Aquaporin-embedded membranes to fight water scarcity

Biomimetics - nature-inspired innovation - is one of the emerging technologies racing to become the first to effectively bring down the energy costs of desalination. Several groups and companies around the world are working on copying nature’s method of transporting pure water across a membrane. 

One of them is Denmark-based Danfoss AquaZ A/S and its subsidiary Danfoss AquaZ Inc in Cincinnati/Ohio, which is striving to incorporate functional aquaporin water channels into revolutionary new and cost-effective desalination membranes. 

This article first appeared in the August/September 2010 issue ofDesalination & Water Reuse magazine.