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HEALTH & MEDICINE / Modified feb 8, 2023 8:24 p.m.

Biofilm Discoveries

A retired professor at the University of Arizona has transformed a biofilm derived from lung tissue into multiple inventions that could solve everything from foodborne illness to the water crisis. by Bryan Nelson

Mark Witten is a retired Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona with a long research career looking at lung health and respiratory science, but his most important work might be yet to come. His research has led to the discovery of a type of biofilm derived from lung tissue that reacts to all kinds of tiny substances in the air and water. He's currently developing this biofilm into two key innovations: a biosensor that can detect pathogens in the air, and a revolutionary low-cost desalination method that could transform seawater from the ocean into freshwater that we can drink.

Producer/Editor: Bryan Nelson
Videographers: Bryan Nelson, Robert Lindberg

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