Deactivation potential of cold atmospheric plasma for viruses and bacteria in exhalation-generated aerosol droplets

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The use of cold atmospheric plasma has attracted a lot of attention over the past few years and has already found many biomedical applications. The Covid 19 pandemic has increased the demand for the inactivation of viruses in aerosol particles. Atomistic simulations can provide fundamental insights into this process. However, the investigation of ions, and vibrationally excited molecules needs further investigations. Most bio-organisms, including the Corona virus, have a liquid film surrounding them. Therefore, it is necessary to understand which interactions between the plasma and the liquid reactions carried out, before the plasma species reach the surface of the bio-organisms. To gain a better understanding of this behavior, we will combine experimental aerosol measurements with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the chemical reactions between gaseous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and water molecules. We will answer the research question if the plasma generated charged species recombine before they reach the virus. We will study the effect of plasma reactive species on the structure of the spike (S) glycoprotein, that plays a key role in the pathogenicity, transmission, and evolution of coronaviruses. The aim of the project is to find ideal process conditions for plasma disinfection taking into account liquid layers.