COVID-19 Grants Program: Development of air sanitization unit to inactivate pathogens (e.g. COVID-19 virus) using catalytic reaction with ozone

该申请要求拨款开发空气消毒装置，以灭活空气中的病原体（如COVID-19病毒），并研究其性能和应用的可行性。 包括COVID-19病毒在内的许多病原体都可以通过空气传播。使用空气消毒系统可降低COVID-19在难以保持足够社交距离的建筑物、聚集场所、长者住宅及公共交通系统（如巴士）中传播的风险。 建议的空气消毒装置是基于我们的活性催化剂，以加强臭氧气体与空气中污染物的反应。我们已经证明了催化过程在去除空气中的有机污染物，如甲苯和丙酮的有效性和可行性。我们的催化剂和工艺可以通过灭活病毒的表面官能团甚至RNA来杀灭空气中的病原体，如COVID-19病毒。在本项目中，将建造一个空气消毒装置，将使用细菌作为代表性病原体来评估其有效性，并将评估将空气消毒装置纳入空气处理系统的可行性。 学术项目团队成员在环境催化、空气处理系统、工业卫生、传染病、呼吸学和流感病毒分子生物学领域拥有研究基础设施、个人记录和互补专业知识。我们的工业合作伙伴是空调和搬运行业的领先工程和制造公司。他们有必要的研究和工程能力，在他们的空气处理产品中实施这项研究的结果。在空气处理系统中安装空气消毒装置将使加拿大受益，提高我们的健康、经济和技术优势。

This applications requests funding to develop an air sanitization unit for inactivation of pathogens such as COVID-19 virus in air, study of its performance and feasibility of application. Many pathogens including the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted through air. Using an air sanitization system can reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 in buildings, gathering places, seniors' residences and public transit systems such as buses where adequate social distancing is difficult to maintain. The proposed air sanitization unit is based on our active catalysts that enhance the reaction of ozone gas with pollutants in air. We have demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of the catalytic process in removing organic pollutants such as toluene and acetone in air. Our catalyst and process can inactivate pathogens such as the COVID-19 virus in air by inactivating its surface functional groups or even RNA of the virus. In this project, an air sanitization unit will be built, its effectiveness will be evaluated using phages as representative pathogens and feasibility of incorporation of the air sanitization unit in air handling systems will be evaluated. The academic project team members have research infrastructure, individual track records and complementary expertise in the areas of environmental catalysis, air-handling systems, industrial hygiene, infectious diseases, respirology, and molecular biology of influenza virus. Our industrial partner is a leading engineering and manufacturing company in the air conditioning and handling industry. They have the required research and engineering capacity to implement the findings of this research in their air handling products. Incorporating an air sanitization unit in the air handling system will benefit Canada by enhancing our health, economy and technological advantage.