The Marshal's Office of the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship, as a result of the "Socially Responsible Proto_lab" competition, has granted funding for the research project titled "Biodegradable, antimicrobial and antiviral filters based on bionanocellulose for use in protective masks". This interdisciplinary research will be carried out by the Department of Polymer and Biomaterials Science (DPBS) of the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering and the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology (DMB) of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Breeding of ZUT.
The aim of the project following the global efforts against COVID-19 is to develop a method to produce biodegradable, antimicrobial and antiviral filters based on modified bionano-cellulose (BNC) for use, among others, in protective masks. The key to obtain appropriate parameters of new materials, including porosity and expected adsorption and antimicrobial and antiviral properties will be BNC modification with low pressure plasma.
Low pressure nitrogen plasma (fot. P. Sobolewski)
The filters developed in the project will provide protection on three levels: (i) filtration of the infectious agent due to the high porosity of the BNC membranes, (ii) adsorption of the infectious agent due to the surface modification of the membrane microfibres, (iii) inactivation of the infectious agent due to the surface functionalization of the bionanocellulose membranes. The filter can be used as a filter layer in surgical masks (disposable) and as a cartridge for respirators or N95, FFP2 and FFP3 breathing filters (reusable). The cartridges for such filters will be fabricated within the project with 3D printing technology.
FDM 3D printer (fot. M. El Fray)
An additional advantage of the method developed within the project will be the use of "green" technologies only, thus eliminating harmful chemicals and using biomass as nutrition source for bacteria producing cellulose. Overall, BNC biosynthesis and modification process with low pressure plasma (eliminating chemical modification) will not only be fully ecological but also economically justified.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Miroslawa El Fray
Researchers:
DPBS - Piotr Sobolewski, PhD, Marek Żwir, M.Sc.
DMB - Karol Fijałkowski, PhD, Prof. ZUT (co-PI); Radosław Drozd, PhD; Anna Żywicka, PhD; Daria Ciecholewska-Juśko, M.Sc., Magdalena Szymańska, M.Sc.
