From a Burping Cow to Carbon-Negative Solution: Turning Methane Into Biopolymer (ft. Mark Herrera, CEO of AirCarbon)

What if the same greenhouse gas warming the planet could be turned into the material inside your next pair of shoes? Methane is over 28 more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and AirCarbon has built a way to capture it and turn it into a biodegradable, plastic-like material using microorganisms.In this deep dive, I sit down with Mark Herrera, CEO of AirCarbon, to talk about how a story about a cow sparked the idea for the company, what it actually takes to turn methane emissions into a usable material at scale, and why finding the right co-founder can make or break a deep tech startup. We also get a first look at AirCarbon's upcoming partnership with Nike.If you care about carbon capture, biomaterials, sustainable materials science, or the future of the circular economy, this is one you don't want to miss.In this episode we cover:How a cow inspired the founding of AirCarbonTurning methane into plastic using microorganismsWhy methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2The surprising fact that humans naturally produce this same materialWhy the right co-founder matters as much as the right technologyA sneak peek at AirCarbon's upcoming Nike partnershipRecommendation:"Terminator" (yes, really — listen to find out why)Follow AirCarbon on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and check out their site at ⁠aircarbon.com⁠. You can also follow Mark on his ⁠LinkedIn⁠.If you enjoyed this episode, follow Materials Deep Dive on Instagram and TikTok @materialsdeepdive for behind-the-scenes and more conversations with founders and engineers reshaping the materials world.