Aquaporin based thin film composite membranes

A thin film composite membrane comprising:

• a microporous substrate;
• a thin selective layer supported by the microporous substrate, wherein the thin selective layer incorporates amphiphilic vesicles formed from lipids and the amphiphilic vesicles are immobilized in the thin selective layer within a polyamide film, wherein said lipids consist of DPhPC (1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and/or DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), wherein said amphiphilic vesicles contain aquaporin water channels and further comprise cholesterol in the range of more than 30 molar % and up to 40 molar % of the volume of the lipids, wherein said aquaporin water channels are present in a protein to lipid molar ratio in the range of from about 1:20 to about 1:500, wherein the thin selective layer is configured to exclude divalent ions in water from getting into direct contact with the amphiphilic vesicles containing the aquaporin water channels;
• and
• a coating layer on the thin selective layer, wherein the coating layer consists of a hydrogel, wherein the hydrogel consists of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP),
• wherein the thin film composite membrane is able to withstand a high pressure of 200 psi.