From lab to market: building the future of food with fungi

In the first episode of the season, we speak with Ricky Cassini, founder of Michroma and winner of The Future is Fungi Startup Award 2025, about how fungal biology and precision fermentation are being used to replace synthetic food dyes with natural, high-performance alternatives.

Ricky shares what it really takes to turn deep science into real-world impact — from navigating regulation and scale to building resilience over a seven-year biotech journey. We explore why replacing petrochemical dyes is such a complex challenge, how fermentation can unlock scalable solutions, and what the global shift away from synthetic ingredients means for the future of food.

This conversation sits at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, offering insights for researchers, founders, and anyone curious about how fungal innovation moves from the lab into everyday products.

Tune in to learn why fungi could play a defining role in the next generation of food systems.

This podcast features music by Modern Biology. Check out his work here:
https://www.modernbiology.xyz/
https://www.instagram.com/taruntspoon/

"Science fiction is rapidly becoming science fact"

In this episode, we journey beyond Earth with Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild, an astrobiologist pioneering the use of mycelium materials to build structures on the Moon and Mars. Alongside her is Natasha Haveman, a NASA researcher exploring how fungi can sustain astronauts with food on deep space missions.

Together, they reveal how fungi could transform space exploration, from producing sustainable food and building “mycotecture” habitats to converting waste into vital resources. We also dive into the challenges of growing fungi in microgravity, explore other fungal applications, and look ahead to the future of fungi in space.

This episode offers a fascinating glimpse at where biology, innovation, and imagination intersect, and why fungi might be key to surviving and thriving in the harshest environments.

Tune in to discover how fungi are helping NASA turn the impossible into reality.

This podcast features music by Modern Biology. Check out his work here:
https://www.modernbiology.xyz/
https://www.instagram.com/taruntspoon/

What if restoring the forest microbiome could help scale reforestation, a healthy forest and build a new kind of climate tech? In this episode, we speak with Dr.Colin Averill, founder of Funga, about translating decades of ecology research into a bold startup vision.

Funga uses cutting‑edge DNA sequencing, machine learning, and decades of mycology research to restore fungal biodiversity in forest soils, accelerating tree growth, building healthier ecosystems, and creating high-quality carbon credits

Colin shares what it’s like to go from scientist to founder, and why jumping in before you're fully ready can be the key to momentum. We talk about the value of accelerators, the mindset shifts that come with leaving academia, and why a touch of unreasonable optimism goes a long way.

A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a fungi-powered company, with roots in science and eyes on the future.

This podcast features music by Modern Biology. Check out his work here:
https://www.modernbiology.xyz/
https://www.instagram.com/taruntspoon/