Elucidating the antiviral mechanism of graphene oxide

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Graphene and graphene-related materials have attracted huge attention in recent years due to their unique and outstanding properties. Among these, graphene oxide (GO) has great potential in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and bioimaging due to its good biocompatibility, water dispersibility, and the presence of various functional groups for further functionalisation with other molecules. On the other hand, GO was found efficient for capture and destruction of EV71 and H9N2 viruses and releasing viral RNA at elevated temperature, which demonstrated the antiviral activities of GO. Recently, we have developed a new method to synthesize high quality monolayer GO at a range sizes, and our preliminary results indicate that GO is not toxic to human cells but has size-dependent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus. In this study, we will investigate in detail how the lateral size of GO affect its antiviral activity and GO's antiviral mechanisms using native viruses of global health significance (e.g. Zika virus, respiratory syncytia virus, influenza virus) and a pseudotyped virus system we recently developed for high-risk viruses (e.g. SARS-CoV-2) at a reduced risk level with H&S approval. GO samples will be synthesised and interaction between GO and viruses will be studies using various virus and cell viability assays and characterised using a range of physicochemical characterisation techniques. Taken together, this project aims to understand GO's property (efficacy and toxicity) towards viruses i.e. if it is GO size-dependent, and the molecular mechanisms of GO antiviral activity. This multidisciplinary project will provide an excellent opportunity for a self-motivated student to learn and develop many essential experimental skills and knowledge in biochemistry, cell biology, virology, and materials characterisations. The results of this study may provide important insight in detecting and diagnosis of viral infection, prevention and/or therapy of viruses of global health importance including that of the COVID-19 virus.