Ashlee Howarth, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, received $240,780 to design and synthesize new materials that can capture water from the air. Howarth’s project will develop metal–organic frameworks, which are porous materials that can capture water in the air in both humid and arid climates. They work by attracting and binding water molecules to their surface, forming a thin film. As climate change threatens our freshwater supply, these innovative materials can generate clean, drinkable water in remote communities in Canada or be integrated into existing municipal infrastructure in urban areas.