Phoenix, AZ (November 20, 2025) – A biotech startup is taking a fresh approach to carbon capture — using algae and bacteria to turn CO₂ into high-value proteins. Founded in 2024 by three Arizona State University alumni, Erik Eshima, Jarrett Eshima, and Dhruva Moudgal, Airobes is demonstrating that CO₂ does not have to be a waste product and can be utilized as a valuable resource.
Collaborating closely with ASU’s Algae Center for Technology and Innovation, Airobes is leveraging the Phoenix ecosystem. “The expertise here is incredible. Phoenix gives us room to grow in a way that traditional biotech hubs can’t,” CEO Jarret Eshima said. Airobes is currently housed at 850 PBC and is one of the companies in the Connect Labs by Wexford. “Access to high-end equipment made all the difference. It gave us the runway we needed to prove the technology and launch our first product with confidence.” Eshima said.
Airobes’s research focuses on capturing carbon that turns into nutrients that feed engineered bacteria, which then produce recombinant proteins such as scientific reagents — and eventually, therapeutic proteins like insulin. “Nature has already evolved the tools we need. We’re leveraging biology to solve modern problems,” said Eshima.
Compared to other carbon capture companies that rely on credits or bury CO₂ underground, Airobes highlights creating something valuable from the emissions. “If we want carbon capture to scale, it has to make economic sense. Our proteins provide that value,” Eshima said. Currently, Airobes is scaling its process beyond small benchtop reactors. “We’ve proven it works in the lab. The next step is showing it works on larger scales,” Eshima shared.
Airobes’s vision is straightforward: use biology to turn emissions into value — and build a circular, sustainable system that reduces waste while producing goods society needs. “We’re trying to create a world where waste becomes raw material. That’s how real change happens,” Eshima said.
About the Phoenix Bioscience Core
The Phoenix Bioscience Core (PBC) is a 30-acre life sciences innovation district located in downtown Phoenix. It hosts Arizona’s three public research universities—Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona—as well as leading genomics pioneers like the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of the City of Hope, and the International Genomics Consortium. The PBC also collaborates with major healthcare systems, including Banner Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dignity Health, HonorHealth, Phoenix VA, and Valleywise Health, alongside a growing number of emerging life science companies. This unique concentration of research scientists and healthcare professionals fosters unprecedented collaborations, advancing precision medicine from discovery to delivery. To learn more, please visit phoenixbiosciencecore.com
By: Madisson Simental | November 20, 2025