RAPID: Antiviral Functionalized Membrane Mask and Nanostructured Materials for Corona Virus Capture and Deactivation

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The current coronavirus pandemic has created a severe societal health issue, resulting in significant economic problems across the globe. The novel coronavirus particles (ten thousandths of a millimeter) are covered in club-shaped “S-protein” spikes, which give it its crown-like, or coronal, appearance. These protein spikes allow the virus to readily enter host cells once in the body, resulting in a highly infectious and readily transmissible disease. This project will develop layered membrane-based materials that are capable of deactivating these spike proteins. With humid air containing corona virus droplets, the developed functionalized membranes will enable attachment to the protein spikes of the coronavirus and disarm the virus. In addition, the thin membrane architecture should result in a highly breathable mask. This project will result in the development of advanced barrier devices (such as, face masks) capable of recognition-based capturing and deactivating coronavirus-type active particles. The integration of science between advanced materials and medical/biological sciences will have immense societal impact. This RAPID effort will also enhance interactions with industries for bringing the application of functionalized membrane and virus recognition technology to the medical field and industrial manufacturing sector where airborne virus or other nanoparticles present a potential health hazard. Students with diverse background will be exposed to multidisciplinary research involving chemical/environmental engineering, biological chemistry, and electrical engineering. This project is jointly funded by the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) Division and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This RAPID project will involve the development of functionalized, open structured and highly breathable membranes with attached enzymes and/or antibodies. This will allow for a significant improvement in the efficacy and safety of the diffusion and impact filtration mechanisms and subsequent deactivation parameters for PPE. This innovative RAPID project will result in the development of new materials which incorporate integration of easily adaptable virus cleavage and recognition materials on existing cellulosic and other membrane polymer films which are easily scalable. The overall project will involve enzyme/antibody attachment on surfaces, and material evaluation using synthetic and plasmonic aerosol nanoparticles functionalized with spike glycoprotein found in corona virus. This novel approach includes means for maintaining hydration for enzyme activity. The plasmonic particles will act as “smart” labels to determine both particle location in the material and enzyme-protein interactions. The integrated research on functionalized membranes, virus particle quantification approaches, and novel virus analogs will advance the state of the art in anti-viral barrier materials while deepening fundamental understanding of virus-enzyme-antibody interactions on surfaces. This RAPID effort will also enhance additional interactions with industries for bringing the application of functionalized membrane and virus recognition technology to the medical field and industrial manufacturing sector where airborne virus or other nanoparticles present a potential health hazard. Students with diversified background will be exposed to multidisciplinary research involving chemical/environmental engineering, biological chemistry, and electrical engineering. This project is jointly funded by the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) Division and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.