Synthetic biology is entering a new phase where biology can be treated as an engineering discipline. In this episode of Galaxy Balance, Cory Smith speaks with Dr. Tae Seok Moon, professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute and a leader in synthetic biology, about the long arc from reading DNA to eventually designing biological systems from first principles.

Tae shares his unconventional path into science. As a student in Korea he originally wanted to be a poet before choosing chemistry and engineering. that early philosophical curiosity about existence ultimately drew him toward biology and the story of life emerging from molecules after the Big Bang.

The conversation explores the evolution of synthetic biology through a literary metaphor. DNA sequencing allowed scientists to read the letters of life. Genome synthesis made it possible to write those letters. Gene editing introduced a way to revise existing text. Moon argues that most of modern biotechnology still resembles editing or copying nature rather than true creative writing in biology. Only recently have tools such as AI-guided protein design begun to generate entirely new biological "words."

Moon also discusses the legacy of Craig Venter and the creation of the first cell controlled by a synthetic genome. That milestone demonstrated that digital DNA stored in a computer can be turned back into a functioning biological system, a reversal of sequencing that points toward a future where genomes become programmable substrates.

The episode then moves into Moon's work at the intersection of space exploration and biotechnology. His team demonstrated that bacteria can produce the antioxidant lycopene in simulated microgravity using resources that would be available on the Moon or Mars. The system converts plastic waste into a carbon source and processes nutrients derived from human waste to fuel microbial production, a concept aimed at enabling sustainable life support systems during long-duration space missions.

Beyond space exploration, Moon leads global collaborations focused on transforming waste streams into useful chemicals and materials. He argues that the constraints of space missions mirror the resource challenges facing Earth today, from plastic pollution to carbon emissions. Technologies developed for closed-loop life support in space may also help build circular bioeconomies of Earth.

The conversation also tackles the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in biology, the future of scientific publishing, and the challenge of maintaining human creativity in an era of AI-generated research and communication. Moon reflects on what may remain uniquely human: genuine motivation, emotion, and the drive that comes from purpose and connection.

The episode closes with a story about one of Moon's former students who overcame severe adversity and later helped lead the development of a COVID vaccine. For Moon, that journey captures the deeper motivation behind science. The next generation of researchers will face immense challenges, but their work will shape the technologies that improve life across the planet.

This episode explores the frontier where biology becomes designable, where microbes may help sustain human life beyond Earth, and where the language of DNA may one day evolve from editing nature to composing entirely new forms of life.

0:00 - Introduction
1:01 - Tae Seok Moon Background
2:34 - From Poet to Scientist
8:26 - DNA as Language & Creation
12:37 - Synthetic Cells & Venter
18:31 - Microbes in Space
25:47 - ISS & Space Experiments
29:22 - Closed Ecosystems Challenge
32:25 - Solving Global Problems
37:44 - Science Fiction Influence
40:36 - AI in Synthetic Biology
50:38 - Future of Scientific Publishing
1:01:10 - Advice for Young Scientists

Tae Seok Moon: Engineering Biology at Planetary Scale