Separation of Peptides with Forward Osmosis Biomimetic Membranes.

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have gained interest in several disciplines for the rejection and concentration of various molecules. One application area for FO membranes that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of the membranes to concentrate or dilute high value compound solutions such as pharmaceuticals. It is crucial in such settings to control the transport over the membrane to avoid losses of valuable compounds, but little is known about the rejection and transport mechanisms of larger biomolecules with often flexible conformations.

Computational Design of Biomimetic Phosphate Scavengers.

Phosphorus has long been the target of much research, but in recent years the focus has shifted from being limited only to reducing its detrimental environmental impact, to also looking at how it is linked to the global food security. Therefore, the interest in finding novel techniques for phosphorus recovery, as well as improving existing techniques, has increased. In this study we apply a hybrid simulation approach of molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics to investigate the binding modes of phosphate anions by a small intrinsically disordered peptide.

Nanoporous materials modified with biodegradable polymers as models for drug delivery applications.

Polymers play a central role in the development of carriers for diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Especially the use of either degradable polymers or porous materials to encapsulate drug compounds in order to obtain steady drug release profiles has received much attention. We present here a proof of principle for a system combining these two encapsulation methods and consisting of a nanoporous polymer (NP) with the pores filled with a degradable polymer mixed with a drug model.

Validation and Analysis of Forward Osmosis CFD Model in Complex 3D Geometries.

In forward osmosis (FO), an osmotic pressure gradient generated across a semi-permeable membrane is used to generate water transport from a dilute feed solution into a concentrated draw solution. This principle has shown great promise in the areas of water purification, wastewater treatment, seawater desalination and power generation. To ease optimization and increase understanding of membrane systems, it is desirable to have a comprehensive model that allows for easy investigation of all the major parameters in the separation process.