131. Leaf It to Science: How Foray Bioscience's Ashley Beckwith is Reforesting the Future

Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

Karl and Erum are joined by Dr. Ashley Beckwith, Founder & CEO of Foray Bioscience, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of biomaterials and the emerging role of plant culture in shaping it. Ashley unpacks how Foray is pioneering new approaches to growing materials directly from plant cells, redefining how we produce, restore, and preserve biological resources.

The episode explores the untapped potential of plant culture in bioproduction, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity preservation when applied with care and intention. Ashley shares her path from growing up in Colorado to pursuing mechanical engineering and bioengineering, and how that interdisciplinary foundation ultimately led her to start Foray.

Throughout the conversation, Ashley describes how Foray is building the foundational infrastructure for plant culture. The company develops core capabilities from the ground up and then partners with others to scale and specialize applications. This platform-based approach reflects Foray’s belief that unlocking the full potential of plant systems requires a collaborative ecosystem rather than the efforts of a single company.

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 Off with a Big Question: Can We Rebuild Nature from the Cell Up?
• 00:00:15 - Summer Vibes and Bio Talk: Memorial Day Weekend Catch-Up
• 00:00:46 - Synbio Beta Sparks: The Pulse of Next-Gen Biotech
• 00:02:27 - Argentina to IndieBio: The Unstoppable Founders You Need to Know
• 00:04:01 - Biotech Gets Corporate: The Rise of Strategic Venture Funds
• 00:05:11 - Deal Flow & Discovery: HC Wainwright’s Biotech Bash
• 00:08:18 - Brooklyn Bio Buzz: A Night Out with the Community
• 00:10:24 - From the Explorers Club to Seed Vaults: Sci-Fi Meets Soil
• 00:11:22 - Meet Dr. Asheley Beckwith: Engineering the Future of Fashion with Cells
• 00:27:35 - Biology Meets Ecology: How Engineered Plants Could Aid Conservation
• 00:30:12 - Sci-Fi to Soil: Fabricating Seeds for Extinct Ecosystems
• 00:32:21 - The Wild Frontier: Overcoming the Barriers in Plant Cell Cultivation
• 00:45:52 - Nature Meets Code: Using AI to Unlock the Secrets of Plants
• 00:50:20 - Imagining Tomorrow: The Vision Behind ForayBio’s Living Materials
• 00:51:50 - Full Circle: Final Reflections from the Edge of Biodesign

Links and Resources:

• ⁠Foray Biosciences
• SF500 (Argentinian Global Venture Fund)
• Syensqo Corporate Venture Fund
• H.C. Wainwright
• University of Vermont - Dr. Steve Keller
• University of Maryland - Dr. Matt Fitzpatrick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Topics Covered:

biomanufacturing, cell free biomanufacturing, enzymes, nutraceuticals, biotech, pharmaceuticals, AI, spinouts

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media