At a time when climate change, urbanization, and a growing and evolving global population are together putting tremendous stresses on the world’s water and food supplies, solutions-oriented research addressing these most basic human needs is essential. It is an urgent challenge, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is supporting solutions. J-WAFS is an Institute-wide effort that fuels research, innovation, and institutional collaboration focused on water and food systems to meet human needs. Through early-stage research grants, support for technology commercialization, sponsored research management, student funding and mentorship, and events that convene local and global experts, J-WAFS leverages the world-class resources for which MIT is known. Our objective is to advance knowledge and innovation to create resilient systems that can deliver safe and adequate supplies of water and food for our changing world.
External link for J-WAFS at MIT
1 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02142, US
Congratulations to J-WAFS PI Carlos M. Portela on this award! 🎉
Assistant Professor Carlos Portela, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professor, has been awarded an Army Early Career Program Award (ARO ECP). Portela’s 3-year effort will focus on understanding the mechanics of granular metamaterials with tunable mechanical properties. The award is among the most prestigious honors granted by the Army to outstanding early career scientists.
The 2024 MIT Sustainability Conference will be held on October 22, 2024 at the Boston Marriott in Cambridge. The event will focus on accelerating the transition to a sustainable future by driving innovation and transforming global economic structures. The conference will feature MIT faculty, researchers, and startups presenting breakthroughs in energy generation, carbon capture, and industrial decarbonization. Two J-WAFS PIs, MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) Professor Cem Tasan and MIT Department of Chemistry Professor Yogesh Surendranath, will lead discussions on engineering solutions for sustainable steel and decarbonizing chemical manufacturing, respectively. Attendees will have opportunities to collaborate within MIT’s innovation network to enhance their impact. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gDmMumxZ
💧August is National Water Quality Month! This is a key time to reflect on the significance of clean water for both human health and environmental sustainability! 🌊 This month, J-WAFS is spotlighting the water filtration and desalination research of Jonathan Bessette, a PhD student in the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE). As the 2024-25 Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellow for Water Solutions, Bessette is working in the lab of Professor Amos G. Winter to create low-cost, community-scale desalination and water treatment systems for the developing world. Additionally, Bessette is the co-recipient of the 2024 J-WAFS India Grant, working with fellow MIT PhD student Gokul Sampath an innovative project involving "smart buckets" that use remote sensors to gather data on water collection practices in remote regions in India. In the video below, Bessette discusses how his J-WAFS projects tackle water access challenges in low- to middle-income countries. He also highlights his broader objective of enabling developing nations to advance directly to sustainable water technologies powered by renewable energy, bypassing dependence on fossil fuels. #NationalWaterQualityMonth #WaterQuality #CleanWater https://lnkd.in/gqSRt42i
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers Initiative (CGIAR) on Nature-Positive Solutions are hosting a free virtual event on August 27, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. ET. The seminar will emphasize the perspectives of smallholder, Indigenous, and family farmers who are directly impacted by climate change and environmental degradation. Additionally, Roger Thurow, an award-winning author and journalist, will discuss his latest book on balancing agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. Overall, participants will learn about the benefits of practices like agroforestry, agroecology, and regenerative agriculture and engage in a critical conversation about the future of sustainable agriculture. Read more and register here: https://lnkd.in/e-wpSfMG
#ICYMI: An article from the American Solar Energy Society notes that two billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water, significantly impacting health, food security, and gender equality. The issue is particularly severe in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa where water insecurity is closely tied to energy poverty. The article highlights a range of decentralized solar energy technologies to address water and food insecurity in remote regions, including the innovative, solar-powered desalination technology developed by J-WAFS spinout NONA Technologies. The company’s compact and portable device utilizes an electric current to effectively remove salt and bacteria from seawater and brackish water. Consequently, NONA’s solar-powered technology presents a promising and adaptable solution for enhancing water security in rural communities. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eKwDjqSh
Congratulations to J-WAFS director John Lienhard and team on their latest paper!
We're thrilled to share that our latest research on lithium recovery has just been published in Advanced Functional Materials! This work is a collaboration between academics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University, alongside membrane engineers at Nitto Denko Corporation. In this paper, we introduce a novel polyelectrolyte-coated nanofiltration membrane designed to enhance lithium extraction from both salt-lake brines and battery leachates. The polyelectrolyte coating, enriched with a high density of ammonium groups, maintains high selectivity even in hypersaline feed solutions (250 g/L TDS). Our study, based on over 8000 ion rejection measurements, demonstrates the membrane's ability to reduce magnesium concentrations to 0.14% from salt-lake brine and elevate lithium purity to 98% from battery leachates, in a single filtration stage. The coated membrane, further, is amenable to end-to-end rolling manufacturing and is available commercially as a spiral-wound module (Nitto Denko PRO-XS1). The paper is available open access at: https://lnkd.in/eJY4F7bt #LithiumRecovery #Nanofiltration #SaltLakes #BatteryRecycling #AdvancedMaterials
In this Boston Globe Media article, former J-WAFS fellow Peter Godart shares how he developed a method to produce aluminum-generated hydrogen while pursuing his doctorate in the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE). The process generates energy by coating refined aluminum with a chemical catalyst that reacts with water, producing heat and hydrogen gas. The heat can be used to power turbines for electricity or in manufacturing processes, while the hydrogen gas can be burned for additional energy. The leftover aluminum hydroxide is able to be recycled into pure aluminum and the catalyst can be reused, making the system both efficient and sustainable. Godart is now leading Found Energy, a Boston-based startup that is exploring applications for the clean energy technology. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/emuWbGir
Earlier this summer, J-WAFS spinout hydroGel was selected to participate in Cleantech Open Northeast / NECEC’s 2024 cohort. Each selected cohort team is focused on commercializing impactful technologies to address environmental and climate challenges. Born from a J-WAFS Solutions Grant project, hydroGel aims to make water treatment more sustainable and effective through innovative hydrogel microparticle technology. The six-month accelerator program provides training, mentorship, and opportunities for investment to the selected cohort teams. In September, the teams will showcase their startups at final events, with four winners each receiving a $10,000 cash prize. Congratulations to J-WAFS PI Professor Patrick Doyle and his team, including Arjav Shah and Luca Mazzaferro, for this achievement and good luck in September! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ee6v4CXb
💧August is National Water Quality Month! This is a time to reflect on the role of clean water for both human health and environmental sustainability. 🌊 This month, J-WAFS is spotlighting the water filtration and desalination research of Akash Ball, a PhD candidate in the MIT Chemical Engineering (ChemE) department. As a 2024-25 J-WAFS Fellow for Water and Food Solutions, Ball is currently working alongside MIT chemical engineering Professor Heather Kulik on the computational discovery of novel metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as membranes for selective ion separation. The project has applications in desalination, heavy metal removal from drinking water, and battery recycling. In the video below, Ball shares his insights the importance of creating energy-efficient ion separation membranes, which play a crucial part in the water-energy nexus. He also highlights why ensuring access to safe and clean drinking water is essential for the health of future generations and the vitality of our economy. #NationalWaterQualityMonth #WaterQuality #CleanWater https://lnkd.in/e3qzEgVt
Food Tank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving positive change in the global food system, is hosting a series of events during Climate Week NYC from September 23rd-27th! The events will feature renowned speakers and delicious food from the organization and its partners, including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and World Food Program USA. The programming will explore crucial topics such as the role of restaurants and farms, the importance of healthy soils, and strategies for reducing food waste. Highlights include the “Restaurants and Farms are the Key Solutions to the Climate Crisis” summit on September 23rd and thematic summits on September 25th and 26th focusing on food system resilience. These events will offer an opportunity to engage with experts and explore innovative food system solutions. View the full itinerary and register here: https://lnkd.in/e7_CTpCu