Duration: 18 months
Airborne viruses and other microorganisms pose significant challenges to public health. Aerosols have the capacity to carry viruses and linger in the air for prolonged durations, posing a risk of infection to individuals exposed to these aerosols. Respiratory viruses, such as influenza and some coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2), are transmitted efficiently this way through the air. The implementation of proper ventilation, which entails the exchange of indoor and outdoor air, proves effective in diluting and eliminating viral particles from enclosed spaces. However, achieving adequate ventilation is not always feasible, necessitating alternative methods for the removal of infectious aerosols. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can integrate various technologies to capture viruses, including high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, ionizers, and electrostatic precipitators. These technologies are associated with drawbacks including high operational costs (e.g., HEPA filters) and the production of hazardous (by)products (e.g., ozone generator, electrostatic precipitator, ionizer). Redwire Space is actively developing the GreenLung technology designed for the removal of carbon dioxide and volatile organic components from ambient air. This innovative approach relies on gas/liquid exchange columns and photobioreactors. The objective of the underlying proposal is to explore and demonstrate the applicability of the photobioreactor subunit of the GreenLung in removing airborne viruses from ambient air, as well as promoting their inactivation. A specific coliphage will be used as a model for virus particles which will allow to quantify the removal and distribution by means of reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and plate counting to quantify the viral load.
