Learning from nature to revolutionise water treatment

Multidisciplinary research is driving new nature-inspired engineering solutions to purify and desalinate water.

Clean water is a vital resource but one that is becoming rapidly scarce for much of the global population. The need for innovative technologies that convert seawater to drinking water or remove impurities from wastewater is becoming increasingly important. 

“Designing and implementing innovative ways to purify and desalinate water is essential if we are to conserve resources and provide drinking water for the world’s growing population,” says Professor Marc-Olivier Coppens, Director of the UCL Centre for Nature-Inspired Engineering (CNIE).  

Over time, the artificial membranes currently used in water treatment become damaged by unwanted material that accumulates on their surface.  

Researchers at the CNIE are taking a different approach: learning from biological membranes, such as cell membranes or kidney blood vessels, to develop more efficient, durable membranes. 

““Rather than imitating nature out of context, our research is taking a scientific approach to uncover fundamental mechanisms underlying desirable traits in the natural world.”  

“We are taking inspiration from the cells and organs in our body, such as the kidneys, which are constantly purifying and changing the content of impure liquids, without getting blocked,” Professor Coppens explains.  

Biological cell membranes contain small pores – called aquaporins – which repel ions and let water flow through freely due to the characteristics of their surface. Understanding these pores is now informing the design of the artificial membranes used in water treatment.  

In addition, Professor Coppens’s team investigated how these cell membranes prevent proteins and debris, such as bacteria, from sticking to them. They explored two different mechanisms used by kidney blood vessels and cell membranes to develop nature-inspired membranes that stay clean during applications in water treatment.  

The research involves collaborations across UCL Chemical Engineering, UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, and the London Centre for Nanotechnology. 

More generally, the CNIE’s research draws lessons from nature to engineer innovative solutions to real-world challenges around energy, water, materials, health, and living space. This is realised via cross-disciplinary collaborations across UCL, and with national and global partners.  

“Rather than imitating nature out of context, our research is taking a scientific approach to uncover fundamental mechanisms underlying desirable traits in the natural world,” says Professor Coppens. “We then apply these mechanisms to design and produce artificial systems that use these traits.”