Membrane Laboratory
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
About
MemLab, part of the Water Process Engineering group at NMBU, studies artificial membranes and separation processes to create resilient, versatile technologies that secure sustainable access to clean water and critical resources.
The incomplete mechanistic understanding of membrane separations
The limited selectivity of membrane processes and the inherent permeability–selectivity trade‑off of artificial membranes
Suboptimal membrane module and system design
By closing these gaps, we aim to foster solutions that mitigate climate‑change impacts, meet increasingly stringent water and wastewater regulations, remove micropollutants from the water cycle, prevent industrial pollution, and promote responsible consumption and production.
Our research advances membrane science at the intersection of interfacial and colloid science, data science, and water and environmental engineering. We address:
Research Areas
Our work applies machine learning to integrate laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and physical models,
accelerating the discovery and deployment of artificial membranes and separation processes.
accelerating the discovery and deployment of artificial membranes and separation processes.
Electromembrane processes
Machine‑learning‑based control of pressure‑ and gravity‑driven membrane systems
Transport characterisation of nanofiltration membranes with quantitative correction for concentration polarisation
Exploration of polymers derived from natural sources
Cognitive analytics of nanofiltration performance
Fine ion separation achieved through the superposition of electroosmosis and ion concentration polarisation
Electrochemical oxidation of organofluoride micropollutants in membrane reactors
Sustainable membranes
Nanofiltration
Driven by curiosity across both fundamental and applied science, our project portfolio balances high‑risk, high‑reward studies with incremental investigations, advancing scientific knowledge and practical solutions alike.
Projects
see previous projects
Infrastructure project under development
MemCentre
Membrane centre for sustainable water
2021 - 2025
Intelligent membrane systems for reserve water supply
IntelMem
2020 - 2025, RCN
AECo
Advancing electrochemical processes for water safety and circularity
2025 - 2029, RCN
Tunable ion separations with micro-structured composite membranes
TIES
2015 - 2018, RCN-Innovation Norway
CE-MBR
Development of chemically enhanced membrane biological reactor
HumusTek
New technology for purification of NOM-containing water for reserve water supply
2021 - 2025
2017 - 2024, RCN
International partnership on membrane processes in water treatment for research and educational excellence
MEMPREX
IntelMem
2020 - 2023, RCN
Intelligent nanofiltration membrane systems for natural organic matter removal in water treatment
Researchers
MemLab bridges chemical and environmental engineers who have expanded into data science with data scientists eager to explore membrane research and engineering. Our team’s expertise spans interfacial and colloid science, data science, and water and environmental engineering.
Research students
MemLab cultivates the next generation of membrane technology professionals by training doctoral and master’s‑level researchers and hosting visiting students from the Water Harmony network.
PhD students
Alumni
Fanjing Meng
Electrochemical oxidation of organofluoride micropollutants in membrane reactors
2022 - 2026
Cognitive analytics of gravity- and pressure-driven membrane separation
Anura Arembage
2024 - 2028
Alumni
Hermann Krüger
2025
Transport characterisation of flat-sheet membranes for control of nanofiltration processes
Oda Rydland & Stine Simonsen
2025
Opportunities, challenges, and operating cost of water treatment technology implementation for water supply in small communities
Odin Seljestokken
Bipolar capacitive deionisation on carbonised nanoporous monoliths
2025
Amalie Brønmo
Effect-based assessment of by-products of electrocatalytic oxidation of PFAS
2025
MSc students
Philip Lein
2022
Electrochemical oxidation and UV-VIS quantification of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for wastewater treatment
2017
Dawit Zigta
Testing Aluminium based chemicals for fouling reduction in membrane bioreactor
Vladyslav Shostak
Comparison of treatment and fouling mitigation efficiency of organic and inorganic coagulants in biofilm membrane bioreactor
2019
Anura Arembage
Operational Optimisation of Biofilm Membrane BioReactor (BMBR) for decentralised wastewater treatment
2018
Lars Rumohr Blingsmo and Leon Dokland
Advanced coagulation and membrane filtration treatment of effluent from high-rate MBBR
2019
Gorm Walter Høili Pettersen
Nanofiltration of surface water with high organic content, focusing on reserve water supply in Halden municipality
2019
Jothy Sathananthan & Jenny Gustavsen
Opportunities for water reuse by implementing MBR in Norway
2024, industrial economy
Roman Kuzhel & Anastasiia Nehrii
Effects of electrochemical treatment of mixed liquor in submerged ceramic membrane bioreactor
2019
Asim Rasheed
2024
Data-driven strategies for managing natural organic matter in water supply
Passive membrane technologies
University of British Columbia, Canada
Pierre Bérubé
Nature-derived reagents in water treatment
Vlad Tarabara, Michigan State University (USA)
Research cluster at the University of Calgary, Canada
Norwegian Partnership
“Membrane Centre for Sustainable Water”
“Membrane Centre for Sustainable Water”
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), The Foundation for Industrial and Technical Research (SINTEF), Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Research Institute AquaTeam COWI, National Centre for Water Infrastructure (Vannsenteret)
Behaviour of fluids at nano-scale, ion transport through nanofiltration membranes, current-induced concentration polarisation of nano-/micro-interfaces
ICREA/Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain
Andriy Yaroshchuk
Partners
MemLab collaborates with scientists worldwide to advance membrane‑process research and develop solutions for pressing societal challenges in water purification, environmental protection, and sustainable resource management.
Industrial partners
See full list
Intrinsic rejections of various solutes
Instrument: rotating membrane test cell with an equally-accessible surface of flat-sheet membrane.
Cross-flow membrane filtration
in various membrane test cells.
Instrument: Sterlitech benchtop cross-flow filtration system with data logging kit and CF042 cells in acryl, PTFE, acetal, and die.
Instrument: Sterlitech benchtop cross-flow filtration system with data logging kit and CF042 cells in acryl, PTFE, acetal, and die.
Capillary flow gas-liquid porometry and gas/liquid permeability
Pressure step stability method with multistage pressure process. Instrument: Porolux Revo porometer with measurement cells – flat sheet disks, hollow fiber.
Electrokinetic analysis of solid surfaces
Zeta potential analysis of macroscopic solids, isoelectric point, liquid-on-solid adsorption kinetics.
Instrument: Anton Paar SurPASS 3 with measurement cells – adjustable gap, ceramic membrane, hollow fiber membrane.
Instrument: Anton Paar SurPASS 3 with measurement cells – adjustable gap, ceramic membrane, hollow fiber membrane.
Experimental
Research infrastructure
Our research infrastructure supports advanced experimentation and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration in membrane technology.
Particle analysis
Zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility of particles by laser Doppler micro-electrophoresis.
Instrument: Malvern Zetasizer Z.
Particle charge analysis by streaming current method.
Instrument: Micrometrix PCA.
Particle-by-particle analysis by tunable resistive pulse sensing. Instrument: Izon qNano.
Instrument: Malvern Zetasizer Z.
Particle charge analysis by streaming current method.
Instrument: Micrometrix PCA.
Particle-by-particle analysis by tunable resistive pulse sensing. Instrument: Izon qNano.
Imaging techniques
TEM, SEM, EDS, stereomicroscopy, CLSM, light microscopy (collective use facility).
Water analysis
Elemental analysis by ICP-MS.
Instrument: Agilent 8800 ICP-QQQ.
Absorbance, transmittance, and fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix (EEMs) acquisition
Instrument: Horiba Aqualog.
UV-VIS spectroscopy
Various instruments
Discrete spectrophotometry
Instrument: Systea EasyChem
Real-time UV-VIS spectroscopy
Instrument: scan spectrolyser
Total Oxygen Demand
Instrument: LAR TOD
Chemical Oxygen Demand by UV-AOP
Instrument: MANTECH PeCOD
Instrument: Agilent 8800 ICP-QQQ.
Absorbance, transmittance, and fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix (EEMs) acquisition
Instrument: Horiba Aqualog.
UV-VIS spectroscopy
Various instruments
Discrete spectrophotometry
Instrument: Systea EasyChem
Real-time UV-VIS spectroscopy
Instrument: scan spectrolyser
Total Oxygen Demand
Instrument: LAR TOD
Chemical Oxygen Demand by UV-AOP
Instrument: MANTECH PeCOD
Electrochemical tests
in galvanostatic and potentionstatic modes, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Instrument: BioLogic VSP-3e potentiostat with eight channels (+/- 1A expandable up to 800A) and built-in EIS.
Instrument: BioLogic VSP-3e potentiostat with eight channels (+/- 1A expandable up to 800A) and built-in EIS.
Exploratory data analysis: PCA, MCR, cluster analysis.
Quantitative regression techniques: MLR, PCR, PLSR, L-PLSR. Supervised classification techniques: SVM, PLS-DA, SIMCA, LDA.
Artificial neural networks.
Chemometrics in spectroscopy.
Single-physics, multiphysics, and surrogate modelling.
Software: Python, MATLAB, Unscrambler, COMSOL Multiphysics, StatEase DesignExpert, OriginLab, Orange Canvas.
Quantitative regression techniques: MLR, PCR, PLSR, L-PLSR. Supervised classification techniques: SVM, PLS-DA, SIMCA, LDA.
Artificial neural networks.
Chemometrics in spectroscopy.
Single-physics, multiphysics, and surrogate modelling.
Software: Python, MATLAB, Unscrambler, COMSOL Multiphysics, StatEase DesignExpert, OriginLab, Orange Canvas.
Data driven & simulations
Research students
Mentorship of MSc students
PhD candidates
There are no vacancies at the moment
Cooperation agreements
Postdoctoral fellowships: MSCA PF Masterclass
Cooperation agreements
Postdoctoral fellowships: MSCA PF Masterclass
Researchers
Opportunities
MemLab offers development opportunities for both researchers and students.
Contact
Acknowledgements
NMBU Strategic Infrastructure and Young Talent grants