Bioactive Effective Surface For Transport Network (BEST Network)

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The world faces many challenges, with some of the most striking relating to microorganisms, such a bacteria and viruses, small enough that you cannot see them, but with the potential to cause disease and death. Recently, it has become apparent that the effectiveness of antibiotics are reducing, meaning they are more likely to cause harm in the future. Additionally, along the recent SARS-CoV-2 viral pandemic demonstrated how quickly and widespread a microorganism can cause significant healthcare implications and harm to society. In both examples, reducing contact or exposure to these harmful microorganisms will inevitably reduce likelihood of infection. Therefore, it is sensible to consider how we can control exposure to these pathogenic microorganisms in the built environment and indoor settings. This poses particular challenges for the UK transport network, as these services are essential, and used by significant numbers of people in the UK every day. Therefore, this sector in particular requires long-term and effective solutions to inhibit pathogen transmission, providing reassurance and confidence to minimise the possible disruption to the sector in the future. Antimicrobial bioeffective surfaces (i.e. surfaces that kill/limit microorganisms) offer a great potential, but for effective use in the transport sector, a holistic approach between the transport industry, academics and other industries involved in the various disciplines regarding antimicrobial materials (e.g. advanced materials, microbiology, engineering, chemistry), as well as policy and decision makers is required. To date, there is no such network with an aim of bringing these group together to tackle the challenge of potentially pathogenic microorganisms with antimicrobial materials in the UK transport sector. It is this knowledge exchange gap that this proposed network would fulfill.