First-year Tata Fellow’s work on plant-based water filters takes 2nd place at MIT water research showcase.
Water Night is the MIT Water Club‘s annual flagship event, at which researchers from a variety of universities and industries present their latest insights and achievements.
At this year’s event, held March 5th at MIT, Tata Fellow Krithika Ramchander took 2nd place out of more than 50 presenters. It was her first time participating.
Ramchander, along with a team of MIT students and Prof. Rohit Karnik, is developing water filters using plant tissue that can, she says, “help provide potable water to people living in rural India. Our main motivation is to make it low cost.”
They are “perfecting the technology,” and plan to do extensive research in India this summer. Ultimately they hope that the filter will be commercialized for household use, expanding access to clean water in developing countries.
While it was encouraging to be recognized, for Ramchander Water Night was about meeting her colleagues in the water research field. “I got nice feedback, that was the best part.” Other show-goers were able to offer ideas on advancing her project.
Krithika Ramchander is a first year Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering and a Tata Fellow at MIT. Originally from India, she earned her undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.