The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) RAPID project is the development of a “dry†cold plasma treatment that would lead to a commercial device for disinfection of everyday items in order to urgently respond to COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to “wet†disinfectants such as hand sanitizers, alcohol, and bleach that may not be readily used for disinfecting fabric surfaces, the “dry†approach can be applied to everyday items including mail, delivered packages, paper money, and clothing that can become contaminated through contact with the public. Cold plasma is a gas of ions generated by radio frequency power produced at room temperature and applied at atmospheric pressure. Cold plasma can generate many reactive species that are lethal to a variety of viruses including SARS-CoV-2. Cold atmospheric plasma is environmentally benign and safe to operate. It can be quickly developed into a hand-held device for every household use. This research will allow the team to develop an adaptable disinfection method for COVID-19 control and enable society to respond to viral pandemics quickly and safely. Success of this project will ensure that the United States maintains strong leadership in medical sciences and technologies.
The project focuses on obtaining first-hand experimental data to design and develop a commercial product for daily disinfection of everyday items that may not be easily treated by conventional wet disinfectants. The research team will develop several plasma systems in a biosafety level-2 (BSL2) lab and investigate the efficacy of plasma ablation of viruses for routine disinfection of surfaces. The initial study will focus on plasma disinfection of typical enveloped viruses or pseudotyped viruses. After identifying the mechanism that results in virus inactivation, the team will then identify a BSL3 laboratory where Sars-CoV-2 itself can be plasma treated and tested. The goals of this research are to determine the molecular and viral responses to plasma treatment related to coronavirus inactivation and optimize the system parameters for the most effective disinfection treatment. The team will systematically control the plasma parameters such as frequency, power, and treatment time and will observe cell-plasma interactions in terms of viral-transfection and activity. The experimental data will provide a scientific base for the design of a novel disinfection device that can be quickly developed and commercialized for effective control of COVID-19.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
