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 Have a question or comment? Message us here: Text or Call (804) 505-5553 ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠ Email: [email protected] Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media