09/27/05 Biomimesis

With all the water filtering companies out there wouldn't you think someone would have figured out how to filter drinking water on a larger scale. Consider for a moment the societal ramifications of converting salt water for human consumption and what this process could mean for drought stricken region. Manufacturing fresh water from filthy is nothing new, people have been looking for better ways to reverse osmosis for years yet it continues to remain cost prohibitive. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories believe they are on the verge of success and have teamed up with the Bureau of Reclamation to design a new process of filtering modeled remarkably after human cells. Because our cells are 1,000 times more effective than any filter man has designed , so Sandia scientist's are designing filters that resemble membranes. Called biomimesis, this new method could revolutionize the quest clean drinking water. Source: 9/13/05 ENN.com Scientists Study How to Clean Salty Water