Shrinking the Gap Between Sci-Fi and Sci-Fact: Josh Wolfe (Co-Founder of Lux Capital)

Friends,

What if you could record the smell of your grandmother’s kitchen or detect diseases with a breath? Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital, is funding the breakthroughs that are turning these concepts into reality.

In this episode of The Generalist, Josh discusses how Lux Capital is backing companies like eGenesis, which is transplanting gene-edited pig organs into humans; Osmo, pioneering digital olfaction technology; and Variant Bio, which is studying genetic outliers in indigenous populations whose DNA could lead to life-saving medical advancements.

Science fiction doesn’t just predict the future, it creates it. Josh’s investment approach is deeply influenced by speculative fiction, which has inspired many of the groundbreaking companies in his portfolio. This visionary thinking has driven Lux to fund startups working on technologies once considered impossible.

Josh also shares how stories shape his worldview, how he stays on top of macro trends, where America is trailing China in the AI race, and how we can catch up.

In our conversation, we explore:

• The revolutionary development of genetically modified pig organs being transplanted into humans and what this means for the future of organ transplantation.

• The recent achievement of "teleporting smell" across space and why computers that can replicate scents will open up entirely new industries.

• Why Lux is investing in the search for real-life "X-Men" — genetic outliers in isolated populations whose DNA could lead to life-saving medical advancements.

• How Josh evaluates macro trends to make smarter micro investment decisions and why ignoring the big picture is a mistake.

• The three tech sectors that Josh believes will define the geopolitical balance in the decades ahead.

• How Josh stays current on macroeconomic trends.

• Much more

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(04:38) A brief overview of Josh’s work at Lux Capital

(05:57) The science fiction to science fact pipeline

(09:11) Xenotransplantation

(12:10) Proven transplantations with modified pig kidneys, and what’s next

(15:38) Ethical questions around xenotransplantation

(17:48) Lux Capital’s investment in eGenesis

(19:34) The theory of persistent cellular memory

(23:35) Why eGenesis began with kidneys

(24:30) Digitizing smell

(32:24) Commercializing digital olfaction technology

(38:26) The potential applications for a “Shazam for smell”

(43:16) Variant Bio’s work studying genetic outliers

(52:00) Variant Bio's two primary clinical focuses

(53:46) How Josh stays current on macroeconomic trends

(59:44) Josh’s thoughts on the critical areas the U.S. should invest in

(1:14:00) How to win the talent war

(1:18:53) Final meditations

Follow Josh Wolfe

X: https://x.com/wolfejosh

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-wolfe-7883/

Resources and episode mentions

Books

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: https://www.amazon.com/000-Leagues-Under-Wordsworth-Classics/dp/1853260312

• War of the Worlds: https://www.amazon.com/War-Worlds-H-G-Wells/dp/8175992824/

• In Search of Lost Time: https://www.amazon.com/Search-Lost-Time-Library-Classics/dp/0812969642

• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer: https://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849/

• Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger: https://www.amazon.com/Poor-Charlies-Almanack-Charles-Expanded/dp/1578645018

People

• George Church on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/

• David Deutsch on X: https://x.com/daviddeutschoxf

• Karl Popper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Popper

• Feng Zhang on X: https://x.com/zhangf

• John Maraganore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-maraganore/

• Vicki Sato: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicki_Sato

• Robert Nelson on X: https://x.com/rtnarch

• David Shenkein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schenkein-md-45342476/

• Alex Wiltschko on X: https://x.com/awiltschko

• Richard Axel: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2004/axel/facts/

• Andrew Farnam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-farnum-4b180a1/

• Chris Hohn: https://ciff.org/team/chris-hohn/

• Charles Darwin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin

• Isaac Asimov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

• Neil Gaiman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman

• Terry Pratchett: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett

• Neal Stephenson’s website: https://www.nealstephenson.com/

Other resources

• eGenesis: https://egenesisbio.com/

• Xenotransplantation: https://egenesisbio.com/xenotransplant/

• Surgeons Transplant Engineered Pig Kidney Into Fourth Patient: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/health/fourth-pig-kidney-transplant.html

• CRISPR: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/CRISPR

• Can an Organ Transplant Change Someone’s Personality? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-leading-edge/202402/do-organ-transplants-cause-personality-change-in-recipients#

• Personality changes following heart transplantation: The role of cellular memory: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987719307145

• Kallyope: https://kallyope.com/

• Letter from the founder: https://www.osmo.ai/blog/letter-from-the-founder

• Plum 1.0: https://osmostudios.ai/products/plum1o

• IFF: https://www.iff.com/

• Firmenich: https://www.dsm-firmenich.com/en/

• Variant Bio: https://www.variantbio.com/

• Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/

• 23andme: https://www.23andme.com/

• Genentech: https://www.gene.com/

• PCSK9 gene: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/pcsk9/

• Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project: https://www.jcvi.org/research/leonardo-da-vinci-dna-project

• CBGB: https://www.cbgb.com/

• Coney Island High concert history: https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/coney-island-high--5

• L’Amour: https://www.brooklynvegan.com/lamour-rock-cap/

• Community Notes: https://help.x.com/en/using-x/community-notes

• Chinese Missile Destroys Satellite in 500-Mile Orbit: https://www.npr.org/2007/01/19/6923805/chinese-missile-destroys-satellite-in-500-mile-orbit

• Logic Pro: https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/

• GarageBand: https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

• NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/

• Trump pulls $400m from Columbia University, saying it failed to protect Jewish students: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp979w055o

• Cuban Missile Crisis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis

• Josh’s post on X about Islamic extremists in Africa: https://x.com/wolfejosh/status/1241912312493215744

• Africom: https://www.africom.mil/

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