[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7269\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESix innovations to tackle coronavirus\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Coronavirus-popping surface coating \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn anti-microbial coating that destroys the coronavirus on impact could help to decontaminate commonly used surfaces, according to scientists from the UK. The coating, which can be dipped or sprayed on to surfaces such as touch screens and lift buttons, is made of synthetic antimicrobial peptides (mini-proteins), which pop the outer lipid membrane of the virus, effectively killing it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This technology forces the microorganism to burst, almost like a balloon touching a cactus,\u2019 said Dr Hugo Macedo, chief executive of air purification technology firm \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/smartseparations.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ESmart Separations\u003C\/a\u003E, which is developing the coating.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We tested it against E. Coli, against H1N1, and very recently, we\u2019ve also tested it against SARS-CoV-2 \u2013 the COVID-19 virus,\u2019 said Dr Macedo. \u2018It has destroyed the virus in our preliminary tests.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Macedo and his team are exploring different applications for the smart coating, including to improve personal protective equipment (PPE). Antiviral stickers, which contain the coating on one side and an adhesive material on the other, could be applied to commonly used surfaces such as ATMs, says Dr Macedo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company is also looking into ways that the coating can be applied on their existing product, a ceramic-based filtration system that could destroy mould, viruses and bacteria such as Legionella, the cause of Legionnaires\u2019 disease, present in the air. The company presented their technology to investors at a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/easme\/en\/news\/smart-separations-steals-show-its-covid-19-solution-eic-epitching\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEuropean Innovation Council pitching event\u003C\/a\u003E in April and a Kickstarter campaign to fund a coated ceramic air filter for use in offices and care homes was launched in July.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022One application for the coronavirus-popping coating is a ceramic air filter for use in homes and offices. Image credit: Smart Separations\u0022 height=\u00224969\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/office_desk.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022One application for the coronavirus-popping coating is a ceramic air filter for use in homes and offices. Image credit: Smart Separations\u0022 width=\u00227806\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EOne application for the coronavirus-popping coating is a ceramic air filter for use in homes and offices. Image credit: Smart Separations\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Self-driving disinfection robot \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn autonomous robot that emits ultraviolet C (UV-C) light and is currently used in hospitals to halt the spread of hospital-acquired infections is being tested for its effectiveness against coronavirus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.uvd-robots.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EThe UVD (Ultraviolet Disinfection) Robot\u003C\/a\u003E uses UV-C, a type of ultraviolet light that does not usually penetrate the Earth\u2019s ozone layer. Since it is not naturally present on Earth, biological material is particularly vulnerable to the effects of UV-C radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If a microorganism is hit by this, it penetrates into the cell membrane and destroys all the larger molecules inside the cell,\u2019 said Claus Risager, chief executive of Danish professional robotics firm, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.blue-ocean-robotics.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EBlue Ocean Robotics\u003C\/a\u003E, who design, develop and produce the robot. \u2018That means that the cell functions basically stop \u2013 so they die.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022The self-driving ultraviolent disinfection robots are being tested for their effectiveness against coronavirus. Image credit: Blue Ocean Robotics and UVD Robots\u0022 height=\u00222660\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/uvd_robots_army_2.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022The self-driving ultraviolent disinfection robots are being tested for their effectiveness against coronavirus. Image credit: Blue Ocean Robotics and UVD Robots\u0022 width=\u00225184\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EThe self-driving ultraviolent disinfection robots are being tested for their effectiveness against coronavirus. Image credit: Blue Ocean Robotics and UVD Robots\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUV-C light is commonly used to decontaminate hospitals from bacteria and viruses, however stationary light sources mean that there are often areas that are missed by the radiation. As a self-driven machine, the UVD Robot is able to navigate around rooms to kill 99.99% of bacteria, says Dr Risager. A 300-bed hospital with intensive care units and surgical sites, he says, needs between 10 and 15 of the machines to disinfect effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlue Ocean Robotics, which has previously \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/easme\/en\/news\/eic-funded-blue-ocean-robotics-raises-12-million\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ereceived funding from the European Innovation Council\u003C\/a\u003E, say initial results for coronavirus are positive. \u2018The coronavirus is quite big and quite heavy, so it means it\u2019s very vulnerable. It\u2019s one of the viruses that we destroy most easily,\u2019 said Dr Risager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Glow-in-the-dark testing kits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists in the Netherlands are creating a bioluminescent testing kit that could be used to confirm if someone\u2019s immune system is producing antibodies in response to the coronavirus. The sensors are made of proteins that use luciferase, an enzyme used by fireflies to produce their glow, and emit blue light if antibodies are present in a blood sample.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe structure of each sensor protein is separated into two parts called \u2018domains\u2019, one that produces blue light and the other that emits fluorescent green light. The proteins will remain green unless a specific antibody is detected, in which case antibody binding triggers a structural change within the protein, switching the colour to blue. The light emitted isn\u2019t powerful enough to be visible to the naked eye but can be detected by a smartphone camera.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022These antibody kits use luciferase, an enzyme used by fireflies to produce their glow, to emit blue light to indicate if an infection is being fought. Image credit - Bart van Overbeeke\u0022 height=\u00225504\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/bvof_2018_0919_ar_-_biosensor_van_maarten_merkx.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022These antibody kits use luciferase, an enzyme used by fireflies to produce their glow, to emit blue light to indicate if an infection is being fought. Image credit - Bart van Overbeeke\u0022 width=\u00228256\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EThese antibody kits use luciferase, an enzyme used by fireflies to produce their glow, to emit blue light to indicate if an infection is being fought. Image credit - Bart van Overbeeke\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Professor Maarten Merkx, professor of protein engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology and host of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/632274\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EABSENS\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/755471\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ELUMABS\u003C\/a\u003E projects under which the technology was developed, the glow makes it particularly suitable for point of care diagnostics. \u2018The principle of the assay (test) is very simple and doesn\u2019t require a lot of fancy equipment, so for that reason it could be done in many different places,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOriginally conceived to detect antibodies for other conditions, Prof. Merkx\u2019s team is now developing two variations of the technology, one to detect the antibodies produced in response to SARS-CoV2, and the other to indicate the presence of the virus itself by detecting traces of viral proteins. Prof. Merkx says that, once developed, the tests could give results in as little as 30 minutes. \u2018(They) could be useful for quickly triaging \u2013 making sure that if there\u2019s a suspicion, that you can quickly confirm that there is an infection,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Infection-proof transportation pod \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInitially designed as part of the Norwegian response to the 2014 Ebola crisis, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epiguard.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEpiShuttle\u003C\/a\u003E is an isolated single patient transportation pod that has been used by air ambulances crews to transport infected patients out of coronavirus hotspots to regions with more capacity to treat them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfection control in an air ambulance \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2211419X13001705\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ecan be difficult\u003C\/a\u003E because of the lack of space, equipment and water. There is no physical partition between the cockpit and cabin meaning that pilots, who are unable to use PPE due to their own equipment, are at risk of infection. The EpiShuttle pod is entirely sealed save for a series of air filters to catch and contain microbes. This enclosed environment contains the infection, allowing patients to be safely moved by air.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What we see in the pandemic response is that transport has been a very significant part of it, because you have epicentres with a lot of patients and the intensive care capacity in those regions has been really overwhelmed,\u2019 said Ellen Cathrine Andersen, chief executive of EpiGuard, the company behind the EpiShuttle. \u2018With sufficient transport capacity, you\u2019re going to be able to move patients to areas with less pressure and more available intensive care capacity.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlongside their deployment in air ambulances and helicopters, EpiShuttles have also been used by ground ambulance crews, as well as internally by hospitals when shielding infectious patients from healthy or vulnerable people. The design of the pod is currently being upgraded under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/848951\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEpiShuttle 2.0 project\u003C\/a\u003E to include a gas-based disinfection system to enable easy re-use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. 3D printed glasses to monitor vital signs \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA 3d-printed monitoring system for coronavirus patients which is worn like a pair of glasses could give healthcare professionals faster, more accurate data on the progress of the condition, according to the inventors. The glasses, which continuously monitor someone\u2019s vital signs, were developed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eit.europa.eu\/news-events\/news\/eit-community-innovators-success-euvsvirus-hackathon\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003ETeam Discover,\u003C\/a\u003E a group of students from Hungary who participated in April\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.euvsvirus.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEUvsVirus hackathon\u003C\/a\u003E event to stimulate coronavirus innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloped over the course of 48 hours in consultation with doctors and nurses, the system is currently at prototype stage. \u2018We were brainstorming what shape or form it should take, if it should be a headband, some sort of walkie-talkie,\u2019 said Peter Lakatos, a data science student and member of Team Discover. \u2018But then we resorted back to the glasses frame since it would be the most intuitive to use.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe glasses feature three sensors: an infrared temperature monitor, a pulse oximeter to measure pulse rate and oxygen saturation, and finally a microphone to monitor breathing and inhalation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Team Discover believe the glasses could be used to monitor patients with a wide variety of conditions. Image credit: P\u00e9ter Lakatos, Marton Elodi, Kristof Nagy, Miklos Knebel, Peter Danos, Levente Mitnyik\u0022 height=\u00221080\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/team_discover_glasses.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Team Discover believe the glasses could be used to monitor patients with a wide variety of conditions. Image credit: P\u00e9ter Lakatos, Marton Elodi, Kristof Nagy, Miklos Knebel, Peter Danos, Levente Mitnyik\u0022 width=\u00221920\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003ETeam Discover believe the glasses could be used to monitor patients with a wide variety of conditions. Image credit: P\u00e9ter Lakatos, Marton Elodi, Kristof Nagy, Miklos Knebel, Peter Danos, Levente Mitnyik\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Since we are able to measure (patients) more regularly, it would result in a more precise trend analysis,\u2019 said Lakatos. \u2018We could warn the nurses far quicker if any cases are deteriorating.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is now in discussions with both Hungarian and international organisations to find ways to make the technology widely available. They believe the glasses could be used to monitor patients with a wide variety of conditions, reducing the time burden on medical staff. \u2018This is a fairly useful product for hospitals because they not only keep their staff safe, but also they\u2019re able to scale up their operations and keep them far more efficient,\u2019 said Lakatos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6. Online matching system for health equipment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA real-time platform to connect healthcare providers with suppliers of PPE and medical devices could bridge the critical gap between supply and demand and avoid shortages of equipment, according to its founder.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoris Mihov says the coronavirus crisis has revealed a scarcity in terms of valuable data. \u2018How do you let the world know that you\u2019re producing something that healthcare providers need? he said. \u2018As you can see right now during the Covid crisis, the supply part of the equation is totally missing.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/devpost.com\/software\/aidbind-g3k5f0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EAidBind\u003C\/a\u003E platform, which was also developed during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.euvsvirus.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEUvsVirus hackathon\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to make the procurement of medical devices and PPE easier by encouraging the clear and transparent exchange of information. This includes the needs of medical institutions, the stocks of manufacturers and the areas in which charities and NGOs can channel the donations they receive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Mihov, the platform will also help such charitable and philanthropic organisations better operate. \u2018For them it\u2019s extremely hard to coordinate right now.\u2019 he said. \u2018So just by providing the data and making it available to these stakeholders, their work is getting way easier.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe AidBind platform is due to be launched in Bulgaria within the next 4-6 weeks, with the aim of launching internationally in the coming months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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