Israeli scientists develop long-lasting ‘smart’ coronavirus disinfectant

Asst. Prof. Shady Farah’s research group

(photo credit: TECHNION)

Researchers from Technion’s Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering have developed “smart disinfectants” specially formulated to destroy the coronavirus infection that remain chemically active over an extended period of time.

The research team, headed by Asst. Prof. Shady Farah, was awarded a European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health COVID-19 Rapid Response grant in order to accelerate the disinfectants into market in the shortest span of time.

“We are currently producing potential substances and testing them. We plan to select the optimal substance and begin mass production in the next few months,” Farah said.

Considering to date there are no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, effective disinfectants are deemed crucial for stymieing the spread of the coronavirus.

According to a study published in The Journal of Hospital Infection, coronavirus may be able to survive on surfaces for as long as nine days, potentially increasing the risk of spread if not treated with disinfectant agents. Technion points to evidence stemming from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was docked off the coast of the Japan early on in the pandemic, in which medical officials revealed that the coronavirus can survive on inanimate surfaces for over 17 days. Conflicting results, as initial studies on the novel coronavirus have been prone to produce, for various reasons.

Farah’s research team specializes in creating innovative polymers for medical use and smart drug delivery technologies. During the onset of the pandemic, Farah and his team devoted themselves to developing special anti-viral polymers that act on the viral compound – by altering and damaging its structure as well as attacking and destroying the viral envelope.

“Disinfectants have been used since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in order to prevent infection from contaminated surfaces – mainly by applying hypochlorite solutions, more commonly known as household bleach. This method has several significant disadvantages: it evaporates quickly, and breaks down rapidly when exposed to sun/UV light. Consequently, its effectiveness is limited and short-term, requiring surfaces to be disinfected several times a day,” Technion University said in a press statement.

Technion’s disinfectant is made up of low-cost readily available raw materials.

“The materials we developed will be a gamechanger because they will block the cycle of infection from contaminated surfaces,” said Farah. “Infection from touching surfaces is a serious problem, especially in public places such as hospitals, factories, schools, shopping malls and public transportation. Our polymers will make these places safer.

“Although this development was accelerated due to the current coronavirus crisis, in the future it will also be effective against other microorganisms. We are enriching the arsenal of tools available to us and adding a new family of disinfectants that release the active substance in a controlled manner. In this way, they remain effective for long periods of time.”