{"id":13230,"date":"2019-05-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T07:15:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T07:15:44","slug":"j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress","status":"publish","type":"perspectives","link":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Almost five years on from its formation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mit.edu\/\">MIT<\/a>), the global reach and enormous potential of the research supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (<a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/\">J-WAFS<\/a>) grants is becoming ever clearer.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 60 MIT <a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/about\/people\/funded-principal-investigators\">Principal Investigators<\/a> (PI) from 19 MIT departments, labs, and centers; 58 funded doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students; 35 postdocs, and 15 additional research staff are among those involved in the skilled and diverse research community fuelled by J-WAFS\u2019 funding. At MIT, the J-WAFS seed grant program is the most significant funding source for water and food research.\u00a0 This support provides the MIT research community with essential resources as they strive to tackle some of humankind\u2019s most severe challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Their research, it is hoped, will deliver significant impacts on water and food safety and supply, despite the increasing demands on our water and food systems caused by climate change and consumption.\u00a0\u00a0 J-WAFS funding also extends beyond early \u201cseed\u201d research grants.\u00a0\u00a0 Their J-WAFS Solutions Program supports the commercialization of these and other innovative technologies and approaches.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SZVUn5clNp4\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>With requests for proposals for the 2019 J-WAFS initial seed grants already distributed, <em>Opening Doors<\/em> looks back at the success of some of the initial projects first funded in 2016 that have recently reached their conclusions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/active-materials-heavy-metal-extraction-water\"><strong>Active materials for heavy metal extraction from water<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>PI: Timothy Swager, John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18774 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Timothy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"179\" \/>By developing scalable designs for polymer-based membranes that can remove toxins, such as lead and mercury, from water at the molecular level, principal investigator Timothy Swager hopes to develop a technology that could transform the water industry. \u00a0The membranes work by manipulating electrical charges to catch and release toxic metal ions. \u00a0So far, Prof. Swager\u2019s team has built and validated a prototype filter that can successfully remove both metals, as well as show how it could be used at an industrial scale. \u00a0The team has already secured financial support from the MIT Energy Initiative to build on its successful research results.\u00a0 This follow-on grant is supporting the application of the membrane production process toward the creation of high-performance fuel cells. \u00a0Prof. Swager is also exploring how the same filtration strategy could be used to extract specific molecules from plants.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/bacterial-viruses-pathogen-control-agents-aquaculture-systems\"><strong>Bacterial viruses as pathogen control agents in aquaculture systems<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>PI: Martin Polz, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18775 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Martin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"214\" \/>One of the many challenges faced by aquaculture farms is population decline due to bacterial infection. \u00a0Oysters and shellfish are particularly vulnerable to infection, and they are often treated with large doses of antibiotics.<\/p>\n<p>However, this strategy is not always effective at controlling disease. In fact, the use of antibiotics in aquaculture is so widespread that they are becoming less effective over time. \u00a0Instead, viruses that are able to target specific harmful bacteria could perhaps serve as a sustainable alternative. \u00a0Prof. Polz and his research team is attempting to create effective \u2018virus cocktails\u2019 that can suppress the growth of harmful bacteria. \u00a0They have already characterized and mapped virus\/bacteria interactions to identify combinations of viruses that can stay ahead of bacteria\u2019s ability to evolve resistance, and has received follow-up funding from the Simons Foundation to explore this research into virus-bacteria interaction further.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/real-time-site-detection-foodborne-pathogens-engineered-bacteriophage\"><strong>Real-time, on-site detection of foodborne pathogens by engineered bacteriophage integrated with microfluidic sample preparation platforms<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>PIs: Jongyoon Han, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering; Timothy Lu, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18776 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Han.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"215\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Detecting foodborne pathogens in food production and processing facilities is a major issue.<\/p>\n<p>Early detection allows companies and facilities to more effectively control outbreaks of foodborne disease, which reduces cost as well as the adverse health impacts that occur when contaminated food reaches the marketplace. \u00a0Using their expertise in microfluidics, Prof. Han and Prof. Lu built a high-throughput device that separates and concentrates cells in food samples.<\/p>\n<p>This is combined with a virus detection system that uses viruses engineered to specifically infect bacteria such as <em>Salmonella<\/em> and <em>Listeria<\/em>, and cause them to light up \u2013 quickly revealing the level of contamination present. \u00a0Prof. Han\u2019s group is now assessing whether the technology could be used for water safety testing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/projects\/2016\/estimating-benefits-strengthening-water-markets\"><strong>Estimating the benefits to strengthening water markets<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>PI: Christopher Knittel, George P. Schultz Professor, Sloan School of Management<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18778 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Christopher.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"219\" \/>As water scarcity becomes an increasingly pressing challenge, how can economic policy promote more efficient water use in urban and agricultural contexts?<\/p>\n<p>By compiling the first known complete data set capturing surface water allocations in California from 1980 to the present, Prof. Knittel\u2019s team is painting a more accurate picture of water use in order to understand and quantify the economic and environmental benefits of water markets e.g. selling, purchasing, and trading water resources.<\/p>\n<p>Prof. Knittel has now established successful relationships with the U.S. Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, and several brokerage and consulting firms that are involved in water pricing \u2013 each of which is invested in future research results.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/air-pollution-impacts-global-crop-yields\"><strong>Air pollution impacts on global crop yields<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>PI: Colette Heald, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18779 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Collette.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"209\" \/>How does air pollution affect crop production? \u00a0While much research has been done on the effect of ozone on crop health and yield, little research exists on the effect of particulate matter.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Colette Heald of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering noticed this research gap. \u00a0She used a 2016 J-WAFS seed grant to examine the effects airborne particulate matter on crop yield. \u00a0Combining crop production and atmospheric chemical transport models, her team created the first comprehensive estimate of the food production impacts of air pollution. \u00a0The models demonstrated that, while ozone damages plants\u2019 leaves, particulate matter can diffuse solar radiation and thereby increase the sunlight available to plants, offsetting some projected ozone damage. \u00a0However, the research results also revealed a great degree of variability, demonstrating the uncertainty of the overall impact of particulate matter on global crop yields.<\/p>\n<p><strong>J-WAFS: A catalyst for solutions-oriented research<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2017, seven more research projects received a total of US$ 1.4m in J-WAFS seed grant funding.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18587 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2017\/11\/XuanheZhao.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"840\" height=\"440\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Among them is an attempt by Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-good-vibrations-reducing-cost-water-desalination\/\">Xuanhe Zhao<\/a> and Prof. John Lienhard to develop a chemical-free, vibration-based membrane cleaning technology that could dramatically improve the efficiency \u2013 and reduce the costs \u2013 of reverse osmosis, the most widely used desalination process in the world. \u00a0<em>\u201cFresh water is fundamental to our existence,\u201d<\/em> says Prof. Zhao, <em>\u201cbut ensuring a stable, sustainable supply is a huge challenge \u2013 particularly in water-scarce areas like the Middle East and North Africa.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0The pair hope their research can reduce the maintenance and operating costs associated with reverse osmosis, which in turn should also lower the cost of water to consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Through three Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellowship for Water Solutions awards and two additional J-WAFS Graduate Student Fellowship Program awards, since 2017, five MIT doctoral students have received research support for projects that could have a significant impact on future water supply management.<\/p>\n<p>They are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Providing a system of analysis for the design of engineering infrastructure that can minimize the supply planning uncertainties \u2013 including rainfall, population and climate change \u2013 across Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Australia (<a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/inaugural-j-wafs-fellowships-support-crucial-water-security-research\/\">Sarah Fletcher<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\n<li>Building the necessary knowledge to support nanotechnology development that could ultimately deliver more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective desalination (<a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/news \">Omar Labban<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\n<li>Developing genetically engineered microbes that could cheaply and effectively be used as water quality sensors (<a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-living-sensors-detect-water-contamination\/\">Tzu-Chieh Tang<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\n<li>Designing an affordable, easy-to-use water filter made of xylem tissue in wood that can remove contaminants from marginal water supplies in rural areas and vulnerable communities (<a href=\"http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2018\/mit-students-krithika-ramchander-andrea-beck-awarded-j-wafs-fellowships-water-solutions-0809\">Krithika Ramchander<\/a>, 2018 fellow)<\/li>\n<li>Examining how transnational water operators\u2019 partnerships (WOPs) could provide an alternative approach for strengthening public water and sanitation utilities in developing countries (<a href=\"http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2018\/mit-students-krithika-ramchander-andrea-beck-awarded-j-wafs-fellowships-water-solutions-0809\">Andrea Karin Beck<\/a>, 2018 fellow)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Research in progress<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The crop of J-WAFS funded research in 2018 includes a project led by Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-farm-waste-fertilizer-improving-soil-quality-agricultural-communities\/\">Ahmed Ghoniem<\/a> and doctoral student <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-farm-waste-fertilizer-improving-soil-quality-agricultural-communities\/\">Kevin Kung<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16684 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Kevin-Kung.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"639\" height=\"426\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The pair are working on a project to refine new biomass processing technology to produce fertilizer on a small scale in rural communities, using mostly local resources, labor, and agricultural waste. <em>\u201cThe funding from J-WAFS is enabling us to take the essential first steps to start making inroads into this market and hopefully turn our vision into a reality,\u201d<\/em> said Prof. Ghoniem. \u00a0<em>\u201cWe\u2019re confident, too, that working with J-WAFS can help us not only in terms of the technology development, but also in exploring diversification and the commercialization of the technology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-19882 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Rohit-249x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"300\" \/>Another project involves Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-in-action-providing-safe-drinking-water-through-wood\/\">Rohit Karnik<\/a> and Senior Lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-in-action-providing-safe-drinking-water-through-wood\/\">Amy Smith<\/a>, who are leading a group of researchers hoping to harness the natural qualities of xylem wood to provide safe, affordable drinking water to low-income groups. \u201c<em>We aim to make use of a natural water-filtration technology that is quite different from those already on the market, with the hope of improving the supply of safe water to rural and low-income communities,\u201d<\/em> says Prof. Karnik.<\/p>\n<p>This catalogue of J-WAFS projects shows how research support for early-stage ideas can result in advances that both lay important groundwork for future research and lead to technologies that can be scaled up to help address some of the world\u2019s biggest challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Additional details about these and other\u00a0J-WAFS-funded projects are available on the J-WAFS <a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/current#seedgrant\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19843\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JWAFS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"205\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13240,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-13230","perspectives","type-perspectives","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress - Abdul Latif Jameel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress - Abdul Latif Jameel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Almost five years on from its formation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the global reach and enormous potential of the research supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water 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Nearly 60 MIT Principal Investigators (PI) from 19 MIT departments, labs, and centers; 58 funded [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Abdul Latif Jameel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-20T07:15:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-Signing.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"876\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"584\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/\",\"name\":\"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress - Abdul Latif Jameel\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-Signing.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-05-06T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-20T07:15:44+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-Signing.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-Signing.jpg\",\"width\":876,\"height\":584},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/j-wafs-achievements-proud-history-progress\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Abdul Latif Jameel\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress - Abdul Latif Jameel","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"J-WAFS achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress - Abdul Latif Jameel","og_description":"Almost five years on from its formation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the global reach and enormous potential of the research supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) grants is becoming ever clearer. 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achievements \u2013 a proud history of progress"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/","name":"Abdul Latif Jameel","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/10.0.2.222\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"post-meta-fields":{"_wp_page_template":["default"],"_published_date":["field_6057129b493f5"],"published_date":["20190506"],"_location":["field_601267396ce72"],"location":["Boston, USA"],"_featured":["field_601a3b473c5c5"],"featured":["0"],"_footnotes":["field_66fd39afb9383"],"footnotes":[""],"_business_sector":["field_66f6b5bcac8cb"],"business_sector":["Community 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clearer.<\/p>"],"_mobile_featured_image":["field_66f6b4bee65f3"],"mobile_featured_image":["https:\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-Signing-mobile.jpg"],"_push_notification":["field_66f6b47de65f1"],"push_notification":[""],"_publish_mobile":["field_66f6b491e65f2"],"publish_mobile":["1"],"_status":["field_652694983fe12"],"status":["publish"],"_thumbnail_id":["13240"],"_wpml_word_count":["{\"total\":1604,\"to_translate\":{\"ar\":1604,\"zh-hans\":1604,\"fr\":1604,\"ja\":1604,\"es\":1604,\"tr\":1604}}"],"_wpml_location_migration_done":["1"],"amazonS3_cache":["a:40:{s:68:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Timothy.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13233\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:70:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Timothy.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13233\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:67:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Martin.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13234\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:69:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Martin.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13234\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:64:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Han.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13235\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:66:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Han.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13235\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:72:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Christopher.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13236\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:74:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Christopher.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13236\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:69:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Collette.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13237\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:71:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Collette.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13237\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:71:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/XuanheZhao.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"12796\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:73:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/XuanheZhao.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"12796\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:71:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Kevin-Kung.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13062\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:73:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Kevin-Kung.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13062\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:66:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Rohit.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13238\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:74:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Rohit-249x300.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13238\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:68:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Rohit.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13238\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:76:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Rohit-249x300.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13238\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:68:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-1.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13239\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:70:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/JWAFS-1.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13239\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:68:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Almar-1.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13323\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:70:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Almar-1.png\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13323\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:73:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Fady-signing.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13322\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:81:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Fady-signing-300x200.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13322\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:75:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Fady-signing.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13322\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:83:\"\/\/media.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Fady-signing-300x200.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13322\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-library\";}s:67:\"\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Carlos.jpg\";a:2:{s:2:\"id\";s:5:\"13202\";s:11:\"source_type\";s:13:\"media-libra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five years on from its formation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mit.edu\/\">MIT<\/a>), the global reach and enormous potential of the research supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (<a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/\">J-WAFS<\/a>) grants is becoming ever clearer.<\/p>\r\n<p>Nearly 60 MIT <a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/about\/people\/funded-principal-investigators\">Principal Investigators<\/a> (PI) from 19 MIT departments, labs, and centers; 58 funded doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students; 35 postdocs, and 15 additional research staff are among those involved in the skilled and diverse research community fuelled by J-WAFS\u2019 funding. At MIT, the J-WAFS seed grant program is the most significant funding source for water and food research.\u00a0 This support provides the MIT research community with essential resources as they strive to tackle some of humankind\u2019s most severe challenges.<\/p>\r\n<p>Their research, it is hoped, will deliver significant impacts on water and food safety and supply, despite the increasing demands on our water and food systems caused by climate change and consumption.\u00a0\u00a0 J-WAFS funding also extends beyond early \u201cseed\u201d research grants.\u00a0\u00a0 Their J-WAFS Solutions Program supports the commercialization of these and other innovative technologies and approaches.<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SZVUn5clNp4\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n<p>With requests for proposals for the 2019 J-WAFS initial seed grants already distributed, <em>Opening Doors<\/em> looks back at the success of some of the initial projects first funded in 2016 that have recently reached their conclusions.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/active-materials-heavy-metal-extraction-water\"><strong>Active materials for heavy metal extraction from water<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><em>PI: Timothy Swager, John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"size-full wp-image-18774 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Timothy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"179\" \/>By developing scalable designs for polymer-based membranes that can remove toxins, such as lead and mercury, from water at the molecular level, principal investigator Timothy Swager hopes to develop a technology that could transform the water industry. \u00a0The membranes work by manipulating electrical charges to catch and release toxic metal ions. \u00a0So far, Prof. Swager\u2019s team has built and validated a prototype filter that can successfully remove both metals, as well as show how it could be used at an industrial scale. \u00a0The team has already secured financial support from the MIT Energy Initiative to build on its successful research results.\u00a0 This follow-on grant is supporting the application of the membrane production process toward the creation of high-performance fuel cells. \u00a0Prof. Swager is also exploring how the same filtration strategy could be used to extract specific molecules from plants.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/bacterial-viruses-pathogen-control-agents-aquaculture-systems\"><strong>Bacterial viruses as pathogen control agents in aquaculture systems<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><em>PI: Martin Polz, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"size-full wp-image-18775 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Martin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"214\" \/>One of the many challenges faced by aquaculture farms is population decline due to bacterial infection. \u00a0Oysters and shellfish are particularly vulnerable to infection, and they are often treated with large doses of antibiotics.<\/p>\r\n<p>However, this strategy is not always effective at controlling disease. In fact, the use of antibiotics in aquaculture is so widespread that they are becoming less effective over time. \u00a0Instead, viruses that are able to target specific harmful bacteria could perhaps serve as a sustainable alternative. \u00a0Prof. Polz and his research team is attempting to create effective \u2018virus cocktails\u2019 that can suppress the growth of harmful bacteria. \u00a0They have already characterized and mapped virus\/bacteria interactions to identify combinations of viruses that can stay ahead of bacteria\u2019s ability to evolve resistance, and has received follow-up funding from the Simons Foundation to explore this research into virus-bacteria interaction further.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/real-time-site-detection-foodborne-pathogens-engineered-bacteriophage\"><strong>Real-time, on-site detection of foodborne pathogens by engineered bacteriophage integrated with microfluidic sample preparation platforms<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><em>PIs: Jongyoon Han, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering; Timothy Lu, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Biological Engineering<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"size-full wp-image-18776 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Han.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"215\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>Detecting foodborne pathogens in food production and processing facilities is a major issue.<\/p>\r\n<p>Early detection allows companies and facilities to more effectively control outbreaks of foodborne disease, which reduces cost as well as the adverse health impacts that occur when contaminated food reaches the marketplace. \u00a0Using their expertise in microfluidics, Prof. Han and Prof. Lu built a high-throughput device that separates and concentrates cells in food samples.<\/p>\r\n<p>This is combined with a virus detection system that uses viruses engineered to specifically infect bacteria such as <em>Salmonella<\/em> and <em>Listeria<\/em>, and cause them to light up \u2013 quickly revealing the level of contamination present. \u00a0Prof. Han\u2019s group is now assessing whether the technology could be used for water safety testing.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/projects\/2016\/estimating-benefits-strengthening-water-markets\"><strong>Estimating the benefits to strengthening water markets<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><em>PI: Christopher Knittel, George P. Schultz Professor, Sloan School of Management<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"size-full wp-image-18778 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Christopher.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"219\" \/>As water scarcity becomes an increasingly pressing challenge, how can economic policy promote more efficient water use in urban and agricultural contexts?<\/p>\r\n<p>By compiling the first known complete data set capturing surface water allocations in California from 1980 to the present, Prof. Knittel\u2019s team is painting a more accurate picture of water use in order to understand and quantify the economic and environmental benefits of water markets e.g. selling, purchasing, and trading water resources.<\/p>\r\n<p>Prof. Knittel has now established successful relationships with the U.S. Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, and several brokerage and consulting firms that are involved in water pricing \u2013 each of which is invested in future research results.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/2016\/air-pollution-impacts-global-crop-yields\"><strong>Air pollution impacts on global crop yields<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><em>PI: Colette Heald, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"size-full wp-image-18779 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Collette.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"209\" \/>How does air pollution affect crop production? \u00a0While much research has been done on the effect of ozone on crop health and yield, little research exists on the effect of particulate matter.<\/p>\r\n<p>Professor Colette Heald of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering noticed this research gap. \u00a0She used a 2016 J-WAFS seed grant to examine the effects airborne particulate matter on crop yield. \u00a0Combining crop production and atmospheric chemical transport models, her team created the first comprehensive estimate of the food production impacts of air pollution. \u00a0The models demonstrated that, while ozone damages plants\u2019 leaves, particulate matter can diffuse solar radiation and thereby increase the sunlight available to plants, offsetting some projected ozone damage. \u00a0However, the research results also revealed a great degree of variability, demonstrating the uncertainty of the overall impact of particulate matter on global crop yields.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>J-WAFS: A catalyst for solutions-oriented research<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>In 2017, seven more research projects received a total of US$ 1.4m in J-WAFS seed grant funding.<\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18587 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2017\/11\/XuanheZhao.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"840\" height=\"440\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>Among them is an attempt by Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-good-vibrations-reducing-cost-water-desalination\/\">Xuanhe Zhao<\/a> and Prof. John Lienhard to develop a chemical-free, vibration-based membrane cleaning technology that could dramatically improve the efficiency \u2013 and reduce the costs \u2013 of reverse osmosis, the most widely used desalination process in the world. \u00a0<em>\u201cFresh water is fundamental to our existence,\u201d<\/em> says Prof. Zhao, <em>\u201cbut ensuring a stable, sustainable supply is a huge challenge \u2013 particularly in water-scarce areas like the Middle East and North Africa.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0The pair hope their research can reduce the maintenance and operating costs associated with reverse osmosis, which in turn should also lower the cost of water to consumers.<\/p>\r\n<p>Through three Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellowship for Water Solutions awards and two additional J-WAFS Graduate Student Fellowship Program awards, since 2017, five MIT doctoral students have received research support for projects that could have a significant impact on future water supply management.<\/p>\r\n<p>They are:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Providing a system of analysis for the design of engineering infrastructure that can minimize the supply planning uncertainties \u2013 including rainfall, population and climate change \u2013 across Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Australia (<a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/inaugural-j-wafs-fellowships-support-crucial-water-security-research\/\">Sarah Fletcher<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Building the necessary knowledge to support nanotechnology development that could ultimately deliver more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective desalination (<a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/news\r\n\">Omar Labban<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Developing genetically engineered microbes that could cheaply and effectively be used as water quality sensors (<a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-living-sensors-detect-water-contamination\/\">Tzu-Chieh Tang<\/a>, 2017 fellow).<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Designing an affordable, easy-to-use water filter made of xylem tissue in wood that can remove contaminants from marginal water supplies in rural areas and vulnerable communities (<a href=\"http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2018\/mit-students-krithika-ramchander-andrea-beck-awarded-j-wafs-fellowships-water-solutions-0809\">Krithika Ramchander<\/a>, 2018 fellow)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Examining how transnational water operators\u2019 partnerships (WOPs) could provide an alternative approach for strengthening public water and sanitation utilities in developing countries (<a href=\"http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2018\/mit-students-krithika-ramchander-andrea-beck-awarded-j-wafs-fellowships-water-solutions-0809\">Andrea Karin Beck<\/a>, 2018 fellow)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Research in progress<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>The crop of J-WAFS funded research in 2018 includes a project led by Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-farm-waste-fertilizer-improving-soil-quality-agricultural-communities\/\">Ahmed Ghoniem<\/a> and doctoral student <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-action-farm-waste-fertilizer-improving-soil-quality-agricultural-communities\/\">Kevin Kung<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-16684 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Kevin-Kung.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"639\" height=\"426\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>The pair are working on a project to refine new biomass processing technology to produce fertilizer on a small scale in rural communities, using mostly local resources, labor, and agricultural waste. <em>\u201cThe funding from J-WAFS is enabling us to take the essential first steps to start making inroads into this market and hopefully turn our vision into a reality,\u201d<\/em> said Prof. Ghoniem. \u00a0<em>\u201cWe\u2019re confident, too, that working with J-WAFS can help us not only in terms of the technology development, but also in exploring diversification and the commercialization of the technology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-19882 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Rohit-249x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"300\" \/>Another project involves Prof. <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-in-action-providing-safe-drinking-water-through-wood\/\">Rohit Karnik<\/a> and Senior Lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/j-wafs-in-action-providing-safe-drinking-water-through-wood\/\">Amy Smith<\/a>, who are leading a group of researchers hoping to harness the natural qualities of xylem wood to provide safe, affordable drinking water to low-income groups. \u201c<em>We aim to make use of a natural water-filtration technology that is quite different from those already on the market, with the hope of improving the supply of safe water to rural and low-income communities,\u201d<\/em> says Prof. Karnik.<\/p>\r\n<p>This catalogue of J-WAFS projects shows how research support for early-stage ideas can result in advances that both lay important groundwork for future research and lead to technologies that can be scaled up to help address some of the world\u2019s biggest challenges.<\/p>\r\n<p>Additional details about these and other\u00a0J-WAFS-funded projects are available on the J-WAFS <a href=\"https:\/\/jwafs.mit.edu\/research\/projects\/current#seedgrant\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19843\" src=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JWAFS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"205\" \/><\/p>"],"_content":[""],"_wp_old_date":["2019-01-15"],"_edit_last":["22"],"_ame_cpe_post_policy":["{\"accessProtection\":{\"active\":\"replace\"}}"],"_wpml_media_duplicate":["1"],"_wpml_media_featured":["1"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["9"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/perspectives\/13230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/perspectives"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/perspectives"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}