with unknown DNA found even in urban subways. Chris also talks about how the convergence of ancient biological knowledge and cutting-edge technology could redefine humanity's future, both on Earth and beyond.

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 - The Spark of Science and Fresh Starts

00:01:23 - The Biotech Buzz in San Francisco

00:03:37 - Blockchain Meets Biology

00:07:45 - 2025’s Game-Changers: Microbes and Mars

00:08:52 - Into the Unknown: Dr. Chris Mason’s Journey

00:12:29 - Space’s Genetic Surprises

00:15:55 - Portable Labs Orbiting Earth

00:21:58 - Hidden Worlds Underfoot: Urban Microbes

00:32:19 - Tokyo’s Microbial Enigma

00:33:08 - The Peanut Paradox and Immune Myths

00:35:56 - Singular Cells in Vast Ecosystems

00:36:46 - From Genes to Blueprints: Synthetic Biology

00:47:31 - Terraforming at Planetary Scale

00:50:45 - Commercial Space Odysseys

00:52:53 - The Biology of Tomorrow: Dreams of Terraforming

00:55:59 - Wrapping Up with Visionaries


Episode Links:


The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds by Chris Mason 

Two New Space Planes

DeSci Market Capitalization 

Chris Mason Lab

Twins Study - Astronaut genomics

MetaSub 

Among New York Subway’s Millions of Riders, a Study Finds Many Mystery Microbes

Extreme Microbiome Project

Colossal Biosciences


Topics Covered: 

space genomics, urban microbiomes, dna discovery, planetary engineering, biotechnology trends, genetic engineering, synthetic biology tools, microbiome exploration

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Text or Call (804) 505-5553

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Email: groweverything@messaginglab.com

Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media