Aquaporin Membranes for Water Purification on the International Space Station

Clifford Hall, Room 210

The International Space Station (ISS) is continuously home to astronauts. The production of clean water, treatment of waste water, and CO2 removal from air are all necessary for human presence. Current water purification systems on the ISS are energy intensive and utilize several operations which increase the likelihood of failure. Membrane technology for water purification offers the benefits of reduced energy requirements and fewer components compared to current methods. Although many membrane materials have been investigated, few meet the energy demand and rejection properties required for potable water. One material that is currently being investigated is aquaporin. Aquaporin are proteins embedded in the membranes of cells that selectively transport water into the cell interior. When formed into a film, aquaporin membranes are capable of high salt rejection at low energy intensity, making them a superior prospect for water purification needs on the ISS. While many membrane architectures have been studied, we propose a vesicle based approach to fabricate aquaporin membranes. We expect to find improved performance over other membranes.