About this Research Topic
Beside direct contact with infected persons, surfaces are the major route for transmission of viruses. It is exceptionally amazing that in the 21st century with all its unprecedented technological wonders, we relied on the same passive tools, like cloth masks and continuous surface disinfection, used a century earlier in the Spanish Flu pandemic to attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. With the certainty that there will be another viral pandemic, innovative research is required into advanced materials for the development of functional surfaces that will prevent the persistence of viral particles on them.
The first major response of science against the COVID-19 pandemic was the development of accurate and rapid diagnostic tools. This allowed for the monitoring and the control of the spread of infections. The second major response was the development of effective vaccines to immunize the population against the virus. These are amazing technologies and the speed at which they were developed is breathtaking . But they were reactionary and did not prevent the pandemic or the deaths of millions. The economic toll of not been able to prevent the global spread of the virus is astronomical. Now that the acute phase of the pandemic is largely over, there is need for the development of technologies that will prevent another devastating viral disease outbreak. Currently, most surfaces are not made of materials that were deliberately designed to be antiviral and conversely become fomites for the spread of infections. An awakening to this need has however been ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this special topic is to bring together current research into active antiviral materials and express new ideas in a world of sustainable scientific R&D.
Manuscripts contributing to this topic should address the need for functional antiviral materials that demonstrate the capacity of preventing the spread of different virus families. Manuscripts describing materials that are yet to be designed but that challenge the current design rationale to breach the current state of the art in nontherapeutic antiviral materials will be welcomed. Manuscripts featuring sustainability in the design of materials are particularly encouraged with the awareness that future pandemics will occur in a larger global population living on an environmentally more lethargic planet that is heavily depleted of its natural resources. This implies materials that can be chemically recycled to their original precursors or other valued chemicals. Also welcomed are manuscripts that report on materials made from non-finite natural resources, for example, alternatives to metallic virucides. Because viral infections are often complicated by secondary or opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections, manuscripts that describe functional antimicrobial materials will also fall within the scope of this research topic.’
Conflict of Interests: Mohammed Balogun: Although I declare no conflict interests, I’ll like to make it clear that the organization that I work for, the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research conducts contract R&D for private companies as well as governmental entities. A recent project in which I was the PI was contracted to develop antiviral coatings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The formal contract was between the organization and the company. A patent based on the research conducted has been filed but is yet to be awarded. I am the inventor on the filed patent.
The first major response of science against the COVID-19 pandemic was the development of accurate and rapid diagnostic tools. This allowed for the monitoring and the control of the spread of infections. The second major response was the development of effective vaccines to immunize the population against the virus. These are amazing technologies and the speed at which they were developed is breathtaking . But they were reactionary and did not prevent the pandemic or the deaths of millions. The economic toll of not been able to prevent the global spread of the virus is astronomical. Now that the acute phase of the pandemic is largely over, there is need for the development of technologies that will prevent another devastating viral disease outbreak. Currently, most surfaces are not made of materials that were deliberately designed to be antiviral and conversely become fomites for the spread of infections. An awakening to this need has however been ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this special topic is to bring together current research into active antiviral materials and express new ideas in a world of sustainable scientific R&D.
Manuscripts contributing to this topic should address the need for functional antiviral materials that demonstrate the capacity of preventing the spread of different virus families. Manuscripts describing materials that are yet to be designed but that challenge the current design rationale to breach the current state of the art in nontherapeutic antiviral materials will be welcomed. Manuscripts featuring sustainability in the design of materials are particularly encouraged with the awareness that future pandemics will occur in a larger global population living on an environmentally more lethargic planet that is heavily depleted of its natural resources. This implies materials that can be chemically recycled to their original precursors or other valued chemicals. Also welcomed are manuscripts that report on materials made from non-finite natural resources, for example, alternatives to metallic virucides. Because viral infections are often complicated by secondary or opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections, manuscripts that describe functional antimicrobial materials will also fall within the scope of this research topic.’
Conflict of Interests: Mohammed Balogun: Although I declare no conflict interests, I’ll like to make it clear that the organization that I work for, the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research conducts contract R&D for private companies as well as governmental entities. A recent project in which I was the PI was contracted to develop antiviral coatings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The formal contract was between the organization and the company. A patent based on the research conducted has been filed but is yet to be awarded. I am the inventor on the filed patent.
Keywords: antiviral coating, nanotechnology, fomites, functional materials, prevention
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
