Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Contamination detection tool merges synthetic biology & nanotech for ultrasensitive water testing
A platform developed nearly 20 years ago previously used to detect protein interactions with DNA and conduct accurate COVID-19 testing has been repurposed to create a highly sensitive water contamination detection tool. The technology merges two exciting fields — synthetic biology and nanotechnology — to create a new platform for chemical monitoring. When tuned to detect […]
Stormwater pollution sucked up by specialized sponge
Scientists reimagine the lifecycle for non-renewables like metals and phosphate.
New discovery makes system monitoring contaminants in drinking water 10 times more sensitive
An unplugged electric instrument may function, but it sounds much better when it is connected to an amplifier. Similarly, toxins and other small molecules at low concentrations in the environment or human body may emit quiet signals that are undetectable without “amplification” via specialized lab technology. Thanks to a “cool trick in biochemistry” used to […]
Bacteria in wastewater breakdown plastic, offering new cleanup solutions
Researchers have long observed that a common family of environmental bacteria, Comamonadacae, grow on plastics littered throughout urban rivers and wastewater systems. But exactly what these Comamonas bacteria are doing has remained a mystery. Now, Northwestern University-led researchers have discovered how cells of a Comamonas bacterium are breaking down plastic for food. First, they chew […]
Researchers witness nanoscale water formation in real time
For the first time ever, researchers have witnessed—in real time and at the molecular-scale—hydrogen and oxygen atoms merge to form tiny, nano-sized bubbles of water. The event occurred as part of a new Northwestern University study, during which scientists sought to understand how palladium, a rare metallic element, catalyzes the gaseous reaction to generate water. By […]
Public trust in drinking water safety is low globally, study finds
Low confidence in water quality is associated with perceptions of public corruption.
Fighting coastal erosion with electricity
New research from Northwestern University has systematically proven that a mild zap of electricity can strengthen a marine coastline for generations—greatly reducing the threat of erosion in the face of climate change and rising sea levels. In the new study, researchers took inspiration from clams, mussels and other shell-dwelling sea life, which use dissolved minerals […]
Ancient plant wax reveals how global warming affects methane in Arctic lakes
Warming led to an intensified methane cycle, lasting thousands of years, study finds.
Hybrid catalyst produces critical fertilizer and cleans wastewater
Novel process could enable water treatment facilities to leverage sustainable urea production.