Laura Pauniņa and Rihards Ruska from the Solid State Physics Institute (SSPI) at the University of Latvia (UL) are working together on a technology that can simultaneously fight microbes and make them “signal” their presence on the surface. Less than two months ago, they received support from the BioPhoT platform for their project “Bioactive Luminescent Coatings for Antimicrobial Protection”.
The researchers' solution will be a smart spray coating that kills micro-organisms and visually demonstrates its effectiveness through luminescence. Based on the Dezosil and Fungosil coatings, researchers will improve biocidal and optical properties, providing a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
This can make hygiene control much easier in the future in places where cleanliness is critical: medical facilities, treatment rooms, laboratories and more.
At the end of November, the researchers were guests of the “Student Stop” programme on Radio NABA, where they explained how the idea came about, what challenges the team faced on the way to getting the project funded and what experiments await them in the coming months.
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