Ayse Asatekin synthesizes novel membranes that enable recycling of water
Next-generation wastewater filtration membrane licensed to Tufts start-up ZwitterCo, Inc.
Technology
- Zwitterion-based filtration membranes for pretreatment of wastewater upstream of expensive reverse osmosis filtration systems
Why it matters
- Lower-cost wastewater recycling with less downtime
- Better anti-fouling characteristics
- Longer operation at elevated flow levels
- Widely applicable to streams from various sectors, including wastewater from energy production, the food and beverage industry, and textile production
Lead faculty
- Ayse Asatekin
How it happened
- Research funded by the National Science Foundation
- Venture developed in Tufts University’s M.S. in Innovation & Management Program
Achievements
- ZwitterCo, Inc., won first place in the General/High-Tech Track of the 2018 Tufts $100K New Ventures Competition, won a MassCEC Catalyst Grant, and won an NSF STTR award in collaboration with the Asatekin Laboratory
- Member of Greentown Labs
- Raised over $1M in seed financing
- Selected for 2019 accelerator cohort of Imagine H2O