Nanomaterials to fight bird flu

Consortium of businesses and academic institutions to spend the next two years developing range of nanomaterials that have proved effective against viruses in initial tests.

A consortium led by Qinetiq Nanomaterials, a wholly owned Qinetiq subsidiary, is to develop a range of nanomaterials for use in the fight against a broad spectrum of viruses.

The two year programme is being funded by the South East England Development Agency (Seeda) which has allocated £2 million to the project, its largest single investment in science and technology to date.

Team AVNP (Antiviral Nanoparticles) is a consortium of six businesses and academic institutions based in the south east of England.

The partners will spend the next two years developing the range of nanomaterials, which have already proved effective against viruses in initial tests.

The initial concept was formulated by Guogang Ren at Queen Mary's University of London who discovered that at the nanoscale, certain inorganic materials kill viruses such as SARS and avian flu on contact.

Team AVNP, of which Ren is a partner, will develop combinations of nanoparticles and nanocompounds for application to a range of antiviral products such as face masks, air filters and antiviral coatings, making full use of the larger surface area available at the nanoscale.

The programme will optimise the effectiveness of nanomaterials and assess their toxicology for different antiviral applications.

In addition Team AVNP will restructure the production processes of nanomaterials with the aim of delivering pre-production prototypes.

Key to the programme is the team's combination of capabilities in nanomaterials, polymers, toxicology and virology testing that are provided by QNL, Brunel University, Queen Mary's and Retroscreen Virology.

To develop the applications, Pall will provide expertise in filtration and Sun Chemical in coatings technology.

Speaking on behalf of Team AVNP, QNL founder and CTO Paul Reip said: "H5N1 bird flu is just one of a number of viruses such as SARS that represent a genuine threat across the globe".

"There is a long term requirement for new and innovative antiviral materials that can be applied to products such as face masks to protect not only frontline staff such as nurses, doctors and paramedics but also the general public".

"Through its most substantial investment in science and technology to date, Seeda has recognised the strengths of the AVNP team and the potential of nanoparticles to tackle a broad spectrum of viruses".

"The AVNP programme represents a new chapter in the ongoing story of the nanotechnology revolution".

"Most of the current applications of nanotechnology involve nanopowders, for example, using the properties of UV absorption to give UV resistance in sunscreens".

"This project will exploit additional properties that materials have at the nanoscale to tackle real world crises such as pandemics".

Funding for the programme was provided under a Seeda programme entitled "Emerging Nanomaterial Technologies in the South East Region".

The programme supports processes and materials in the field of nanotechnology, and specifically the near to market area of nanomaterials.

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