The Michael M. Abbott Lecture Series hosted each spring in the Chemical Engineering Department honors Abbott’s legacy and celebrates his achievements. Prior to the 1960’s, a diagnosis of total kidney failure meant a life-expectancy of less than 2 weeks. Today, nearly one million people with chronic kidney failure are kept alive by the artificial kidney. This talk will review some of the key technical developments that led to successful treatment of kidney disease using the artificial kidney (also known as hemodialysis), with a specific focus on the dialysis membrane that is at the heart of current devices. The development of novel membrane structures has provided better biocompatibility while significantly enhancing the removal of uremic toxins, e.g., using asymmetric membranes with very thin selective layers. Recent efforts in our group have focused on the development of an implantable bioartificial kidney, taking advantage of new approaches in MEMS technology to develop membranes with slit-shaped pores that can facilitate removal of beta-2-microglobulin, an important uremic toxin. We are now focused on designing a compact implantable device that can successfully replace normal kidney function. Initial animal studies are highly encouraging and could lead to major improvements in the treatment of individuals with chronic kidney disease