As climate change and population growth place mounting pressure on global water resources, communities around the world are seeking sustainable ways to reclaim water from nontraditional sources such as stormwater, agricultural runoff and municipal wastewater.

Rice University and ExxonMobil have entered into a master research agreement to collaborate on research initiatives focused on sustainable energy solutions. This landmark collaboration reflects their shared commitment to addressing global challenges in energy, climate and the environment while leveraging their unique expertise and coastal location in the heart of the world’s energy capital, Houston.

Rice University’s Menachem Elimelech was honored with the Sidney Loeb Award at the European Desalination Society Conference held in Porto, Portugal, April 28. The award recognizes his pioneering contributions to the science and application of membrane-based water treatment technologies.

In a city defined by innovation and resilience, the Rice Water Technologies Entrepreneurship and Research (WaTER) Institute hosted its distinguished lecture and panel discussion in Houston April 16, drawing together industry leaders, venture capitalists, researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs to tackle one of the most urgent challenges of our time: water.

Rice University has established the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence (RiCeME), which is dedicated to developing advanced membrane materials and separation technologies for energy, environmental sustainability and chemical processing applications. The announcement was made during the Rice Global Paris Center Symposium held March 17-18 in Paris.

In the race to meet the growing global demand for lithium — a critical component in batteries for electric vehicles — a team of researchers from Rice University’s Elimelech lab has developed a breakthrough lithium extraction method that could reshape the industry.

Boron is a natural component of seawater that becomes a toxic contaminant in drinking water when it sneaks through conventional filters for removing salts.

Seawater’s boron levels are around twice as high as the World Health Organization’s most lenient limits for safe drinking water, and five to 12 times higher than the tolerance of many agricultural plants.

Researchers at Rice University, in collaboration with Guangdong University of Technology, have uncovered an innovative approach to treating high-salinity organic wastewaters — streams containing both elevated salt and organic concentrations — by employing dialysis, a technology borrowed from the medical field.

Menachem Elimelech, among the world’s leading researchers in energy-efficient desalination and wastewater reuse, will join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) as the Nancy and Clint Carlson Chair in Molecular Nanotechnology, effective Jan. 1.