J-WAFS at MIT

💧August is National Water Quality Month! This is a time to reflect on the role of clean water for both human health and environmental sustainability. 🌊   This month, J-WAFS is spotlighting the water filtration and desalination research of Akash Ball, a PhD candidate in the MIT Chemical Engineering (ChemE) department. As a 2024-25 J-WAFS Fellow for Water and Food Solutions, Ball is currently working alongside MIT chemical engineering Professor Heather Kulik on the computational discovery of novel metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as membranes for selective ion separation. The project has applications in desalination, heavy metal removal from drinking water, and battery recycling.   In the video below, Ball shares his insights the importance of creating energy-efficient ion separation membranes, which play a crucial part in the water-energy nexus. He also highlights why ensuring access to safe and clean drinking water is essential for the health of future generations and the vitality of our economy.   #NationalWaterQualityMonth #WaterQuality #CleanWater https://lnkd.in/e3qzEgVt

Food Tank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving positive change in the global food system, is hosting a series of events during Climate Week NYC from September 23rd-27th! The events will feature renowned speakers and delicious food from the organization and its partners, including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and World Food Program USA. The programming will explore crucial topics such as the role of restaurants and farms, the importance of healthy soils, and strategies for reducing food waste. Highlights include the “Restaurants and Farms are the Key Solutions to the Climate Crisis” summit on September 23rd and thematic summits on September 25th and 26th focusing on food system resilience. These events will offer an opportunity to engage with experts and explore innovative food system solutions. View the full itinerary and register here: https://lnkd.in/e7_CTpCu

MIT D-Lab students and instructors are currently working to enhance technology for chicken brooders, which keep newborn chicks warm during the early stages of life. The technology acts as a replacement to traditional open fire methods, which are expensive and prone to high chick mortality. The goal is to improve the economic viability and efficiency of poultry farming in Cameroon.  Supported by a $25,000 research and development grant from J-WAFS, the brooder utilizes locally available beeswax to create thermal batteries which keep chicks warm overnight. Following successful field tests, D-Lab continues to refine the technology to build capacity and improve affordability. The project continues to engage students and make a positive impact on smallholder poultry farming. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eAnfX4eP

Congrats to J-WAFS researcher Scott Odell on this promotion!

Congrats to J-WAFS PI Professor Patrick Doyle and his team, including Arjav Shah and Luca Mazzaferro, on receiving this grant from MassVentures!

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Gateways to Blue Skies Competition invites multi-disciplinary, college-level teams to develop innovative aviation systems that can be deployed to enhance agriculture by 2035. This initiative seeks to enhance agricultural productivity and efficiency, with an emphasis on improving adaptability to extreme weather and climate impacts. For initial participation, teams must submit a seven page proposal and a two minute video summarizing their proposal by February 17, 2025. After a review, selected teams will present their findings at the Gateways to Blue Skies Forum at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in May 2025. Finalists will receive funding towards their research, and winners will receive internship opportunities at NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Read the competition overview here: https://lnkd.in/g4VcV86E 

“As critical challenges such as climate, health, energy, and food security increasingly affect people’s lives around the world, decision-makers need a better understanding of the earth in its full complexity — and that includes people, technologies, and institutions as well as environmental processes.” – MIT Professor Noelle Eckley Selin MIT School of Science is launching the Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy to drive knowledge advancements and computational tools in sustainability science, aiming to support decision makers in achieving sustainable development objectives. Led by past J-WAFS PI Professor Noelle Selin of the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) and the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, the new center will integrate and expand upon the Center for Global Change Science and the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. Along with Selin, the center will be led by Adam Schlosser, who is currently working on a J-WAFS project, and Sergey Paltsev and Anne Slinn. It will develop new computational methods and produce actionable science to promote equity and address global challenges. By leveraging MIT’s expertise in data, computing, and systems modeling, the center aims to provide critical insights for addressing global sustainability hurdles. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ejv4z5Zm

The Park Fire in Northern California recently grew to over 360,000 acres, leading to evacuation orders and warnings in many counties and raising concerns about future water contamination. Past wildfires in the region have demonstrated how they can negatively impact water quality by introducing cancer-causing toxins and overloading water treatment facilities. Randy Dahlgren, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, notes that, “both the size and the severity of wildfires are going to increase.” Given that 60 to 65 percent of United States drinking water originates from forested regions, the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires present a substantial risk to water safety. Researchers and legislators are responding with new guidelines and protocols, including the Post-Fire Recovery Playbook and the EMBER act, to improve resilience and manage the impact of wildfire on water resources. At-risk communities are also adopting preventative measures and updating building codes to address the increasing severity of wildfires. These developments highlight the necessity of continued research and informed policy to manage the complex challenges associated with wildfires and their impact on water resources. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gPxGHWrp

Precision agriculture has become a transformative trend in modern farming, allowing for optimal seed, fertilizer, and pest control application while limiting field compaction. A notable advancement in this domain comes from AgZen, a J-WAFS spinout founded by MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering Kripa Varanasi and MIT alumni Vishnu Jayaprakash. AgZen’s precision agriculture system, RealCoverage, integrates a dual camera system with onboard AI to fine-tune spray solution droplet size and distribution on crops in real time. Field trials in cotton, grape, and mixed vegetable fields have demonstrated that RealCoverage enables farmers to achieve effective crop protection and reduce chemical use 20 to 30 percent per acre. This innovation not only offers substantial cost savings for farmers but also upholds the effectiveness of crop management and pest control. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ev77R7X2

Many countries currently subsidize their industrial fishing fleets despite the well known negative impacts of overfishing. Governments might consider drawing back subsidies if they perceive that the costs outweigh the benefits, but individual countries are driven by their own domestic economic interests. This situation exemplifies the “tragedy of the commons,” an economic dilemma that is well understood in theory but lacks global solutions. Aaron Berman, a fourth year PhD student in the MIT Department of Economics, is working to address this issue by analyzing data and ecological models to assess the impact these subsidies have on fisheries and explore more sustainable alternatives to offer to policymakers. Read more about his work here: https://lnkd.in/emMSHmMU