A team led by Praveen Vemula of Institute for Stem Cell Science & Regenerative Medicine (inStem) and Satyajit Mayor of National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) is leading the effort at our centers to develop effective disinfecting technologies.
Given the acute shortage of masks and protective gear envisaged for battling the COVID-19 epidemic, there is a need for a rapidly-deployable method for disinfectives capable of neutralizing the virus on contact on any surface. The team has developed a low-molecular-weight quarternary ammonium salt (QAS) which can be attached to the fabric by heating at 56 degrees Celsius. It is currently also in the process of testing its effectiveness against the coronavirus. This compound can be made at an industrial scale and a Hyderabad-based company is willing to produce high quantities of the compound.
The developed product will provide an immense boost to the longevity of protective equipment in an extremely economical manner, rendering protective equipment more accessible and reusable.
