Funded Researchers
Leadership
Rohit Karnik
- Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Water & Food
- Director of J-WAFS
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
Rohit Karnik is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Water & Food in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT where he leads the Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Research Group. His research focuses on the physics of micro- and nanofluidic flows and the design of micro- and nanofluidic systems for applications in water, healthcare, energy, and the environment.
As of 2025, Karnik also serves as the director of J-WAFS, where he leads J-WAFS’ research agenda and priorities, and supports proposal review processes, project oversight, and interactions with corporate partners.
J-WAFS-funded projects
- Multiplexed motion-amplified microbead sensors for rapid measurement and monitoring of trace contaminants in water
- On-site analysis of foodborne pathogens using density-shift immunomagnetic separation and culture
- Development of communication materials for the dissemination and commercialization of an open-sourced xylem water filter
- Development of low-cost water filter using sapwood xylem
- Enabling distributed water quality management by dry sample preservation and centralized analysis
Publications
- More than magnetic isolation: Dynabeads as strong Raman reporters toward simultaneous capture and identification of targets
- Iron oxide xerogels for improved water quality monitoring of arsenic(iii) in resource-limited environments via solid-phase extraction, preservation, storage, transportation, and analysis of trace contaminants (SEPSTAT)
- Engineering and characterization of gymnosperm sapwood toward enabling the design of water filtration devices
News
- Rohit Karnik publishes paper on new palladium membranes
- Rohit Karnik is named the new director of J-WAFS
- J-WAFS celebrates 10th anniversary of supporting water and food research across MIT
- J-WAFS associate director honored with "Committed to Caring" award
- J-WAFS associate director and colleagues discover new method to detect contaminants in food, water, and clinical samples
- J-WAFS welcomes Rohit Karnik as new associate director
- J-WAFS announces 2023 seed grant recipients
- J-WAFS PI Rohit Karnik appointed to the Tata Professorship
- J-WAFS researchers make filters from tree branches to purify drinking water