192. Reading Between the Dyes: Roya Aghighi Unlocks Biological Pigments at Lite-1

Ever wonder why the color in your clothes comes at such a heavy cost to the planet? On this episode of the Grow Everything podcast, Karl and Erum keep their BioDye series going with Roya Aghighi, the founder of Lite-1. Roya grew up in her mom’s fashion studio, spent years inside the industry stress testing new materials, and eventually walked away after seeing the toxic black rivers that conventional dyeing leaves behind. That moment pulled her into biotech.

She explains how Lite-1 uses engineered microbes as tiny color factories, growing vibrant pigments through fermentation and starting with black, one of the dirtiest and hardest shades to make sustainably. What makes the conversation stick is the way she thinks. She argues that biological variation is not a flaw but a source of information, and that the real thing holding biodyes back is not the science but whether brands and investors are willing to share the risk. She also makes a bold prediction: color will soon become the most valuable traceability layer in the life of a garment.

Before Roya joins, Karl and Erum riff on radiation loving microbes, cuts to pathogen testing, and the strange, wonderful world of computationally designed organisms, which turns out to be the perfect setup for a founder who treats biology as a genuine collaborator.