(UB)
Research, Innovation and Economic Development
University at Buffalo (UB)
Research, Innovation and Economic Development
Research and Education in Energy,
Environment and Water
The RENEW Institute - A Multidisciplinary Initiative

Technologies for One Water in Extremely Resilient buildings

Illustration of different water sources.

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Collaborators: Diana S. Aga (PI, University at Buffalo); Ning Dai (University at Buffalo); Martha Bohm (University at Buffalo); Haiqing Lin (University at Buffalo); Fatin Samara (American University of Sharjah) 

Project Description: The TOWER Project develops resilient, net-zero water buildings in urban areas facing droughts, floods, and climate change. As centralized water systems become less reliable, they are integrating innovations in water treatment, vapor harvesting, and smart design to achieve water independence and resilience. Using analytical tools such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, the team will study water quality and disinfection byproducts and develop improved oxidation processes for safe wastewater reuse. Novel polymer materials will be engineered for efficient vapor capture, expanding sustainable water sources. Grounded in the “One Water” approach, TOWER combines expertise from architecture, chemistry, environmental engineering, and chemical engineering. It promotes international collaboration with partners in the Philippines, UAE, Costa Rica, Egypt, and Taiwan. Educational and outreach activities aim to build a climate-aware, diverse workforce, increase STEM participation, and boost public understanding of sustainable water management. These efforts advance global water sustainability, resilience, and climate adaptation.

The overarching goal of the TOWER Project is to promote innovation in net-zero water buildings with closed-loop water systems. By encouraging international research collaboration, it aims to boost global urban water resilience and sustainable infrastructure. The project also offers education and training to enhance climate resilience and water management skills, preparing future leaders. Additionally, TOWER supports evidence-based policies to guide sustainable building and water practices worldwide, fostering a more resilient, water-secure future.

The objectives of the study are to (1) analyze building water quality, focusing on disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and developing advanced oxidation treatments for safe wastewater reuse; (2) Engineer temperature-switchable polymers for vapor harvesting and create models linking radical chemistry to system performance for more innovative treatment; (3) guide resilient building design across various climates and cultures; (4) review policies to support sustainable water use and use educational efforts to boost STEM diversity, retention, and public awareness of climate and water issues.

Recent Related Publications:

  1. Abir, A.; Dip, S.;  *Zhang, L. UnCOT-AD: Unpaired Cross-Omics Translation Enables Multi-Omics Integration for Alzheimers Disease Prediction. Briefings in Bioinformatics.  2025. 26(4):bbaf438.
  2. Ahmed, S.; Emon, M.; Moumi, N.; Huang, L.; Zhou, D.; Vikesland, P.; Pruden, A.; *Zhang, L. ProtAlign-ARG: antibiotic resistance gene characterization integrating protein language models and alignment-based scoring. Scientific Reports. 2025. 15:30174.
  3. *Dronjak, L.; Kanan, S.; Ali, T.; Mortula, M.M.; Mohammed, A.; Ramos, J.N.; Aga, D.S.; *Samara, F. Stormwater in the Desert: Unveiling Metal Pollutants in Climate-Intensified Flooding in the United Arab Emirates. Water. 2025. 17. 2457.
  4. Navarro Ramos, J.; Dronjak, L.; Kanan, S.; Mortula, M. M.; Wallace, J. S.; Samara, F.; Dai, N.; *Aga, D. S. Emerging Contaminants in Stormwater: Tire-Derived Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Heavy Metals Detected in a United Arab Emirates Extreme Weather Event. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. 2025. 6:100162. 
  5. *Aga, D.S.; Samara, F.; Dronjak, L.; Kanan, S.; Mortula, M.; and Vahapoglu, L. Rising Water, Rising Risks: The Hidden Dangers of Emerging Contaminants in Climate-Intensified Storms. ACS ES&T Water. 2024. 4:2785-2788.
  6. Deng, E.; Chen, K.; Quigley, A.; Yuan, M.; Zhu, L.; Kralles, Z.; Freeman, B.; *Dai, N.; *Lin, H. In situ oxidation of reduced graphene oxide membranes by peracetic acid for dye desalination. Journal of Membrane Science. 2024. 707: 122991.
  7. Halwatura, L.; Tung, J.; Abaya, L.M.M.; Witmer, C.; *Tsai, C.; *Aga, D.S. Time-Dependent Intrinsic Correlation Analysis Reveals Positive Relationship between Drug Types in Wastewater: Antidepressants vs Illicit Drugs and Analgesics vs Antibiotics/Antivirals" ACS ES&T Water. 2024. 4:5301-5309. 
  8. Kralles, Z.; Deherikar, P.; Werner, C.; Hu, X.; Kolodziej, E.; *Dai, N. Halogenation of Anilines: Formation of Haloacetonitriles and Large-Molecule Disinfection Byproducts. Environmental Science & Technology. 2024. 58:17497-17509.
  9. Tran, T.; Singh, S.; Cheng, S.; *Lin, H. Scalable and Highly Porous Membrane Adsorbents for Direct Air Capture of CO2. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2024. 16:22715-22723.
  10. Mohona, T.; Ye, Z.; *Dai, N.; *Nalam, P. Adsorption behavior of long-chain perfluoroalkyl substances on hydrophobic surface: A combined molecular characterization and simulation study. Water Research. 2023. 239: 120074.