Development of Low-Cost Water Filters Using Plant Xylem

Waterborne diseases claim a large number of lives each year in the developing world, and one of the primary causes is the lack of safe drinking water.

The aim of this project is to develop novel, low-cost water filters that can help provide potable water to people living in rural India. These filters use plant tissue as the raw material and have demonstrated the capability to filter out pathogens like bacteria and protozoa, meeting the functional requirements of consumers at a price point affordable to people near the bottom of the economic pyramid.