Biomimicry and Biodesalination

Dr. Ezra Orlofsky, Simon Chernoivanov, Alisa Cohen and Professor M. Iggy Litaor

Biologically inspired desalination has the potential to mitigate conventional desalination’s energetic footprint. Our team is currently studying phytodesalination of agro-industrial wastewater from a functional perspective. We present a combination halophyte and ion exchange wetland for removal of sodium from the treated wastewater, complimented with lab-scale experiments. In addition to our own work, we review some cutting edge advances in the biodesalination field such as modified reverse osmosis membranes based on the Mangrove root, thermally responsive hydrogels based on onion cells and other exciting advances.