No one wants to (cough) breathe air pollution. But ingenious twins from California are making it possible to wear it as part of a fashion statement that could transform the textile industry.
Neeka and Leila Mashouf, the 28-year-old siblings behind startup Rubi Laboratories use amazing technology to capture planet-warming carbon dioxide that would otherwise hit the atmosphere, transforming it into textiles, according to the company website.
It's a process inspired by nature. Special enzymes turn the pollution into a useful product, similar to how trees convert dirty air into cellulose. Instead of a tree, the Rubi process happens in a chemical reactor, Euronews reported.
"Our invention uses a special sequence of enzymes, which are like nature's chemical engineers, to transform CO2 into stringy polymers like cellulose, which we use to make fibers, yarns, and fabrics. We developed this technology to solve what we saw as the most important global problem," Neeka said.
The proprietary setup earned them the honor of Tomorrow Shapers of the Young Inventors Prize 2025 from the European Patent Office, as the innovation has the potential to clean up one of the most polluting industries.
The United Nations says that the fashion sector creates up to 8% of heat-trapping air pollution. The gases are a health hazard that can aggravate asthma and increase lung and cardiac health risks. They're also a carcinogen, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
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Capturing carbon from the atmosphere and turning it into something useful is happening elsewhere, too. A South African Nestlé plant is converting flue exhaust into baking soda. Purdue University experts have a device that can collect fumes, negating their planet-warming potential.
The twins' method is different from most others that use fermentation and thermochemical techniques, they told Euronews. For starters, Rubi's approach requires less energy, is cheaper, and is scalable. The product can be "integrated into existing textile supply chains, helping brands lower their carbon footprints without overhauling their infrastructure," per the report.
When at work, the enzymes bring to mind a popular video game, according to Leila: "Like a little Pacman. They eat molecules and spit them out into something a little bit different."
The duo has had their eyes on fast fashion since they were teens, publishing research by age 15, Euronews added. The industry is based on cheap, trendy clothes that are often worn a couple of times before being tossed. Earth.org reported that the sector is the world's second-largest water consumer as well as a massive polluter. Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microplastics into oceans annually.
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The twins plan for their process to go beyond clothing by providing CO2-derived cellulose for packaging, medical, cosmetics, and food applications, among others. They plan to license the tech, per Euronews.
"We've proven that CO2 can be a valuable resource rather than a harmful waste product. I'm honored to work together with my sister as we pioneer the next era of abundance with reinvented manufacturing systems," Neeka said.
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