SBIR RAPID: Filovirus Ebola Simulants to help improve the effectiveness and reliability of personal protective equipment for protection from Ebola exposure.

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The proposed research will lead to a more thorough characterization of the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of currently utilized protective equipment for personnel in contact with Ebola virus infected individuals. This knowledge will have immediate benefit to medical personnel and allow for the identification of suitable protective equipment that will protect both medical personnel and other persons who are subject to exposure to Ebola. This work will lead to novel assay systems that can be integrated into standard quality control assessment of existing medical protective materials, and allow for protective performance assessment of unique super water repellent materials, manufactured and sold by Seashell Technology, to Ebola simulants. A significant societal benefit will be attained by the ability to deliver a novel, inexpensive, improved barrier that can be supplied to individuals in impacted areas. The use of these materials in infected areas will have the potential to significantly lower Ebola transmission rates, lead to control of the epidemic, curtail the economic consequences associated with the current epidemic, and reduce deaths and suffering. These same materials will have significant benefit for control of future potential Ebola breakouts. The objectives of this research project are to determine the protective performance of medically relevant barriers to penetration by individually optically trackable Ebola viral simulants. This will provide an opportunity to increase the tools that can be used to study this deadly class of viruses. The work proposed has significant potential to advance our knowledge of the spread of Ebola and the types of protective equipment that will block viral penetration. The Ebola virus has a unique rod-shaped morphology, unlike any other strain of virus; therefore standard methods of modeling viral barrier effectiveness cannot be accurately interpreted. Seashell Technology's ability to manufacture the individually optically trackable Ebola viral simulants and extensive knowledge of this type of particles dispersion properties provide a unique opportunity to better assess the potential spread of Ebola. Additionally, the protective performance to Ebola penetration of an inexpensive super water repellent breathable fabric, created using a nanostructured coating material that can be economically and rapidly manufactured by Seashell Technology, will be assessed. Should this fabric provide excellent protection from Ebola exposure there is an opportunity to supply this protective material to persons in the areas impacted by the epidemic and significantly reduce the transmission of Ebola.