NANOTECHNOLOGY TO

ANSWER CORONA, BUT CAN

IT DO MORE?
Strategies to extend the lifespan of the supply of medical equipment
as safely as possible are critically important. In the midst of the current
pandemic, there has been a concerted effort to identify viable ways to
conserve PPE, including decontamination after use.

Some hospitals have Viruses rely on the cells of

already begun using UV-C
light to decontaminate
N95 respirators and
other PPE, but many lack
the space or equipment
to implement existing
protocols. In this study,
we outline a procedure
by which PPE may be
decontaminated using
ultraviolet (UV) radiation
in biosafety cabinets
(BSCs), a common Figure 1: Biological Safety
Cabinet (BCS) or also called
element of many
academic, public health,
and hospital laboratories,
and discuss the dose
ranges needed for
effective decontamination
of critical PPE.
a biosafety cabinet
other organisms to survive
and reproduce, because
they can’t capture or store
energy themselves. In
other words they cannot
function outside a host
organism, which is why
they are often regarded as
non-living.
The coronavirus COVID-19
is a member of the virus Figure 2: 3D shape
family coronaviridae, or of the coronavirus
coronaviruses. The name
comes from the
appearance of the virus
particles under a
microscope: tiny protein
protrusions on their
surfaces mean they
appear surrounded by a
halo-like corona.

Metal-loaded nanocomposites are known to be

extremely effective in all those cases in which a
controlled and long-lasting ionic release is required.
The method done is with controlled
release of ionic copper, which is the key to tune the
antimicrobial and antiviral properties of surfaces

Copper ion release and the generation of reactive

oxygen species (ROS) were demonstrated to be
responsible for the inactivation of coronaviruses on
copper and copper alloy surfaces. Figure 3: TEM images of copper particles

WHAT AWAITS IN THE

FUTURE?
For starters, we should at learn and evolve our safety and technologies. In
the next future we might able to feel viruses even before they attack!
However, is it possible? The development of nano pressure sensors for
biological applications already exist. The sacrificial layer etching and the
sealing of the two membranes divided by a vacuum gap to develop a
Fabry–Pérot resonator. But the challenge is to be aware of the precise Figure 4: SEM image of the
timing off original deflection of the membrane. fabricated pressure sensors.
Bar scale 1 µm