A new way to swiftly eliminate micropollutants from water
MIT chemical engineers create a zwitterionic hydrogel system for single-step water treatment with minimal environmental footprint.
Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS)
Microbes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers
New coating protects nitrogen-fixing bacteria from heat and humidity, which could allow them to be deployed for large-scale agricultural use.
In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat
A newly identified process could explain a variety of natural phenomena and enable new approaches to desalination.
Ancient Amazonians intentionally created fertile “dark earth”
The rich soil holds thousands of tons of carbon, sequestered over centuries by indigenous practices, a new study suggests.
Technologies for water conservation and treatment move closer to commercialization
J-WAFS awards 2023 Solutions Grants to bring two water-related innovations to the market.
Tiny magnetic beads produce an optical signal that could be used to quickly detect pathogens
The findings point to faster way to detect bacteria in food, water, and clinical samples.
Addressing food insecurity in arid regions with an open-source evaporative cooling chamber design
Less expensive than refrigerated cold rooms, this cooling chamber offers accessible cold storage for smallholder farmers.
Advancing material innovation to address the polymer waste crisis
MIT researchers work to discover biodegradable polyesters, with support from the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, J-WAFS, and DIC Corp.
Six ways MIT is taking action on climate
A variety of recent events highlighted efforts by faculty, staff, and students to make a difference today.
J-WAFS announces 2023 seed grant recipients
Fifteen principal investigators from across MIT will conduct early work to solve issues ranging from water contamination to aquaculture monitoring and management.
Inaugural J-WAFS Grand Challenge aims to develop enhanced crop variants and move them from lab to land
Matt Shoulders will lead an interdisciplinary team to improve RuBisCO — the photosynthesis enzyme thought to be the holy grail for improving agricultural yield.
MIT PhD students honored for their work to solve critical issues in water and food
Gokul Sampath and Jie Yun have been named 2023-24 J-WAFS Fellows.
Detailed images from space offer clearer picture of drought effects on plants
J-WAFS researchers are using remote sensing observations to build high-resolution systems to monitor drought.
A breakthrough on “loss and damage,” but also disappointment, at UN climate conference
Delegates from MIT attended COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where international climate negotiations went down to the wire.
MIT PhD students shed light on important water and food research
J-WAFS Fellows discuss their inspiration for pursuing challenges in water and food systems.