104B State Water Resources Research Institute Scope 2: Novel methods for the incorporation of AqpZ water channel protein in membranes for water filtration

We expect to obtain suitable Aquaporin Z(AqpZ) constructs with unique chemistry that will be useful for incorporation into biomimetic membranes for water separation applications. Collaboration has been established with colleagues in the department of Chemical Engineering who will work on the integration of AqpZ into supported artificial membranes. To optimize their performance, it is desirable to immobilize AqpZ molecules in one direction with their channels aligned with the direction of water flux. We will attempt to develop approaches to 1) install functional groups on AqpZ for covalent attachment into a polymer matrix; and 2) genetically engineer functional AqpZ constructs to enable directional immobilization.