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19 May 2021The IIS Aragón launches a call, with a budget of 60.000 euros, whose objective is to develop innovative studies in the field of nanotechnology applied to health, aimed at the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2
The IIS Aragón and the INMA collaborate on various lines such as the recently presented one on a method to coat conventional masks with a double viricidal agent, achieving a 99,99% effective protection material.
The Aragón Health Research Institute, IIS Aragón, reinforces its collaboration with the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon, INMA, (CSIC-UNIZE) to promote projects related to COVID-19 and take advantage of the synergies between the teams of multidisciplinary researchers from both organizations, who have been working on the development of new processes and products and which are already materializing. To this end, the IIS Aragón has launched a call for aid with the aim of supporting the development of innovative projects in the field of nanotechnology applied to health, aimed at the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2.
This support line has a budget of 60.000 euros. It will be financed up to a maximum of 20.000 euros per project, with the existence of collaboration or external co-financing being valued positively. The actions described will have a maximum execution period of 12 months.
The initiative arises with the purpose of encouraging collaborations between researchers from the two organizations that allow research projects related to COVID-19 to be launched.
An example of the collaborations already existing between the IIS Aragón and the INMA is a recent project that develops a method to cover with silver nanoparticles and another viricidal agent on the surface of the polypropylene fibers with which the surgical masks are made, achieving a material that has a proven effectiveness against COVID-19 of greater than 99,99%. The new method obtained, which incorporates two viricides instead of one, offers numerous advantages. In addition to being fast and low cost, the homogeneous and stable coating allows the fiber to be covered, without affecting other parameters such as the pressure loss to the air flow.
The project researchers highlight the importance of this type of collaboration, where the addition of complementary perspectives is essential to obtain a broad vision. “The IIS Aragón provides the clinical and health perspective, seeking to provide solutions to problems that are detected in hospitals and the health system, while the INMA contributes with its knowledge in nanoscience and materials science and technology, necessary to make the projects come true,” they explain.
The interest on the part of different companies has led the research group to continue investigating the application of the method for other types of masks, such as hygienic masks. The final objective of this research project is to collaborate with interested companies so that these masks can be marketed.
Both the IIS Aragón and the INMA are competing for the awards Aragonese of the Year in the Science and Research category, awards that this year reach their XXVII edition and that represent public recognition of the work carried out by their staff, especially during the pandemic.