Trapping virus-loaded aerosols using granular protein nanofibrils and iron oxyhydroxides nanoparticles

Armanious, A.; Wang, H.; Alpert, P.; Medaglia, C.; Peydayesh, M.; Zwygart, A. C.-A.; Gübeli, C.; Handschin, S.; Bolisetty, S.; Ammann, M.; Tapparel, C.; Stellacci, F.; Mezzenga, R.

doi:10.1101/2022.06.29.498082

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.06.29.498082

Trapping virus-loaded aerosols using granular protein nanofibrils and iron oxyhydroxides nanoparticles

Armanious, A.·Wang, H.·Alpert, P.·Medaglia, C.·Peydayesh, M.·Zwygart, A. C.-A.·Gübeli, C.·Handschin, S.·Bolisetty, S.·Ammann, M.·Tapparel, C.·Stellacci, F.·Mezzenga, R.

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Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that developing effective therapeutics against viruses might be outpaced by emerging variants,1-5 waning immunity,6-9 vaccine skepticism/hesitancy,10-12 lack of resources,13-16 and the time needed to develop virus-specific therapeutics,17,18 emphasizing the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions as the first line of defense against virus outbreaks and pandemics.19-23 However, fighting the spread of airborne viruses has proven extremely challenging,23-28 much more if this needs to be achieved on a global scale and in an environmentally-friendly manner.29,30 Here, we introduce an aerosol filter made of granular material based on whey protein nanofibrils and iron oxyhydroxides nanoparticles. The material is environmentally-friendly, biodegradable, and composed mainly of a dairy industry byproduct.31 It features remarkable filtration efficiencies between 95.91% and 99.99% for both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the influenza A virus strain H1N1, enterovirus 71, bacteriophage {Phi}6, and bacteriophage MS2. The developed material is safe to handle and recycle, with a simple baking step sufficient to inactivate trapped viruses. The high filtration efficiency, virtually-zero environmental impact, and low cost of the material illuminate a viable role in fighting current and future pandemics on a global scale.

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Armanious, A., Wang, H., Alpert, P., Medaglia, C., Peydayesh, M., Zwygart, A. C.-A., Gübeli, C., Handschin, S., Bolisetty, S., Ammann, M., Tapparel, C., Stellacci, F., Mezzenga, R.. 2022-06-30. Trapping virus-loaded aerosols using granular protein nanofibrils and iron oxyhydroxides nanoparticles. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.06.29.498082

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