RUBI

About the start-up

Rubi is pioneering CO₂-based biomanufacturing to transform industrial carbon emissions into essential materials, starting with textiles. Using a proprietary cell-free enzymatic process, we convert waste carbon into high-quality, cost-competitive cellulose, eliminating the need for deforestation, excessive water use, and high emissions.

Our mission is to reinvent manufacturing so that human prosperity and economic growth are inherently planet-positive. By creating scalable, sustainable alternatives to traditional materials, we enable industries to meet their climate commitments without compromising quality or cost—turning CO₂ from a liability into a valuable resource.

Project Title

Engineering Enzyme Pathways for Sustainable Material Production

Project summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Laboratory Intern to join Rubi’s core R&D team, working at the forefront of cell-free biocatalysis to transform CO₂ into valuable materials. This hands-on role offers an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge enzyme pathway development and bioprocess optimization. Focuses: Partner with Rubi’s expert enzymologists, biochemists, and process engineers to engineer and optimize essential enzymes in our pathway using cutting edge protein engineering tools; develop, execute, and improve high-throughput assays for screening enzymes; characterize and quantify products and metabolites to optimize pathway; support wet lab R&D of scaled full pathway cascades.

You’ll gain hands-on experience in enzyme biocatalysis, CO₂-based material production, and bioprocess development while working alongside industry experts in a cutting-edge R&D environment.

RESponsibility

• Run cell-free enzyme-based assays to evaluate reaction kinetics and pathway efficiency.

• Execute multi-enzyme pathways in a cell-free system, optimizing enzyme loading, substrate utilization, and productivity.

• Express and purify proteins using industry-standard methods.

• Support process reactor operations, assisting in reaction setup, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

• Contribute to product downstream processing, including harvest, separation, and quality analysis.

• Contribute to enzyme engineering workflows and screening.

• Contribute to enzyme stabilization workflows and testing.

About the candidate

Plusses

The ideal candidate is a resourceful researcher with multiple years of hands-on biochemistry/molecular biology laboratory experience who quickly masters new experimental protocols, producing consistently reproducible results. They follow established methodologies with appropriate controls, drawing on strong biochemical and technical knowledge to troubleshoot independently. In addition, they create novel tools and approaches to expand the team’s capabilities, integrate findings into the broader project context, and design experiments with robust statistical analysis in mind. They thrive in dynamic settings and adapt swiftly to shifting priorities.

• Proactive in identifying and addressing challenges.

• Demonstrates strong follow-through, seeing projects to completion.

• Has an optimistic attitude, enjoys teamwork, and contributes to a positive, fun workplace atmosphere.