In 2003, Peter Agre was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for working out the structure and function of aquaporins. Since then there has been much interest in the development of synthetic membranes that would contain aquaporins and be used to economically provide fresh drinking water, water for space travel, and water for industrial uses. Here is an example of a project that was funded by the EPA - http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8895.
Questions:
1. Describe your understanding of the type of molecule an aquaporin is and how it functions normally in the membrane of a cell.
2. How might it remove salts and contaminates from water if it is placed in a synthetic membrane that mimics (biomimetic) a cell membrane.
3. How useful and what humanitarian projects might an aquaporin biomimetric membrane be useful for (give some good examples)? Do you think it might be useful in the United States?
In 2003, Peter Agre was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for working out the structure and function of aquaporins. Since then there has been much interest in the development of synthetic membranes that would contain aquaporins and be used to economically provide fresh drinking water, water for space travel, and water for industrial uses. Here is an example of a project that was funded by the EPA - http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8895.
Questions:
1. Describe your understanding of the type of molecule an aquaporin is and how it functions normally in the membrane of a cell.
2. How might it remove salts and contaminates from water if it is placed in a synthetic membrane that mimics (biomimetic) a cell membrane.
3. How useful and what humanitarian projects might an aquaporin biomimetric membrane be useful for (give some good examples)? Do you think it might be useful in the United States?
