IUCRC Phase III University of Colorado Boulder: Center for Membrane Applications, Science and Technology (MAST)

Membranes are used in a variety of industries such as the manufacture of drugs, production of food and beverages, treatment of drinking and wastewater and recovery of valuable chemical species from waste streams. The Center for Membrane Applications, Science and Technology (MAST) is collaborating with membrane manufacturers and users in these fields and others, to promote scientific knowledge and to develop new products that advance human health, prosperity and welfare.

By establishing multidisciplinary project teams with scientists from a range of industries as well as university researchers across four institutions, the MAST Center is addressing challenging real world technical issues that are of significant societal impact in the areas of healthcare and environmental sustainability. The University of Colorado Site is working with industry to develop more efficient membrane materials and processes for desalination, removing contaminants such as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from driving water, biomanufacturing, and separation and capture of CO2 and other chemicals.

Further, the MAST Center is working with local community colleges and schools to train a skilled workforce to support a developing local biotechnology industry.

The Center for Membrane Applications, Science and Technology (MAST) conducts industrially relevant research in six areas: (1) development and characterization of new membranes (2) development of green membrane manufacturing methods; (3) development of membrane processes for water treatment, (4) manufacture of products for the (4) biopharmaceutical industry, (5) pharmaceutical industry and (6) membrane applications in food and beverage industries. The Center works with industrial partners representing membrane users and manufacturers and faculty and students from four institutions in order to develop technological solutions to challenging separations.

In parallel, the Center trains students to be future leaders of technology development. University of Colorado Site brings unique expertise in membrane fundamentals, novel membrane materials and processes, and novel membrane characterization techniques. The range of expertise and capabilities are crucial to addressing knowledge gaps and challenges facing membrane industries, including, fouling control in water purification and biomanufacturing, new and more efficient membrane materials and processes, advanced metrology to better understand the transport processes in membrane technologies.

The unique MAST Center research platform will be leveraged by the excellent programs at University of Colorado Site to develop future workforces at different levels.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.