Biomanufacturing doesn’t fail for lack of clever biology; it stalls at the factory gate. We sit down with Biosphere CEO Brian Heligman to unpack how a materials scientist’s journey through batteries and perovskites led to a bold thesis for the bioeconomy: change the constraints of the bioreactor and you change everything downstream. Instead of miles of steam lines and fragile commissioning, Biosphere is betting on UV-sterilized stainless systems, modern automation, and a full-stack approach that removes cost, complexity, and fear of contamination at scale.Brian shares the hard lessons that shaped this strategy. In batteries, volumetric energy density mattered more than academic fashion. In solar, perovskite hype obscured the real blocker—stability. Translate that to biotech and the pattern holds: milligram wins and elegant papers won’t survive a plant with 50% contamination rates and $200 million capex. We walk through why legacy steam sterilization persists, how biopharma escaped into single-use plastics, and why industrial biotech needs a third path that’s cleaner, cheaper, and durable enough for daily production.We also get tactical. What does it take to prove sterility “100 out of 100” times? How do you stress-test reactors with spore challenges, long sterile holds, and instrumentation that actually supports root-cause analysis? Why start with ag biologics (eg biostimulants and biopesticides) where customers feel the manufacturing bottleneck most acutely? And how can a 20,000-liter demonstration line bridge the gap between pilot and revenue, unlocking offtake and real unit economics without betting the company on a greenfield?There’s a policy and resilience angle too. With defense and industrial strategy shifting toward domestic capability in vitamins, antibiotics, and specialty inputs, better reactors are not just a cost play, they’re a strategic asset. Over time, once performance is undeniable, even conservative markets like biopharma may follow. Until then, the opportunity is clear: lower the hurdle rate, reduce plastic waste, simplify scale-up, and let product companies focus on what customers actually want.Send us a text

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