Aquaporin-based Membranes for Water Purification

Cartoon of a lipid bilayer liposome containing aquaporin proteins for water desalination.

Development of Next-Generation, Ultra-Selective Aquaporin-based Membranes for Water Purification

Jay Werber, Corey Wilson, Menachem Elimelech

We prepare lipid vesicles (liposomes) using a polymerizable lipid.  The aim is to incorporate the water channel protein Aquaporin into the liposomes, and then form supported bilayers, resulting in a desalination membrane.  Characterization of both the size distribution and the permeabilities of the prepared vesicles is essential to optimize membrane preparation and formation.