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From June 1 to 5, 2026, the 20th IWA Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies (LET 2026) was held at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Organized by the International Water Association (IWA), the Leading Edge Conference is one of the field’s most prestigious gatherings, bringing together leading researchers, consultants, and utility practitioners from around the world to showcase the “best of the best” in water and wastewater technology. This year’s meeting, themed “Resilient Water in a Changing World,” centered on bold, forward-looking solutions for strengthening the resilience of urban water systems.

Jiahe Zhang, a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a member of Prof. Wen Zhang’s group, attended the conference and shared his latest research through both a poster and presentation in the conference’s Wastewater Track (Session 8, “Advanced Solids and Wastewater Management for Energy-Neutral Treatment Plants”), a session chaired by Richard Lancaster (UK) and Ajie Wang (China). His work, titled “Membrane-Free Electrosynthesis of Ammonia and Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) from Waste Streams” (Jiahe Zhang, Jianan Gao, and Wen Zhang*), presents a membrane-free electrochemical system that pairs a hydrogen-evolution cathode with an oxygen-evolution anode to simultaneously recover ammonia (NH₃) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from waste streams such as anaerobic digestate, without ion-exchange membranes or chemical dosing of the feed.

The session drew an international lineup of researchers and practitioners, and after the poster pitch the presenters and session chairs gathered on stage for a group photo, with the Houston skyline framing the backdrop. Sharing the stage with colleagues from across the United States, Europe, and Asia captured the collaborative, global spirit of the Leading Edge Conference, where new ideas in resource recovery and energy-neutral treatment are exchanged freely across institutions and borders.

Beyond the technical program, Houston itself offered plenty to take in. There was time to savor the city’s legendary Texas barbecue and to visit Space Center Houston, home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and its historic Mission Control, a reminder of the bold engineering ambition the city is known for. A fitting piece of history was close at hand. The conference took place at Rice University, the very campus where, in 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered his celebrated address on the race to the Moon at Rice Stadium: “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Standing on that campus, those words felt strikingly relevant to the challenges the conference set out to tackle. The hardest problems in sustainable water and resource recovery are worth pursuing precisely because they are hard, and it is a privilege to work on them. This research was supported by the NSF/BSF project (award no. 2215387), the 2024 NJIT Technology Innovation Translation and Acceleration (TITA) Seed Grant Program, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Desalination and Water Purification Research Program (DWPR, Agreement No. R26AC00030).

Dr. Nguyen Nhat Thu Le from Dr. Wen Zhang group at NJIT recently attended the Gordon Research Seminar and Gordon Research Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems from June 28 to July 2 at the Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH. The 2-day Seminar and 5-day Conference are prestigious scientific meetings where young academics, prominent professors, and government scientists gather to exchange new ideas and unpublished findings related to cutting-edge technologies in agriculture and food systems. Topics covered include transport and fate of nano- and microplastics in food products, nanocarriers for efficient agrochemical delivery, nano-enabled sensing technologies, biology-inspired nanomaterials, sustainable and climate-resilient food production and handling methods, and advanced automation systems.

Dr. Le was invited to present a talk at the Gordon Research Seminar titled “Soil and Rhizosphere Microbiome Modulation Through Irrigation with Nanobubble Water”. She also presented a poster from the same project at the main Gordon Research Conference. Among emerging nanoscale technologies for plant enhancement, nanobubble have unique advantages since it can simultaneously influence soil physicochemical properties, microbiome structure and activity, as well as plant responses while leaving no chemical residues. The talk and poster sparked many exciting discussions on the potential synergies between nanobubble and other nanoscale agricultural interventions such as cellulose nanofiber and mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Her research is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Food and Agriculture AFRI project grants [2019-67021-29450 and 2024-67021-42716].

The 2026 CTR Workshop on Translational Research and Technology Innovations for PFAS Decontaminations, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on April 24, brought together nearly 300 leaders and researchers from industry, academia, government, utilities, and community organizations for a full-day exchange focused on one of today’s most pressing environmental and public health challenges: PFAS contamination. Hosted by the NJIT Center for Translational Research with support from the National Science Foundation Accelerating Research Translation (ART) Program and the National Academy of Inventors – NJIT Chapter, the workshop highlighted advances in PFAS detection, monitoring, remediation, policy strategies, and technology translation. The event created an important platform for stakeholder engagement, knowledge exchange, and collaboration toward practical solutions for PFAS decontamination. Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at NJIT had a strong presence at the workshop through student participation (poster and product demonstrations).

From left to right: Jiahe Zhang, Guangyu Zhu, Haodong Jia, Dr. Wen Zhang, Sowmya Atukuri, and Yining Zhang. The group showcased NF/RO membrane modules, membrane materials, and a bubbling-column demonstration to explain surfactant-assisted foam generation and PFAS removal mechanisms.

The 2026 Infrastructure Forum, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on April 22, brought together industry leaders, professional practice stakeholders, faculty, and students for a full-day exchange of ideas focused on infrastructure innovation, applied research, and workforce development. The forum provided an important platform for academia and industry to share technological advances, identify mutually beneficial opportunities, and strengthen partnerships that support both research translation and student professional development. By connecting NJIT’s research community with external partners, the event highlighted the university’s role in advancing practical, scalable solutions for infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and emerging engineering challenges.

Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at NJIT had a strong presence at the forum through two exhibition tables: Advanced Materials and Processes for Resource Recovery and Pollution Mitigation and Nanobubble Research and Applications. These exhibits showcased the group’s ongoing work in microwave-catalysis, electrochemical systems, membrane-based processes, nanobubble technologies, and their applications in environmental remediation, resource recovery, water treatment, air purification, and agriculture. The displays also highlighted the group’s translational efforts toward commercialization, including participation from commercial partners such as PureNanoTech Inc.

Left: Dr. Wen Zhang with his nanobubble research team. Right: Dr. Wen Zhang with the Resource Recovery and Pollution Mitigation team, joined by Dr. Taha Marhaba, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The Membrane Applications Science and Technology (MAST) Center Spring 2026 Industrial Advisory Board Meeting, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology from April 12–14, brought together faculty, graduate researchers, industry sponsors, and guests for a dynamic exchange of ideas in membrane science and engineering. As a National Science Foundation Industry–University Cooperative Research Center, MAST supports collaborative research, graduate education, and technology transfer across its university sites and industry network. The banquet session served as a key highlight of the meeting, creating space for networking, sponsor engagement, faculty presentations, and student poster interactions in a more informal setting. Together with the broader meeting program, the event showcased the MAST Center’s role in advancing innovative membrane research while strengthening ties between academia and industry.

A total of 5 PhD students and Postdocs from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) presented seven posters during the poster session at the MAST banquet. Their work covered a broad range of topics, including membrane distillation, rinse-free molecular layer-by-layer membranes, ammonia recovery, membrane and materials characterization, air purification, and Multiphysics simulation for water treatment.

From top left (clockwise): Jiahe Zhang, Haodong Jia, Jing-An Lin, Guangyu Zhu, and Samarpan Deb Majumder

The AEESP Distinguished Lecture at New York University Tandon, held on April 10, featured Dr. David L. Sedlak, Plato Malozemoff Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Berkeley Water Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The lecture, titled “Using Nature-Based Treatment to Solve Some of the World’s Water Crises,” explored how nature-based treatment systems can complement conventional water infrastructure by leveraging physical, chemical, and biological processes to improve water quality. The event provided a platform for students, researchers, and industry professionals to engage with cutting-edge developments in sustainable water treatment, highlighting innovative approaches to address global water challenges through decentralized and nature-inspired solutions.

Dr. Wen Zhang and his students with Dr. David Sedlak

All PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) presented posters during the poster session at the AEESP Distinguished Lecture. Their work spanned membrane science, nanobubble technologies, and resource recovery, contributing to discussions on innovative solutions for global water challenges.

From the top left (clockwise): Yining Zhang, Dr. Thu Le, Atukuri Sowmya, Haodong Jia, Jiahe Zhang, Dr. Jing-An Lin, Guangyu Zhu, Samarpan Deb Majumder

In a separate session, Dr. Wen Zhang delivered a lightning talk highlighting the research activities of his group at NJIT. He outlined ongoing work in environmental nanotechnology and membrane-based systems, including nanobubble-enabled processes, reactive membrane filtration, and advanced treatment strategies for pollutant removal and resource recovery.

Dr. Zhang delivering his lightning talk

The Dana Knox Student Research Showcase at the New Jersey Institute of Technology was held on April 8 and highlighted the innovative research conducted by undergraduate and graduate students across multiple disciplines. The showcase provided a platform for students to present their work through poster sessions, engage with faculty, industry professionals, and advisory board members, and demonstrate the impact of their research on real-world challenges.

A total of six students from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) presented posters at the Dana Knox Student Research Showcase held on April 8. Their work spanned membrane science, nanobubble technologies, and resource recovery. Notably, one student, Yining Zhang, was selected as a finalist in the competition, highlighting the strength and impact of the group’s research contributions.

From top left (clockwise): Yining Zhang, Sowmya Atukuri, Jiahe Zhang, Haodong Jia, Guangyu Zhu, and Samarpan Deb Majumder

Yining Zhang (Finalist) presented “Nanobubble-Enriched Hydrogels for Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing Water and Nutrient Delivery to Boost Plant Growth.” The work demonstrated how nanobubble-infused hydrogels improve water retention, nutrient delivery, and overall plant growth performance.

Sowmya Atukuri presented “Electric-Field-Driven Interfacial Dynamics, Coalescence Behavior, and Deposition of Oil Droplets in Water Treatment.” The work explored electrocoalescence mechanisms to enhance oil–water separation processes.

Jiahe Zhang presented “Ammonia Recovery from Wastewater Using Integrated Tunable Electrochemical Systems.” The study demonstrated an electrochemical approach for efficient nitrogen recovery, enabling sustainable ammonia production from wastewater streams.

Haodong Jia presented “Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Copper-Based Layered Catalysts for Efficient Phenolic Pollutant Degradation via Peroxymonosulfate Activation under High Salinity.” The work investigated catalytic degradation pathways for refractory organic pollutants in saline wastewater.

Guangyu Zhu presented “Omniphobic Membrane for High Efficiency Induction-Assisted Membrane Distillation.” The study focused on developing omniphobic membrane surfaces to mitigate wetting and improve performance in membrane distillation systems.

Samarpan Deb Majumder presented “Advancing Rinse-Free Molecular Layer-by-Layer (mLbL) Membranes: Scalable Fabrication with Enhanced Fouling Resistance, Scaling Resistance, and Boron Selectivity.” The study demonstrated scalable fabrication of high-performance RO membranes with improved selectivity and resistance to fouling and scaling.

We’re excited to share that our latest work, “Soil chemistry and microbiome modulation through water irrigation containing oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide nanobubbles”, has been published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology!

‍🔬 First author: Dr. Nguyen Nhat Thu Le
‍🏫 Corresponding author: Dr. Wen Zhang
🔗 https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.02173-25

In this study, we systematically evaluated how irrigation with nanobubble-enriched water influences soil chemistry and microbial communities over time. Soils were treated with water containing oxygen, hydrogen, or carbon dioxide nanobubbles over a four-week period, with weekly sampling for microbial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and community analysis. The results show that nanobubbles with different gas cores created distinct soil microenvironments by altering key parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and redox potential, which in turn drove divergent microbial responses. Notably, soils treated with oxygen and hydrogen nanobubbles exhibited enrichment of microbial taxa associated with nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and pathogen suppression, including Flavobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae, Nannocystaceae, and Blastocatellaceae. These compositional shifts were accompanied by increases in metabolic pathways linked to pollutant degradation and organic substrate utilization. In contrast, carbon dioxide nanobubbles produced more limited effects on soil microbial structure. Network analysis further underscored the role of nanobubbles in strengthening keystone taxa such as Flavobacteriaceae, which are central to soil ecosystem function. Together, these findings highlight nanobubble irrigation as a promising and scalable strategy for targeted microbiome engineering, with potential applications in sustainable agriculture and environmental management.

This work was partially supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture AFRI project grants (2019-67021-29450 and 2024-67021-42716).

The 2026 New Jersey Site Remediation Conference is a two-day event (March 25–26, 2026) focused exclusively on-site remediation in New Jersey. It brings together licensed site remediation professionals, regulators, consultants, and industry experts to discuss evolving regulatory frameworks, emerging contaminants, innovative remediation technologies, and professional practice issues. The conference features technical sessions, regulatory updates, professional development courses for continuing education credits, and opportunities for collaboration among environmental professionals and solution providers.

A total of four students from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) participated in the conference, with one delivering an oral presentation and three competing in the student poster session. Their work spanned membrane science, nanobubble technologies, and resource recovery.

From left: Sowmya Atukuri, Jiahe Zhang, Guangyu Zhu, and Samarpan Deb Majumder

Sowmya Atukuri, who won the student poster competition, presented her work titled “Electro-Coalescence of Oil Droplets: Integrated Microfluidics and Electrochemical QCM for Oil–Water Separation.” Her study demonstrated a unique approach combining microfluidic platforms with electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) techniques to enhance oil–water separation efficiency.

Jiahe Zhang presented an electrochemical membrane system for ammonia recovery from wastewater, achieving 99.9% nitrate removal and high-efficiency ammonia production with reduced energy input.

Guangyu Zhu presented a study on PFAS rejection in RO and NF systems, demonstrating that surfactants, ion valency, and temperature significantly influence PFAS transport and removal efficiency.

Samarpan Deb Majumder delivered a 30-minute oral presentation titled “High Boron Rejection Rinse-Free Molecular Layer-by-Layer (mLbL) Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membranes for Brackish Water Desalination and Remediation” in the emerging contaminants session. The work demonstrated that mLbL membranes can achieve over 90% boron rejection without requiring pH adjustment, highlighting their potential for energy- and chemical-efficient desalination processes.

Sowmya Atukuri, winner of the poster presentation

The 2026 Annual Conference of the New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, bringing together researchers, industry professionals, and water treatment experts to discuss emerging challenges and innovations in water purification, and environmental sustainability. The conference featured technical sessions, industry exhibitions, and a student poster competition.

A total of eight students from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) participated in the student poster competition, presenting research spanning membrane science, advanced oxidation, nanobubble technologies, and resource recovery.

From top left: Guangyu Zhu, Haodong Jia, Hong Thanh Vy Le, Sowmya Atukuri; bottom row: Bhumika Ganesh Kabadi, Ianmarco Guillen, Samarpan Deb Majumder, and Jiahe Zhang

Samarpan Deb Majumder, who won the poster competition, presented “Redefining Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membrane Fabrication via Rinse-Free Molecular Layer-by-Layer (mLbL) Deposition,” demonstrating that mLbL membranes exhibit intrinsic antifouling and antiscaling properties while achieving up to fivefold higher selectivity compared to conventional RO membranes.

Jiahe Zhang presented an electrochemical membrane system for ammonia recovery from wastewater, achieving 99.9% nitrate removal and high-efficiency ammonia production with reduced energy input.

Guangyu Zhu presented a study on PFAS rejection in RO and NF systems, demonstrating that surfactants, ion valency, and temperature significantly influence PFAS transport and removal efficiency.

Haodong Jia presented copper-based catalytic systems for degradation of phenolic pollutants in high-salinity wastewater, achieving high degradation efficiencies via oxygen vacancy-driven pathways.

Sowmya Atukuri presented nanobubble-enabled foam fractionation for PFAS removal, demonstrating strong enrichment of short-chain PFAS and improved separation efficiency in complex wastewater systems.

Bhumika Ganesh Kabadi presented electric-field-assisted demulsification for produced water treatment, showing enhanced oil droplet coalescence and improved separation efficiency under applied electric fields.

Ianmarco Guillen presented an induction-heated omniphobic membrane system for desalination, achieving rapid thermal response and >99% salt rejection with enhanced resistance to scaling and wetting.

Hong Thanh Vy Le presented ozone nanobubble technology for water treatment, showing enhanced ozone stability and significantly improved pollutant degradation and antimicrobial performance.