Developing a pathogen-repellant wrap-improving performance and manufacturing throughput and evaluating real-world potential

我们开发了一种可用于各种表面以减少污染的病原体排斥性柔性包裹物RepelWrap。RepelWrap是建立在结构层次，精心设计的功能，从纳米级到宏观尺度，结合化学功能化，以实现广泛的液体和病原体排斥。RepelWrap将表面上的病毒污染减少了4个对数，并将细菌生物膜的形成减少了85%。在这个项目中，我们将与加拿大三家积极开展研发活动的行业合作伙伴合作，通过设计一种新的双功能材料架构，提高RepelWrap的病原体排斥性。（与FendX合作），使用卷对卷处理而不是手动沉积来提高生产量（与FendX和FLEXcon合作），并评估RepelWrap在真实条件下的病原体排斥性（与Draganfly合作）。 该项目的最终成果将是一种高效的抗菌表面，将表面上的细菌和病毒载量减少至少3个对数。 凭借本文中开发的知识和材料，FendX打算将RepelWrap商业化，面向加拿大和全球市场，创造研发和供应链就业机会。 FLEXcon是RepelWrap的预期制造商，它将使用在此赠款中开发的加工知识在其加拿大制造工厂制造该产品，创造制造业就业机会。Draganfly预计将使用RepelWrap作为包装和保护材料，以减少感染的传播。RepelWrap将提供一种加拿大制造的解决方案，以减少诸如SARS-CoV-2、耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌和铜绿假单胞菌等令人担忧的病原体的传播，通过减少传染病的负担提供重要的健康益处。

We have developed, RepelWrap, a pathogen-repellent flexible wrap that can be applied to a wide range of surfaces for reducing contamination. RepelWrap is founded on structural hierarchy, carefully designed features from the nanoscale to the macroscale, combined with chemical functionalization for achieving wide-range liquid and pathogen repellency. RepelWrap reduces viral contamination on surfaces by 4-logs and the formation of bacterial biofilms by 85%. There is a tremendous market need for such technology that can be applied to high touch surfaces and packaging for reducing the spread of infectious pathogens.In this project, we will partner with three industry partners with active research and development activities in Canada to improve the pathogen repellency of RepelWrap by engineering a new bi-functional materials architecture (in collaboration with FendX), enhance manufacturing throughput using roll-to-roll processing rather than manual deposition (in collaboration with FendX and FLEXcon), and to assess the pathogen repellency of RepelWrap under real-world conditions (in collaboration with Draganfly). The final outcome of this project will be a highly effective antimicrobial surface, reducing bacterial and viral loads on surfaces by at least 3-logs. With the knowledge and materials developed herein, FendX intends to commercialize RepelWrap for the Canadian and global market, creating research and development, and supply chain jobs. FLEXcon is the intended manufacturer for RepelWrap, and it will use the processing knowledge developed in this grant to manufacture this product at their Canadian manufacturing facility, creating manufacturing jobs. Draganfly is expected to use RepelWrap as a packaging and protective material for reducing the transmission of infections. RepelWrap will provide a made in Canada solution for reducing the spread of pathogens of concern such as SARS-CoV-2, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to name a few, providing important health benefits by reducing the burden of infectious diseases.