Sausages for Science
I had the pleasure of chatting with two incredible founders who've been building a vibrant scientific community right here in Melbourne. Samuel Wines and Andrew Gray, co-founders of the shared co-working lab space CoLabs, shared their fascinating backgrounds, what drives them, and their vision for the future.
Sam's Story: From Runway to Research
Sam's journey began with a dual degree in science and commerce at uni. His reasoning? Science to understand how the world works, and commerce to understand how business and economics work, so that he could influence it for good. Knowing Sam for years now, this decision didn't surprise me one bit – he's always been on a mission to drive sustainable innovation and leave the world better than he found it.
What did surprise me was everything that came next!
“I ran the Party Society at Deakin”
While at uni, Sam got into DJ'ing and then fell into modelling. [Fun fact: Sam has never modelled as a scientist, only as a nurse and a doctor!] He soon realised the power of social media as the next big thing for modelling and as an experiment, become a social media influencer, growing a following to over 125k Instagram followers. He even launched a digital marketing agency halfway through his degree to leverage his account.
“I was at a music festival and kind of came to the realization that I wanted to get back into science”
In 2015, at the Rainbow Serpent music festival, Sam had an epiphany – he wanted to get back to the life sciences, but from a more holistic perspective about how it all interconnects. A chance conversation with a friend led him to hear about a community science lab based in Melbourne. On a whim (post-festival), Sam dropped in on the lab during a run, meeting Andrew for the first time. Within fifteen minutes, they had come up with the concept for The Phoenix School Program. It was a partnership that quickly went from strength-to-strength.
Andrew's Story: From Navy to Nurturing Scientific Curiosity
Andrew's path to science was anything but straightforward. Growing up in California, he found himself completing high school in Launceston, Tasmania, thanks to his mum marrying a local winemaker.
“I decided maybe I'd go back to the US and have a crack at the education system there.”
To Andrew’s frustration, his Australian education wasn’t recognised in the US. So, after a conversation with his father (a Navy man himself), Andrew joined the Navy. Buoyed by the promise of not having any college debt, Andrew spent four years in Japan and a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan. While deployed at a base in Kandahar Andrew discovered his passion for biology through an online course, completing coursework on an internet connection slower than 56k dial-up!
“Like, this thing would beep. Then I'd roll over in my wheelie chair and fly across the room and push a button. And then it would set off the show.”
Returning to Australia at 26, Andrew faced a new hurdle – his grades had expired. Undeterred, he spent two years at the Center for Adult Education in Melbourne, supporting himself as the "special effects officer" at a casino (which involved pushing a button every hour to start a fire show).
Following several more false-starts, Andrew found himself exploring and learning about the biohacking and DIY-science community. Frustrated with traditional academic paths, Andrew founded BioQuisitive, a community science program built on radical inclusivity, transparency, and doing no harm.
“Like, we're selling sausages out of bunnings over at the woolies, wearing, like, tie dyed lab coats”
Getting BioQuisitive up and running was a labour of love for Andrew. He spent weekends selling sausages at Bunnings, literally spruiking "sausages for science." From these humble beginnings, big things have grown.
Sam and Andrew's Story: A Meeting of Minds
Despite their vastly different backgrounds, Sam and Andrew quickly aligned around their shared passion for bio-led science and the circular economy. Their collaboration led to several groundbreaking initiatives:
The Phoenix School Program: Repurposing old and unwanted science equipment for schools, a program that has already repurposed over 8 tonnes of equipment.
CoLabs Australia: A community-driven shared wet-lab facility that has housed over 30 companies.
The BioQuisitive Ltd Relaunch: Over the past six months, they have assembled a team to relaunch their community science laboratory, BioQuisitive, over at BRUDI. Back and better than ever, this civic science hub provides a space for people to get hands-on with the life sciences.
Oh, and that Rainbow Serpent festival back in 2015 that Sam attended? Despite not meeting, Andrew was there too!
Building a Community, Not Just a Lab
From day one, Sam and Andrew had a vision beyond just building a shared wet-lab facility. They wanted to create a community. Everything they've done, from BioQuisitive to the Phoenix School Program to Co-Labs, has been about the why and the who, not just the what and where.
The Future: Notting Hill and Beyond
The much-anticipated launch of their second site, "Notting Hill," is on the horizon. Sam has played a strong role in its design, incorporating curves, natural wood, and biophilic elements to inspire all who enter.
But they're not stopping there. Sam and Andrew already have plans to build additional sites along Australia's east coast. They’re also exploring how they might help co-create a bio-led venture studio, with the aim of creating a self-multiplying ecosystem for research and innovation.
Their approach is best summed up in their own words:
"We don't want to run this community. We simply want to be a part of it."
As we wrapped up our chat, I couldn't help but be inspired by Sam and Andrew's dedication to fostering scientific innovation and community. Their story is a testament to the power of unconventional paths and unwavering vision in creating meaningful change. Stay tuned for more exciting developments from the Co-Labs team!
As I do at the end of every interview, I asked Sam and Andrew if they had an 'ask' for the community. Their response? Engagement!
If you are keen to get hands on with science (and you are in the Melbourne area), then reach out and get in touch. It doesn’t matter what skill level you are.
Sam and Andrew are co-developing the Lantern pre-accelerator program with Blue-X absolutely check it out (see here).
If you are a high-school student (or teacher) and you want to get in touch about equipment or experiments, then reach out!
Finally, if you are interested in challenge-led innovation that is bio-based or bio-inspired, drop them a line.
