Summer Intern - Creating Value from Kombucha By-Products

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Location: Tuhiraki, Lincoln, New Zealand

Fixed Term – 12 weeks

Hours: 40 hours

Summer Student Intern – Creating Value from Kombucha By-Products

Exploring waste-to-value opportunities in the circular bioeconomy

Interested in sustainability, innovation and finding new uses for biological resources?

This internship offers a unique opportunity to work alongside scientists, industry partners and a Māori-owned business to investigate pathways for creating value from by-products generated during kombucha production.

The partner organisation is a whānau-owned beverage manufacturer business based in Christchurch that produces a range of kombucha products and generates excess SCOBY, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, as a biological side stream of the brewing process. This project will involve factory-based learning to understand the manufacturing process and observe how different SCOBY streams are produced, collected and handled. It will also involve a literature review of potential SCOBY uses, representative sample collection, and laboratory characterisation to assess opportunities for future value-added applications.

Working across Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao, Lincoln University and an industry partner, you'll help build the knowledge base that could support future collaborative research and innovation projects.

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What you will be doing | Ngā whāinga matua

• • Learn about the kombucha brewing process and how different SCOBY streams are produced and handled.
  • Review scientific and industry literature on the properties and potential uses of SCOBY.
  • Collect and prepare representative SCOBY samples for analysis.
  • Compare the nutritional, structural, functional and microbial characteristics of the two SCOBY streams.
  • Assess their preliminary suitability for selected value-added applications.
  • Prepare a final report and presentation outlining opportunities, recommendations and future directions.

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What you will bring | Ngā tino pūkenga me ngā wheako

You may be studying food science, biological sciences, environmental science, biotechnology, sustainability, chemistry, business, innovation, Māori resource management, or another related field.

What matters most is your curiosity, willingness to learn, and interest in connecting science, sustainability and real-world application.

You will likely:

• Enjoy investigating new ideas and emerging opportunities.
• Be comfortable gathering information from a range of sources and making sense of it.
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Be interested in sustainability, circular economy thinking and innovation.
• Be able to engage confidently with people from different backgrounds and disciplines.
• Have an appreciation of, or willingness to learn about, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori.
• Be organised, self-motivated and able to work independently while contributing to a team environment.

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Why join us?

This internship provides an opportunity to work on a real-world sustainability challenge while gaining experience across research, industry engagement and innovation.

You'll work alongside researchers and industry partners to help identify opportunities that could contribute to the future growth of a Māori business, strengthen collaboration between organisations, and support the development of new circular bioeconomy solutions.

A copy of the Position Description is available for you to view here.

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What you will get | Ngā hua o tēnei tūranga

• Exposure to a professional research and innovation environment.
• Experience working with both scientific and industry partners.
• Opportunities to develop research, analysis and communication skills.
• Exposure to Māori business and innovation contexts.
• Mentoring and support from experienced researchers and industry professionals.
• Valuable experience to support future study and career opportunities.

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About us | Ko wai mātou

We've built something new.  AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion have come together to form the Bioeconomy Science Institute. We are more than 2200 people working to support the growth and resilience of the bioeconomy in New Zealand and beyond.

Together, our world-class science can do more to advance innovation in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology and manufacturing; protect and enhance ecosystems from biosecurity threats and climate risks; and develop new bio-based technologies and products.

For further details about the Bioeconomy Science Institute can be found on our website, watch this Bioeconomy Science Institute short clip

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Ready to Apply? | Kua rite koe ki te tono?

If you're enthusiastic about science and keen to apply your studies in a research setting, we'd love to hear from you. Bring your curiosity, motivation, and willingness to learn, and join us for an exciting summer research experience.