Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Solar-powered circular desalination agriculture enabled by amyloid fibril-based bioevaporators

Nature Water (2026)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Coastal agriculture is constrained by freshwater scarcity and the linear, resource-intensive nature of conventional farming, with substantial waste and environmental impacts. Here we report solar-powered circular desalination agriculture, which harnesses sunlight and seawater to produce food with minimal waste. Specifically, solar desalination provides abundant boron-free irrigation water from seawater; soybeans supply food and value-added products; and leftover biomass is upgraded into bioevaporators and fertilizers, sustaining further desalination and cultivation. A 3-month field trial on Hainan Island validated the full circular cycle from seed germination to harvest, processing and waste upcycling. Scaled to 0.6 ha, the global average agricultural land per person, the system can meet the daily food needs of 47 people. Beyond soybeans, the approach successfully remediated saline soils while cultivating diverse food and cash crops, highlighting broad applicability and economic potential. This solar-powered circular agriculture strategy offers a sustainable pathway towards water–food–energy security.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Solar-powered circular desalination agriculture enabled by amyloid fibril-based bioevaporator.
Fig. 2: Fabrications and characterizations of amyloid fibril-based bioevaporator from upcycling waste soybean meal.
Fig. 3: Performance and stability of amyloid fibril-based bioevaporator for solar desalination.
Fig. 4: Field test of solar-powered desalination agriculture.
Fig. 5: Scalability and circular applicability of solar-powered circular desalination agriculture.

Data availability

All data are available within this article and its Supplementary Information. These data are also available via figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30962279 (ref. 44). Source data are provided with this paper.

References

  1. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023: Urbanization, Agrifood Systems Transformation and Healthy Diets Across the Rural–Urban Continuum (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2023).

  2. The Sustainable Development Goals Report: Special Edition. Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet (United Nations, 2023).

  3. Bourzac, K. Water: the flow of technology. Nature 501, S4–S6 (2013).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Burn, S. et al. Desalination techniques—a review of the opportunities for desalination in agriculture. Desalination 364, 2–16 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zarzo, D., Campos, E. & Terrero, P. Spanish experience in desalination for agriculture. Desalin. Water Treat. 51, 53–66 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Elimelech, M. & Phillip, W. A. The future of seawater desalination: energy, technology, and the environment. Science 333, 712–717 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dreizin, Y., Tenne, A. & Hoffman, D. Integrating large scale seawater desalination plants within Israel’s water supply system. Desalination 220, 132–149 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Helgason, K. S., Iversen, K. & Julca, A. UN/DESA Policy Brief #105: Circular agriculture for sustainable rural development (United Nations, 2021); https://desapublications.un.org/policy-briefs/undesa-policy-brief-105-circular-agriculture-sustainable-rural-development

  9. van Zanten, H. H. E. et al. Circularity in Europe strengthens the sustainability of the global food system. Nat. Food 4, 320–330 (2023).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Colombo, S. M. et al. Towards achieving circularity and sustainability in feeds for farmed blue foods. Reviews in Aquaculture 15, 1115–1141 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wu, P., Wu, X., Wang, Y., Xu, H. & Owens, G. Towards sustainable saline agriculture: interfacial solar evaporation for simultaneous seawater desalination and saline soil remediation. Water Res. 212, 118099 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Muscat, A. et al. Principles, drivers and opportunities of a circular bioeconomy. Nat. Food 2, 561–566 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Xu, N. et al. Going beyond efficiency for solar evaporation. Nat. Water 1, 494–501 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Tao, P. et al. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation. Nat. Energy 3, 1031–1041 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhao, F., Guo, Y., Zhou, X., Shi, W. & Yu, G. Materials for solar-powered water evaporation. Nat. Rev. Mater. 5, 388–401 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dang, C. et al. Structure integration and architecture of solar-driven interfacial desalination from miniaturization designs to industrial applications. Nat. Water 2, 115–126 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wu, X. et al. Interfacial solar evaporation: from fundamental research to applications. Adv. Mater. 36, 2313090 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Li, X. et al. Graphene oxide-based efficient and scalable solar desalination under one sun with a confined 2D water path. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 13953–13958 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhou, L. et al. 3D self-assembly of aluminium nanoparticles for plasmon-enhanced solar desalination. Nat. Photonics 10, 393–398 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Song, Y., Fang, S., Xu, N. & Zhu, J. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technologies for food, energy and water. Nat. Rev. Clean Technol. 1, 55–74 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Cao, Y. & Mezzenga, R. Design principles of food gels. Nat. Food 1, 106–118 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Xu, N. et al. Mushrooms as efficient solar steam-generation devices. Adv. Mater. 29, 1606762 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Li, T., Kambanis, J., Sorenson, T. L., Sunde, M. & Shen, Y. From fundamental amyloid protein self-assembly to development of bioplastics. Biomacromolecules 25, 5–23 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Knowles, T. P. et al. Role of intermolecular forces in defining material properties of protein nanofibrils. Science 318, 1900–1903 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Xu, Z. et al. Structure remodeling of soy protein-derived amyloid fibrils mediated by epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Biomaterials 283, 121455 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kranz, W. & Specht, J. Irrigating soybean. NebGuide G1367. Univ. Nebraska–Lincoln https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g1367/irrigating-soybean (2012).

  27. Ayers, R. S. & Westcot, D. W. Water Quality for Agriculture (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1985).

  28. Zimicz, C. C., Moretto, A. S. & Camilion, C. Characterization of boron toxicity tolerance of two soybean (Glycine max L.) varieties. J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 23, 4104–4114 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. AbdelMeguid, H. & El Awady, W. M. Optimizing solar still performance through glass cover optical properties: a mathematical modeling and theoretical investigation. Ain Shams Eng. J. 15, 102589 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. AbdelMeguid, H. & El Awady, W. M. Theoretical investigation into saline optical properties for enhancing solar still performance: mathematical modeling approach. Therm. Sci. Eng. Prog. 54, 102846 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. AbdelMeguid, H. Examining the performance of optically optimized solar stills with phase change materials: a theoretical perspective on ongoing debates. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 282, 113394 (2025).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. AbdelMeguid, H. Multi-stage PCM-enhanced solar distiller desalination: investigating energy storage dynamics, phase transition behavior, and system performance with variable PCM/saline mass ratios. J. Energy Storage 122, 116687 (2025).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. AbdelMeguid, H. Adaptive thermal buffering in solar desalination: seasonally optimized PCM selection for extreme diurnal climates. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 289, 113687 (2025).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. AbdelMeguid, H. Comprehensive modeling and long-term thermal analysis of phase change material dynamics in solar distiller systems and insights for experimental planning. J. Energy Storage 142, 119564 (2026).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Mao, K., Zhang, Y. & Tan, S. C. Functionalizing solar-driven steam generation towards water and energy sustainability. Nat. Water 3, 144–156 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. AbdelMeguid, H. et al. Potential application of solar still desalination in NEOM region. Appl. Water Sci. 14, 53 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Touil, S., Richa, A., Fizir, M., Argente García, J. E. & Skarmeta Gómez, A. F. A review on smart irrigation management strategies and their effect on water savings and crop yield. Irrig. Drain. 71, 1396–1416 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Cho, H. J., Preston, D. J., Zhu, Y. & Wang, E. N. Nanoengineered materials for liquid–vapour phase-change heat transfer. Nat. Rev. Mater. 2, 16092 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Regional and Country Trends, 2000–2020 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2022).

  40. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy (The National Academies Press, 2023).

  41. Güler, E., Kaya, C., Kabay, N. & Arda, M. Boron removal from seawater: state-of-the-art review. Desalination 356, 85–93 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Petruccelli, S. & Anon, M. C. Thermal aggregation of soy protein isolates. J.Agric. Food Chem. 43, 3035–3041 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Cheng, M.-H. & Rosentrater, K. A. Economic feasibility analysis of soybean oil production by hexane extraction. Ind. Crops Prod. 108, 775–785 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Xia, M. et al. Raw data for: Solar-powered circular desalination agriculture enabled by amyloid fibrils-based bioevaporators. figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30962279 (2026).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank H. Xie, H. Sun and Y. Xie (Hainan Medical University) for antibacterial activity tests and H. Qu, S. Zhang and Z. Xie (Hainan University) for mechanical testing. We acknowledge Sansha Haikou Office and Sansha No 1 for providing seawater from the South China Sea and RO water. We also acknowledge the microfabrication centre of the National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures (NLSSM) and School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication) for their technical support. This work is jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 52573247 to Y.S., 52525202 to J.Z., 52461160296 to J.Z. and 92262305 to J.Z., 22265010 to J.X.), National Key R&D Program of China (grant no. 2024YFF0506000 to J.Z.), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant no. 20250107 to Y.S.), GeoX’ Interdisciplinary Project of Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling (grant no. 20250107 to Y.S.), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (grant no. BK20233001 to J.Z.), Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Science and Technology Innovation Fund of Jiangsu Province (grant no. BT2025017 to Y.S.), Program for Innovative Talents and Entrepreneur in Suzhou (grant no. ZXL2025317 to Y.S.), Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund (grant nos. ZDYF2024SHFZ038 to J.X., G20241024005E to J.X. and ZDYF2023SHFZ120 to T.Y.), Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 824CXTD424 to D.W., 525YXQN593 to J.X. and 525RC702 to M.X.), Research Foundation of Marine Science and Technology Collaborative Innovation Center of Hainan University (grant nos. XTCX2022HYB01 to J.X. and XTCX2022JKC01 to D.W.), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant nos. GZC20230650 to M.X. and 2024MD763974 to M.X.) and Hainan Province Clinical Medical Center (grant no. 0202067 to D.W.). This work has been supported by Meituan Green Tech Fund.

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Meng Xia, Yan Song, Jiahui Yu, Mengyue Zeng.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Sustainable Energy and Resources, Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Jiangsu Physical Science Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Meng Xia, Yan Song & Jia Zhu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Science and Technology, School of Marine Technology and Equipment, Hainan University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China

    Meng Xia, Jiahui Yu, Peng Zhao, Qi Chen & Juanxiu Xiao

  3. College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Mengyue Zeng & Jia Zhu

  4. School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China

    Tao Yang

  5. School of Breeding and Multiplication, Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication, Hainan University, Sanya, People’s Republic of China

    Shuangkang Pei, Yonggang Zhou & Haiyan Li

  6. State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Sanya, People’s Republic of China

    Dong Wang

Authors
  1. Meng Xia
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yan Song
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiahui Yu
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mengyue Zeng
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peng Zhao
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tao Yang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Shuangkang Pei
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yonggang Zhou
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Qi Chen
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Haiyan Li
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Dong Wang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Juanxiu Xiao
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Jia Zhu
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Y.S., M.X., J.X. and J.Z. conceived and designed the project. Y.S., M.X., J.Y., M.Z., P.Z., S.P., Y.Z., Q.C., H.L. and D.W. performed the material preparation and characterization. Y.S., M.X., J.X. and J.Z. analysed the data. Y.S., M.X., T.Y., J.X. and J.Z. supervised the project. All authors contributed to the writing of the paper.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yan Song, Tao Yang, Juanxiu Xiao or Jia Zhu.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Water thanks Hossam Abdel Meguid and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information (download PDF )

Supplementary Figs. 1–21, Tables 1–10 and refs. 1–10.

Peer Review File (download PDF )

Source data

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xia, M., Song, Y., Yu, J. et al. Solar-powered circular desalination agriculture enabled by amyloid fibril-based bioevaporators. Nat Water (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00615-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00615-y

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing