Internship Description
Allegra Brandon ’26SPS and Sanyam Madan ’25SEAS interned with Moby Filter, a Techstars-backed startup working to divert toxic microplastics from the environment and landfills through a patent-pending filter technology that captures and repurposes microplastics. As the fundraising and policy intern, Brandon played a key role in tracking legislation, assisting with market research, writing grant proposals to secure new funding opportunities, and forging new partnerships and business strategies. She also supported the startup's digital communications efforts to grow their online presence. Madan worked as a product development engineer intern and supported engineering efforts from research and ideation through prototyping and testing. He created 3D CAD models, built and tested prototypes, and conducted user research to inform design decisions. Madan collaborated with engineers and sustainability specialists to develop scalable systems and contributed to technical documentation and regulatory research. His work accelerated product development and strengthened Moby’s mission of creating innovative, environmentally friendly solutions.
During my internship at Moby, I contributed to the evolution of a modular microplastic filter for laundry wastewater. This technology aims to reduce microfiber and microplastic pollution at household and commercial scales. My work focused on improving filter effectiveness, modularity, and serviceability, directly supporting Moby’s mission of scalable, low‑cost environmental interventions. Being part of a mission‑driven team tackling real environmental challenges made this internship meaningful. I saw how engineering design can serve social and ecological goals.
As a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering, I applied my training in CAD, product development, and experimental prototyping to real‑world problems. I led the redesign of the G3 filter architecture, developed the new G4 prototype, built an in‑house valve control system using Raspberry Pi, and contributed to standard operating procedures and documentation for testing and packaging. This experience translated my academic knowledge into hands‑on, high‑impact solutions within a fast‑paced startup environment.
One challenge was balancing functional design improvements with manufacturability and pilot deployment constraints. For instance, the G3 system required multiple tools for filter replacement. Redesigning for ease of use while maintaining structural integrity demanded iterative testing and feedback. Limited resources and tight timelines taught me rapid prototyping and quick documentation methods. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team in a startup environment cultivated agility and solution‑oriented thinking.
This internship reinforced my passion for sustainable product design and environmental engineering. I left with a deeper appreciation for human‑centered design, systems thinking, and the iterative nature of real‑world engineering. I became more confident in design for manufacturing, experimental validation, and creating documentation that supports scale‑up. I also gained a clearer sense of how I want to apply my engineering skills: to build products that are technically excellent and socially and environmentally impactful.