Facile Postprocessing Alters the Permeability and Selectivity of Microbial Cellulose Ultrafiltration Membranes.

Water filtration membranes produced sustainably through microbial cellulose production can have filtration properties altered through facile chemical treatments. Microbial cellulose is an effective membrane filtration medium, and pristine microbial membranes can serve as ultrafiltration membranes with a permeability of 143 L mhbar and a particle size cut off of 35 nm. As living biofilms, these membranes consist of microbial cellulose, bacteria, and extracellular polymers.

Sustainable Living Filtration Membranes.

As demand for clean water increases, there is a growing need for effective sustainable water treatment systems. We used the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that forms while brewing kombucha tea as a living water filtration membrane (LFM). The LFMs function as ultrafiltration membranes with a permeability of 135 ± 25 L m h bar and a 90% rejection of 30 nm nanoparticles.