evidence
For this project we had to choose a problem affecting the world currently that could be solved using a biotech solution. We chose global water shortage. Our biotech solution to this problem is to develop a machine that desalinates water using a semi permeable membrane. Semi permeable membranes are found a lot in nature like in cell membranes and chicken eggs. We created a representative model of our machine using cardboard. We included an input reservoir (saltwater), an output reservoir (filtered water), a semi permeable membrane, and a water pump.
content
- desalination- a process that extracts mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance. We used this because it seemed like the most effective way to deal with the shortage of water that is taking place today, and our model is based on the desalination process.
- semipermeable membrane- a type of biological or synthetic, polymeric membrane that will allow certain molecules or ions to pass through it by diffusion—or occasionally by more specialized processes of facilitated diffusion, passive transport or active transport. We used this as a way for salt water to be pumped through, desalinating the water.
- potable water- water that is safe to consume. This was important to our project because there is a shortage of potable water currently, so we wanted to find a solution to this problem. Our machine's output is potable water.
- osmosis- a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane. We used this because it is the opposite of what we needed to desalinate water. In reverse osmosis, the water passes through a semipermeable membrane and minerals like salt are separated from the water.
- reverse osmosis- a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules and larger particles from drinking water. We used this as our solution to remove salt and other minerals from saltwater to make it potable.
reflection
This project was very fun for me. I learned a lot about the issues concerning our water supply and how we could fix them. One thing that I think I did very well was incorporate former knowledge into this project. We learned a lot about semi permeable membranes in the first semester. Using that knowledge, we knew we were going to have to introduce pressure in our machine to push water through the membrane . I think that this is a good way of incorporating previous knowledge into a project. Another thing that I did well was work with my group. We split up all the tasks well and made sure that everything got done. There were also some things that I could improve on. One of these is doing more research before we started building. In this project, we didn't do enough research before putting together the model, so we ended up having to take it apart and put it back together again. In the next project, I want to make sure that all the research that we need to do is done. The second thing that I need to improve on is our model. Our current model is only representative, so it would be cool to create a functioning model.