Summer Intern - Creating Value from Kombucha By-Products

AgResearch; Lincoln; On-site; NZD 100,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentoring

Research exposure

Career development

Māori business context

Job summary

AgResearch in New Zealand invites a Summer Student Intern to explore value from kombucha by-products within the Bioeconomy Science Institute. This fixed-term 12-week placement offers factory-based learning alongside scientists, industry partners and a Māori-owned business.

You will study SCOBY streams, review literature, collect samples, and help prepare a final report and presentation. The internship emphasises sustainability, circular economy thinking and collaboration with Te Tiriti o

Qualifications

• Studying science or related field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Interest in sustainability and innovation
• Willingness to learn Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Reo Māori

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Curiosity

Independent working

Team collaboration

Education

Undergraduate student in related field

Job description

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Summer Intern - Creating Value from Kombucha By-Products

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.