In this episode of What if Instead?, Edward Shenderovich, co-founder and CEO of Synonym, challenges the way we think about the materials we use every day.

“We will move from fossil carbon to biological carbon—it’s inevitable. The only question is, will we build the infrastructure in time?”Joined by hosts Mim Plavin-Masterman and Alejandro Juárez Crawford, Edward takes us through a journey in which biological carbon—not fossil fuels—becomes the foundation for the future.

The Shift We Don’t See

Think of the last plastic container you used, the nylon in your clothes, or everyday painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Most of these materials come from fossil fuels. What if, instead, they came from biology? Edward and his team at Synonym believe that’s the future, and they’re building the infrastructure to make it happen.This brings challenges of its own. Manufacturing bio-based materials at scale is expensive, and traditional investment models aren’t built for it. That’s where the idea of a new asset class comes in. He explains: “Investment in data centers became a type of, like a real estate asset class or subclass where you have a, it provides certain yield. It’s predictable.” Now Edward aims to create an asset class for biomaterials. In the episode, he explains how this can work and what it will take. 

•    – The world needs to move from fossil carbon to biological carbon—materials made through fermentation and bioengineering. 
•    – The bottleneck? The factories needed to produce these materials don’t exist at scale. 
•    – The solution? A new asset class that will allow private investors, infrastructure funds, and even governments to back this transition, just as they did with data centers and renewable energy. 

AI + Biology = A New Age of Manufacturing 

And here’s where it gets even more interesting: AI isn’t just writing text or making images. For the biomaterials revolution, it could write DNA.

•    – AI-driven models like EVO are generating genomic sequences, designing new microbes, and creating organisms that can eat plastic, secrete valuable materials, or even replace petroleum-based chemicals. 
•    – Just like coding software, we may soon be coding life itself—giving us unprecedented control over how materials are made. 

So, What if Instead? What if we could manufacture everything—from collagen to chemicals—without relying on fossil fuels? What if your next pair of sneakers was made with engineered microbes instead of oil? What if plastic-eating bacteria could help clean our planet? Edward Shenderovich isn’t just imagining this—he’s building it.“The materials transition is inevitable. The only question is: Will we build the infrastructure in time?” 

Listen to the full episode for more. Subscribe to our podcast and newsletter for fresh perspectives and actionable ideas from change-makers around the world.

What if Instead? is produced by Mercedes Riegé and Srijan Banik with support from the team at Social Impact Lab at BRAC University, which Banik founded. Cohosts Mim and Alejandro’s One Size Fits None: Time for an Entrepreneurial Revolution, is forthcoming from Emerald Publishing in Summer 2025.