123. From Gas to Glam: Molly Morse Discusses Mango Materials' Biodegradable Innovations

In this episode of Grow Everything, Karl and Erum dive deep into the transformative world of biomanufacturing with Molly Morse, CEO and Co-founder of Mango Materials. Molly shares how her team is using methane—one of the most potent greenhouse gases—as a feedstock to create PHAs, a class of biodegradable bioplastics. From wastewater treatment partnerships to collaboration with brands like Allbirds and Stella McCartney, Mango Materials is setting a new standard in sustainable innovation. The conversation spans synthetic biology, microbial fermentation, the challenges of scaling, and even bioplastics in space. If you're passionate about circular economies, advanced materials, or cutting-edge climate tech, this episode is for you.

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 - Kicking Things Off: Weekend Tales & Seal Surprises
• 00:00:36 - A Shiny Seal, Beach Drama & Wildlife Wisdom
• 00:02:51 - AI is Basically Michael Scott… And That’s a Good Thing
• 00:04:40 - Can We Trust World Leaders Taking Advice from ChatGPT?
• 00:07:44 - AI That Talks Back: Selling Smarter with Conversational Tech
• 00:09:35 - Muscles Made in a Lab? Welcome to the Future of Biology
• 00:12:36 - Molly Morse Joins: Turning Methane into Magic with Mango Materials
• 00:29:33 - Waste to Wealth: How Municipal Methane Becomes a Revenue Stream
• 00:30:16 - From Landfills to Livestock: Where the Methane Goldmine Is
• 00:31:33 - Scaling Science: The Real Talk Behind Biomanufacturing Challenges
• 00:33:47 - Zero Gravity, Big Ideas: Mango’s Mission in Space
• 00:38:34 - From Microbes to Market: Scaling PHA Pellet Production
• 00:46:11 - What Does “Biodegradable” Really Mean? Let’s Break It Down
• 00:51:35 - Big Picture: What’s Next for Mango Materials and Biotech Innovation

Links and Resources:

• Mango Materials
• Michael Scott Guide to AI Terminologies
• Engineered Muscles That Move Like the Real Thing? MIT Just Made It Happen
• Protoclone: Bipedal Musculoskeletal Android V1 by Clone Robotics
• Mango Materials Zero G Experience on G-Force One to test fermentation on a membrane-based bioreactor system in weightlessness

Topics Covered: 

biomanufacturing, biomaterials, greenhouse gas, waste to value, biopolymers

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media