- 28-year-old American researchers identified for transforming commercial CO two emissions into eco-friendly cellulose
- Their development provides a scalable, low-carbon option to fabric production
- The European Patent Workplace is granting them EUR 20 000 for advancing sustainable product production
MUNICH and REYKJAVÍK, Iceland, June 19, 2025/ PRNewswire/– Throughout an event held today in Iceland, the European Patent Workplace (EPO) granted the twin American sis Neeka and Leila Mashouf (28) the Nature Guardians reward for their development, established through their business Rubi Laboratories. Their development development simulates the method trees take in co2 utilizing enzymes to transform commercial CO two emissions into eco-friendly cellulose that can be spun into sustainable fabrics and other items.
The Nature Guardians reward acknowledges efforts devoted to securing environments and biodiversity, resolving environment modification, ocean health and wildlife preservation. Their work assists avoid ecological damage and bring back natural balance. As this year’s receivers of the Nature Guardians Reward, the Mashouf sis gotten in overall EUR 20 000 ( EUR 5 000 granted to each Tomorrow Shaper and an extra EUR 15 000 in acknowledgment of this unique reward).
“ Extra acknowledgment from the European Patent Workplace moves Rubi’s objective forward, as we leader the next age of energy-efficient production by changing carbon into vital products,” stated Neeka Mashouf, co-founder and CEO at Rubi. “ A much better world, where production exists in consistency with the world, continues to work as our North Star as we reach brand-new turning points and make strides in advertising our innovation“
The American creators were chosen by an independent jury as one of the 10 winners of the Young Inventors Reward 2025, picked from over 450 prospects worldwide. This reward commemorates innovators aged 30 and under, called Tomorrow Shapers. From this group, 3 were granted unique rewards:
- World Builders, granted to the French-American Marie Perrin, for promoting sustainable access to vital resources like water, energy and sustainable facilities;
- Neighborhood Therapists, granted to the Ugandan group of Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita for establishing options for food security, education, health care and reasonable working conditions;
- Nature Guardians, granted to the American group.
Decreasing emissions through fabric development
The international fabric market is among the most ecologically destructive supply chains, contributing as much as 8% of international CO TWO emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP). In action to the sector’s high ecological expense, the Mashoufs established an unique carbon conversion procedure that prevents the energy needs and sugar-based inputs common of lots of existing innovations.
Operating outside living cells in a regulated reactor, their system utilizes enzymes to turn recorded CO two into cellulose pulp– the basis for eco-friendly fibers. The sis declare this approach takes in 10 times less energy than thermochemical options and reintegrates carbon into the natural cycle. ” It took numerous trials, mistakes, and optimisations to make it all work, from producing enzymes that had actually never ever been made before to evaluating them in conditions nobody had actually ever checked out,” stated Neeka.
Formed by science, influenced by nature
Neeka and Leila Mashouf were driven by a desire to take on the ecological effect of the fashion business. In 2021, they established Rubi Laboratories to turn commercial CO two emissions into fabrics utilizing a nature-inspired enzymatic procedure. The business is now concentrated on scaling the innovation and broadening its applications, with CO TWO- obtained cellulose currently being piloted by Walmart, Patagonia and H&M. ” Our focus is now on engineering and execution. It’s amazing to be at the point where we can focus on scaling the system and bringing whatever to the next level,” stated Neeka.
Their group now consists of 17 researchers and engineers specialising in enzymology, chemical engineering and carbon capture. ” These abilities had not actually been integrated before. It’s a continuous difficulty to discover the best individuals, which is why we constantly browse worldwide– due to the fact that this work needs something genuinely distinct,” she included.
The Young Creators Reward commemorates around the world innovators 30 and under utilizing innovation to attend to international difficulties positioned by the United Nations Sustainable Advancement Goals (SDGs). By turning waste carbon into an important resource, the Mashouf sis are straight adding to UN SDG 9 (Market, Development & & Facilities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & & Communities), SDG 12 (Accountable Usage & & Production), and SDG 13 (Environment Action).
The winners of the 2025 edition were revealed today throughout an event livestreamed from Iceland.
Discover more info about the development’s effect, the innovation and the innovator’s story here
About the Young Inventors Reward
Targeted at people 30 and under, the Young Inventors Reward showcases the transformative power of youth-driven options and acknowledges the amazing youths leading the way to a more sustainable future. Developed in 2022, prizes were very first given out throughout the European Innovator Award event. Since 2025, the Reward has actually gone up an equipment with its own devoted occasion, held independently from the Award. Amongst the 10 Tomorrow Shapers chosen for each edition, 3 get unique rewards: World Builders, Neighborhood Healers, and Nature Guardians. In addition, an Individuals’s Option winner is chosen through an online public vote. Each Tomorrow Shaper gets EUR 5 000, while the 3 unique reward winners are granted an extra EUR 15 000. Individuals’s Option winner likewise gets an additional EUR 5 000. Learn more on the Young Inventors Reward eligibility and choice requirements.
About the EPO
With 6,300 employee, the European Patent Workplace (EPO) is among the biggest civil service organizations in Europe Headquartered in Munich with workplaces in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was established with the objective of reinforcing co-operation on patents in Europe Through the EPO’s centralised patent giving treatment, creators have the ability to get top quality patent defense in as much as 46 nations, covering a market of some 700 million individuals. The EPO is likewise the world’s leading authority in patent info and patent browsing.
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SOURCE European Patent Workplace (EPO)