Twin sisters Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf began their scientific research careers at the age of 15. Neeka pursued materials science at UC Berkeley. Leila tackled bioengineering at Harvard and Stanford. The two then started Rubi Laboratories in 2021 after inventing and prototyping a new technology for converting carbon into textiles in a public biohacking lab.
Symbiotic Manufacturing and Cell-Free Biomanufacturing: Rubi Laboratories Has Been Working on a Tech For Converting Carbon Emissions Into Textiles
How do you turn a greenhouse gas into a soft summer dress? The secret lies in a high-tech enzymatic cascade that reassembles carbon molecules into long-chain polymers to produce cellulose fibers. Rubi Laboratories has tested its technology and has even ventured into other industries that can benefit from its innovation.
Company Overview
Rubi Laboratories is a biotech company established to address the environmental problems caused by the fashion industry. Note that the industry is one of the largest carbon emitters in the world. Neeka and Leila pioneered a concept called symbiotic manufacturing in which modern production actively heals the planet rather than depleting its resources.
Nevertheless, in implementing the concept, the company developed, tested, and commercialized a particular proprietary cell-free enzyme biocatalysis process for capturing carbon dioxide emissions and transforming them into cellulose. This cellulose is then used to produce carbon-negative, water-neutral, and biodegradable yarns and fabrics.
The company is currently based in San Francisco. It received millions in seed funding in its initial years and has further received multi-million dollar funding to transition itself from a startup focusing on research and development to an industrial-scale manufacturer. It is also expanding its business interests into consumer packaged goods and aerospace.
Novel Cell-Free Biomanufacturing
Central to the technology and value proposition of Rubi Laboratories is its cell-free manufacturing process. Specifically, unlike traditional biomanufacturing that uses living organisms like bacteria or yeast to create products, the company uses a cell-free system by utilizing selected enzymes from nature and stabilizing them with an industrial aggregator.
Turning carbon dioxide into fibers and further into textiles is possible because carbon is the same element that forms the structure of plants. Moreover, cellulose, which is the main component of plant fibers like cotton and linen, is essentially a carbohydrate called a polysaccharide or a long and complex chain of glucose molecules linked together.
Note that carbon dioxide is converted into cellulose by capturing the carbon and then chemically bonding it with hydrogen and oxygen in a specific pattern. Plants do this through photosynthesis using solar energy. Rubi mimics this by using enzymes as biological catalysts to trigger these same chemical reactions in a controlled setting. Below are the steps:
• Capture
The emitted carbon dioxide from manufacturing facilities is diverted into the reactor system designed and built by Rubi. The gas bubbles through the system, where the enzymes capture the carbon from the waste stream.
• Conversion
Through a cascade of biochemical reactions, the enzymes shape and craft the carbon molecules, polymerizing them into long cellulose chains.
• Spinning
The cellulose chains are filtered out as pure cellulose pulp. This pulp is then integrated into existing industry processes. It is dissolved into a liquid called dope, pushed through a spinneret to create solid fibers, and twisted into yarn.
The symbiotic manufacturing concept and specific cell-free enzyme biocatalysis process of Rubi also adhere to the principles of and practices in circular economy, cradle-to-cradle, regenerative design, and natural capitalism. The resulting fiber and fabric products are not only biodegradable with a manageable end-of-life product cycle but also sustainable.
Commercialization
Rubi Laboratories has partnered with manufacturers and retailers to commercialize the outputs of its proprietary technology. For example, a pilot initiative with Walmart was launched in July 2023. This centers on using the reactor systems from the company to capture carbon emissions from manufacturers and facilities in the Walmart supply chain.
The company was named by the H&M Foundation as one of the H&M Global Change Awards winners in 2022. It has since partnered with H&M Group to test the integration of its process into the manufacturing chain of the Swedish clothing company. Rubi has also tested its material with clothing companies and fashion brands like Patagonia and Talis.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Albright, A. 27 July 2023. “Walmart and Rubi Laboratories Breathe Fresh Air Into Sustainable Fashion.” Walmart. Available online
- H&M Group. n.d. “Materials.” H&M Group. Available online
- Rubi Laboratories. n.d. “Biomimicry for Manufacturing in the Symbiotic Era.” Rubi Laboratories. Available online
- Rubi Laboratories. n.d. “Our Founding Story.” Rubi Laboratories. Available online
Photo Credit: Rubi Laboratories