Chemical Engineering Prof. Benny Freeman and his colleagues at Monash University in Australia have discovered a new way to extract lithium and other metals and minerals from water. The team’s technique uses a metal-organic-framework membrane that mimics the filtering function of biological cell membranes. The membrane process efficiently separates metal ions, opening the door to economic growth opportunities in Texas’ Barnett and Eagle Ford shale formations, which are rich in lithium. For more, read the press release and researchers’ findings, as published in the Feb. 9 issue of Science Advances.