The agreement between the two universities includes the financing of a series of challenging collaborations in connection with the latest discoveries in the field of nanotechnology, in order to produce new materials and processes for producing potable water, more abundant and less expensive, until the year 2020.
President Shimon Peres, Chicago Mayor Ram Emanuel support the President of Ben-Gurion University, Prof. Rivka Karmi and the President of the University of Chicago, Prof. Robert Zimmer during the signing of the mutual cooperation agreement at the President's office this morning.
Photo: Danny Machlis, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
"The world suffers from a water shortage and today we know that water is not only the fruit of creation but a product of science. The two universities have come together and are using science to find a technological solution to the world's predicament. I am sure that the two universities will contribute through this project to the entire humanity and the future generation. It is in the interest of the entire world that this project of Ben-Gurion University and the University of Chicago will become a great success. Israel and the US can make a significant contribution to solving the world's water crises."
This is what President Shimon Peres said today (Sunday, June 23.6.2013, XNUMX) at a signing ceremony for a research collaboration between the University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University for the promotion and development of innovative technologies for producing safe drinking water. The signing ceremony of the agreement was also attended by the mayor of Chicago Ram Emanuel, the president of the University of Chicago Prof. Robert Zimmer, the president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Rivka Carmi and leading researchers in this field. The joint projects will explore innovative solutions in the complex of water energies, developing more efficient ways to use water and use energy to provide and treat clean water.
The agreement between the two universities includes the financing of a series of challenging collaborations in connection with the latest discoveries in the field of nanotechnology, in order to produce new materials and processes for producing potable water, more abundant and less expensive, until the year 2020.
The University of Chicago brings to this project two powerful research partners committed to fresh water research. The National Institute of Argon in Belmont, Illinois and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. "We feel that it is very important to bring leading researchers together in order to dedicate ourselves to dealing with the challenges of water sources found around the world, which will become more acute over time," said Prof. Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago, "our purification challenges in the Great Lakes region today are different from our shortages The water that our colleagues at Ben-Gurion University are dealing with, however, our combined experience will be a huge asset in turning existing technologies into innovative solutions, which will have practical implications far beyond local aspects."
"Abundant and clean water is largely a strategic issue in the Middle East and around the world and has been at the center of our university's research effort for over three decades," stated the president of Ben-Gurion University, Prof. Rivka Karmi. "We believe that this partnership will strengthen and improve the latest science at both universities, while leaving a deep mark on the availability of clean water for people around the world."
The first wave of research proposals shared by the two universities includes the production of new materials that will be adapted to remove pollutants, bacteria, viruses and salts from drinking water at a fraction of the cost of the technologies currently available; biological engineering that will help the mechanism of the vegetation to survive longer in a period of drought; and polymers that may change the way the saline water is preserved in agriculture.
The University of Chicago, Ben-Gurion University and the Oregon Institute have jointly pledged an initial investment of $1 million over the next two years to help with at least five initial projects, with the first project launching this fall.
Another proposed project will deal with multi-functional and non-polluting membranes for water purification. These membranes, on a molecular and engineering level, can be adapted to remove a wide variety of biological and chemical pollutants and prevent the formation of layers of polluting membranes and membranes. Keeping these membranes free from contamination will increase their lifespan and optimize energy use, while lowering the operational cost of water purification. Another research proposal focuses on the development of smart polymers for unclean soil, in order to prevent water pollution.
Officials in both the US and Israel welcomed the joint initiative of the two universities and noted that it is an example of innovative collaboration that may improve the quality of life and accelerate economic growth.
"Chicago's world-wide leadership in water resource management continues to grow and grow, as we invest in water infrastructure, create employment sources for our residents and expand economic activity around us. I strongly support this partnership and look forward to working with leading academic institutions such as Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Chicago, in order to create innovations and opportunities for the future", emphasized the Mayor of Chicago, Emmanuel Ram.
This move follows the signing of a mutual research collaboration that was signed in March of this year, which will yield new water products and purification technologies that will be applied worldwide, in areas where these resources are limited and rare.
The University of Chicago research team is headed by Prof. Matthew Tyrrell, director of the University of Chicago's Pritzker Institute for Molecular Engineering. Tyrrell's team will include scientists from the National Argon Institute, which the University of Chicago manages for the US Department of Energy. The Israeli research team is headed by Prof. Moshe Gottlieb, from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
"Water is a basic resource for the existence of all forms of life, but in various parts of the world there is a dramatic shortage of it, and its shortage even endangers the health of the economy. The danger includes increasing demand resulting from energy production, agricultural runoff, depletion and contamination of aquifers by saltwater and by industrial, organic and biological toxins. Such a wide range of problems requires treatment with comprehensive and integrated scientific and technological tools, of the type developed within the framework of the collaboration between the University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University," says Prof. Tirrell.
"Through this collaboration," emphasizes Prof. Gottlieb, "we seek to take advantage of the great progress achieved in the last decade in nanotechnology, materials engineering, biology and chemistry, in both institutions, while utilizing the world-class facilities found at the Argonne National Institute. The new tools and insights allow an approach at the molecular level to deal with an eternal human problem."
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University and the University of Chicago met in April 2013 in Be'er Sheva in order to begin interdisciplinary discussions concerning projects in the water sector, both from the technical and social aspects. The joint activities will include, among other things, reciprocal visits by academic faculty members, researchers and students; development of research proposals for joint work; and the creation of innovative commercial technologies and business initiatives.
The Argonne National Institute has committed to funding the joint project with tens of millions of dollars over the next decade. This institute places the molecular engineering of water sources as one of five emerging research topics, with plans to employ up to six researchers specializing in this field. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University will be a significant part of promoting and implementing the goals of the joint research.
