  Effective point-of-use devices for providing safe drinking water are urgently
needed to reduce the global burden of waterborne disease. Here we show that
plant xylem from the sapwood of coniferous trees - a readily available,
inexpensive, biodegradable, and disposable material - can remove bacteria from
water by simple pressure-driven filtration. Approximately 3 cm3 of sapwood can
filter water at the rate of several liters per day, sufficient to meet the
clean drinking water needs of one person. The results demonstrate the potential
of plant xylem to address the need for pathogen-free drinking water in
developing countries and resource-limited settings.
