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Science of DIY Water Filter Animation

April 2, 2021 by Nicolle Fuller Leave a Comment

Science of DIY Water Filter Animation

Nanoscientist Krithika Ramchander studies wood’s water xylem pore dynamics at the nano-scale to engineer a cost-effective water filter.

Ok, so I am kind of a geek. Who am I kidding, I am really a geek! I love learning about science and technology from my science and engineering clients. But this water filtration project has a special place in my heart. Krithika Ramchander and Dr. Rohit Karnik (MIT engineering) have been studying how to make a DIY, free, effective water filter. To help them explain the science, SayoStudio created an animation to show the details of how bacteria are filtered through the wood’s xylem.

So how DO you make a free water filter? Essentially, take a pine tree branch, bind some tubing to it with a jug of dirty water, and let gravity do the rest for clean, drinkable water. Learn how to make your own filter here, and continue on to see our animation about how the science works.

pine xylem bodered pit water filter illustration, Nicolle R Fuller SayoStudio

Animation Showing DIY Water Filter Through Xylem

Normally, xylem—straw-like tubes in plant stems—carries water and nutrients UP the tree. Scientists wondered, what will happen if water flows down through a cut piece of wood? They found that the xylem traps diarrhea-causing bacteria, like E. coli and rotavirus, effectively filtering the water.

The animation we created shows how the xylem in a cut section of wood filters out bacteria. As water soaks into the wood, it flows downward and diagonally through pores in the side walls of the xylem. These pores, called bordered pits, are actually complex structures at the nanoscale. They have a membrane made up of porous fibers that allow water molecules to flow through, but capture the relatively large bacteria cells. The homemade filters remove 99% of bacteria, meeting the World Health Organization’s standards for clean, drinkable water.

Curious how we start a technical animation like this?
In this instance, we developed the story sequence.
We start with a simple pencil on paper sketch, AKA science story board.
https://sayostudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Xylem-Filtration_1.mp4

DIY Water Filter… more information

Basic research, or science for the sake of science, is absolutely essential. But this real-world application has the potential to save lives across the globe, especially in developing nations. Ramchander and Karnik first tested their filter in their lab, then improved upon it in real-world conditions in India. They made a few simple modifications, by boiling the wood and soaking quickly in alcohol, to improve the filter’s longevity so that it rivals commercial products.

Learn even more science, and how to make your own filter here (water filter science project anyone?).


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Related posts:

  1. 2013 AOI Science Illustration Awards
  2. Science Journal Cover Art – Why Hire an Illustrator?
  3. How to Find a Visual Science Communicator to Illustrate Your Story
  4. SayoStudio Science Animation

Animation,  Science,  Science Illustration,  Scientist Feature animation case study,  bacteria,  bioengineering,  border pit,  clean water,  DIY filter,  do-it-yourself filter,  ecoli,  pine xylem,  science animation,  scientific animation,  scientific illustration,  water filter,  xylem

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#sciart—microbes 🔬to galaxies 🔭—Nicolle Fuller leads SayoStudio creating art & animation of science wonders. #scienceillustration

SayoStudio
Did you know you can make a free, DIY water filter Did you know you can make a free, DIY water filter out of wood?! 

Trees naturally have xylem -- a straw like tubing -- to transport water and nutrients into the tree. The pores inside these xylem tubes are very complex on a nanoscale. Water molecules can flow freely through the tubing, but larger bacterial cells get trapped inside the xylem structures.
Because this filtration system removes rotavirus and E. coli, these filters meet the standards set by @WHO for clean, drinkable water. 

Learn more about nanoscientist Krithika Ramchander and Dr. Rohit Karnik's (@mit_engineering) research and see an animation of the xylem catching bacteria on our blog: https://sayostudio.com/science-diy-water-filter-animation

Art and animation created by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio
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Is #ScienceFriday a thing on social media..? It is Is #ScienceFriday a thing on social media..? It is? Then allow us to introduce you to the basics of #StringTheory! â €
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String theory is a Theory of Everything (Grand Unification Theory) that seeks to unite the gravitational force with the other fundamental forces (electromagnetism and nuclear forces) that are already described by quantum mechanics at the atomic level. â €
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Gaining a foothold in the theoretical physics community during the 1970's, string theory states that fundamental particles such as quarks + electrons are not points of energy or matter, but result instead from the vibrations of one-dimensional ‘string-like’ entities on a far smaller scale. ⠀
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Although string theory is highly debated and very complex, it poses very interesting solutions to why our observed universe acts the way it does. â €
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Could neurodegenerative diseases really be caused Could neurodegenerative diseases really be caused by ancient viral infections? â €
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The recent discovery of viral proteins in the brains of MS/ALS patients created a mysterious link between human genes and neurodegenerative disease. â €
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Researchers are just now beginning to understand how ancient human endogenous retroviruses (or HERVs) affect our immune responses today. HERV proteins cause disruptions of nuclei in cells; triggering the cells to mount an immune response in the central nervous system. This disruption spreads from cell to cell progressively; and is shown to cause significant motor neuron deterioration. â €
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Artwork by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio for @the_scientist_magazine. â €
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Having your heart flutter on Valentine's Day might Having your heart flutter on Valentine's Day might seem normal...but for some, it's a common symptom of atrial fibrillation. 💓

Afib is a heart arrhythmia characterized by irregular or fast beating. Electrical signals in the heart dictate how often your heart pumps-- and for some this can get out of whack, causing palpitations and dizziness. 

Luckily  treatment exists to manage Afib. To learn more, visit the American Heart Association or click the link below: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation

Artwork by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio for @popularmechanics
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#AmericanHeartMonth #NationalHeartMonth #Scienceillustration #sciart #hearthealth #americanheartassociation #afib #atrialfibrillation #arrhythmia #valentinesheart #heartart #medicalart #medicalillustration
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