International » US-Israeli Workshop
WaterCAMPWS, the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative, and the National Science Foundation co-hosted the first US-Israeli Workshop on Nanotechnology for Water Purification in suburban Washington, DC on March 13-15, 2006. More than a dozen Israeli researchers and technology managers joined more than two dozen US researchers from WaterCAMPWS, the National Science Foundation, Sandia National Laboratories, US EPA and a number of US universities to assess the science and application of nanotechnologies to advancing water purification.
Participants heard 20 technical presentations covering current research on contaminant sensing, contaminant destruction and removal, membranes and membrane processes, and biofouling and disinfection, and participated in focused discussion sessions to identify knowledge gaps and research and application opportunities to advance the state of water purification. Researchers identified 6 potential collaboration areas and agreed to explore joint research projects across participating institutions. A second workshop to be located in Israel is also under discussion.
A highlight of the workshop was a guest appearance by Rafael Harpaz, Minister-Counselor of Public Affairs, from the Israeli Embassy, who encouraged workshop participants to build upon the already successful history of scientific collaboration between Israel and the United States.
On July 10, 2006, a press release was issued identifying four collaborative efforts targeting the most promising areas for water treatment using nanotechnologies:
- Development of self-assembling, porous polymer-based ultra-filtration membranes with special coatings, that exhibit higher flux and higher resistance to contamination as well as robust molecular sieving abilities.
- Development of coatings with antimicrobial capabilities that can minimize biological attachment and biofilm formation, to be applied to membranes used to treat drinking water and wastewater.
- Study of mixed metal oxide nanostructured materials for the destruction of biological toxins in surface waters and groundwater using photocatalysis and oxidation.
- Development of whole-cell microbial biosensors to detect minute metabolite excretions from newly-forming biofilms, optimizing membrane maintenance and extending lifetimes.
To download the full press release, follow the link below.
