The disinfection process occurs when a layer of carbon fibers in the mask is heated using a low current source, such as an electric mobile phone charger. A patent application for this invention has been submitted in the United States.
The Mask Prototype
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, demand for protective face masks has sky-rocketed in recent months, as wearing masks is now a requirement along with social distancing and hygiene measures. A wide range of masks is available, with the leading model being the N95. The authorities insist on the correct usage of masks, which means replacing it daily even if it kept clean and dry during the day.
These regulations, along with the urgent need to provide masks for the medical staff caring for coronavirus patients, has led to a surge in demand for these masks and a search for manufacturers and suppliers. In the U.S., for example, approximately 3.5 billion masks are required in order to protect against an acute epidemic – 100 times more than the number of masks readily available. An immediate shortage of masks also occurred in Israel and was accelerated when the Ministry of Health announced that mask-wearing is mandatory.
Prof. Yair Ein-Eli
Prof. Yair Ein-Eli, Dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, developed a reusable face mask that can be heated in a controlled manner – a process that destroys viruses that accumulated on the mask and renders it reusable. The new technology is based on an inner layer of carbon fibers spread within the mask in a homogeneous manner. When the layer of fibers is heated using a low current (2 amps) from a readily-available source – such as a mobile phone charger, USB connection or other mobile electronic device chargers – the viruses are destroyed.
Prof. Ein-Eli’s research group created the mask prototype and tested it together with Prof. Debbie Lindell and Prof. Oded Beja from the Faculty of Biology. A patent was submitted in the U.S. on March 31 and the research group is currently discussing commercialization with industrial companies.
Infra-red heat map of masks of the proposed variety, at various temperatures. The hot areas (yellow and red) indicate that the carbon fibers provide complete coverage.
Blocking the infection cycle: Technion scientists have developed effective and long-lasting disinfectants
Unlike household bleach and similar products used for disinfecting surfaces, the new substances target the virus infection mechanism and remain active for longer
Scientists from Technion’s Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering have developed smart disinfectants that destroy the coronavirus infection mechanism and remain active over time. These products are expected to replace household bleach and other chorine-based products whose disinfecting powers diminish rapidly.
Asst. Prof. Shady Farah, head of the research group, has been awarded an European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Health COVID-19 Rapid Response grant in order to accelerate its development process and market launch. This is the first time that a Technion scientist receives a prestigious EIT Health grant alone. “We are currently producing potential substances and testing them. We plan to select the optimal substance and begin mass production in the next few months,” says Farah.
Asst. Prof. Shady Farah holding his polymer
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus belongs to an extensive family of viruses that the world has been aware of for many years, some of which can also infect humans. The novel coronavirus closely resembles one of its predecessors, SARS-CoV, which also originated in China and spread to many other countries; however, the steps that were taken to fight SARS-CoV are not effective enough against the current epidemic. To date, there is no approved “knockout” treatment for SARS-CoV-2 and there is no vaccine against it.
Given the situation, efficient disinfectants are crucial for blocking the spread of infection via contaminated surfaces. The novel coronavirus can survive on various surfaces for extended periods of time, depending on the type of surface and other conditions. Findings from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where there were numerous cases of coronavirus, revealed that the virus can survive on surfaces for as long as 17 days. This fact increases the probability of infection from touching contaminated surfaces, in addition to person-to-person infection.
Asst. Prof. Farah’s research group develops innovative polymers for medical use and smart drug delivery technologies. When the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, the research group immediately devoted itself to developing special anti-viral polymers that act on the virus in two ways: by altering and damaging its structure so that its infection capability is impaired; and by attacking and destroying the virus’s envelope. No less important, the disinfecting substance is released in a controlled and continuous manner so that the new technology’s effect is long-lasting.
Disinfectants have been used since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in order to prevent infection from contaminated surfaces – mainly by applying hypochlorite solutions, more commonly known as household bleach. This method has several significant disadvantages: it evaporates quickly, and breaks down rapidly when exposed to sun/UV light. Consequently, its effectiveness is limited and short-term, requiring surfaces to be disinfected several times a day.
The new disinfectant technology developed by Farah’s research group is based on low-cost and readily available raw materials. The development was made possible thanks to interdisciplinary knowledge which combines the fields of combinatorial chemistry, polymer engineering and controlled release. “The materials we developed will be a gamechanger because they will block the cycle of infection from contaminated surfaces,” says Farah. “Infection from touching surfaces is a serious problem, especially in public places such as hospitals, factories, schools, shopping malls and public transportation. Our polymers will make these places safer. Although this development was accelerated due to the current coronavirus crisis, in the future it will also be effective against other microorganisms. We are enriching the arsenal of tools available to us and adding a new family of disinfectants that release the active substance in a controlled manner. In this way, they remain effective for long periods of time.”
Asst. Prof. Shady Farah completed three academic degrees at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, including a direct-track PhD in Medicinal Chemistry. He then pursued postdoctoral research at MIT (with Prof. Robert Langer and Prof. Daniel G. Anderson) and at the Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He is currently Assistant Professor in the Technion’s Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering, where he holds a Neubauer Chair, and is a fellow of the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI). He received a Maof Fellowship for Outstanding Young Researchers and his lab received generous funding from the Neubauer Family Foundation.
Technion scientists have developed an unprecedented method for 3D imaging of nanometric processes inside living cells while they are moving
Technion researchers have developed a method for 3D imaging of nanometric processes, such as those in live flowing cells. The group, headed by Asst. Prof. Yoav Shechtman of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering re-engineered an existing imaging machine worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. A result is a machine that produces 3D images of 1,000 cells per minute.
The research was led by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Lucien E. Weiss. The team’s findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology.
“Our goal is to enable 3D imaging within live cells under conditions that resemble their natural environment,” explained Asst. Prof. Shechtman. “No less important, we aim to do so at high throughput rates. It’s a huge challenge since 3D microscopy usually requires extensive amounts of time and some sort of scanning. Here we use single images while the cells are flowing.”
Experiments using the new system were carried out on DNA molecules of live yeast cells and white blood cells with engineered nanometric particles in collaboration with Prof. Avi Schroeder’s lab of the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering.
iagram of the unique machine constructed by the research group. Photo by courtesy of Nature & Lucien Weiss
“This success can have important applications in basic science, such as understanding DNA’s 3D structure in a living cell, and also in the field of nanomedicine, meaning medical treatment based on engineered nanometric particles such as those created in Prof. Schroeder’s lab,” explained Shechtman. “For example, the new technology will enable us to measure the absorption rate of therapeutic particles in live cells, track their dispersal in the cell, and monitor their effect on the cell. Today there are techniques for mapping and measuring cells, but those that provide high throughput only show a partial and 2D picture. Our technology combines the advantages of the various techniques and provides a 3D image at a high rate.”
Asst. Prof. Yoav Shechtman of Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering
The innovative technology is based on the reengineering of ImageStream―a sophisticated imaging machine that was bought by the Lorry I. Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering at Technion. This machine combines two different technologies―flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy―making it possible to analyze cells at a rapid rate.
“The sampling rate and the number of cells sampled are very important in the biological context, since biology is typically ‘noisy’ and not precise, and in order to reach a conclusion it is necessary to have statistics for large quantities,”said Shechtman. “In certain cases, due to low sampling rates, it is impossible to collect this type of statistical information. By the time you finish collecting the data, the interesting phenomenon has already changed. Therefore, it is important to use a technology that enables high rates of sampling.”
ImageStream serves many purposes, including defining population attributes, diagnosing medical conditions, and testing new drugs. According to Shechtman, “It’s an excellent tool, but until now, it has only been used to record 2D images or projections of objects. For many applications, however, it is important to collect 3D data. For example, even if we just want to determine the distance between two particles, a 2D measurement is not sufficient, since the depth dimension also contributes to the distance.”
This was the main technological challenge in this research: transforming ImageStream into a 3D imaging system.
Dr. Lucien E. Weiss
“To that end, we needed to ‘open the hood’ and assemble our unique optical system inside. Keep in mind that this is a machine that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we couldn’t take for granted that the Lokey Center’s Imaging Unit would agree, but from the moment that we opened up the machine and looked inside, it was obvious what we needed to do it (without causing damage),” said Shechtman.
The research group installed the technology it has developed in recent years on the ImageStream ―technology for localization microscopy based on wavefront design. This is actually controlled distortion of the optical system so that the position of particles in 3D space can be mapped. This technology is based on imaging colored molecules embedded in the sample that mark important locations, such as cell nuclei. Using the shape obtained from the camera after it has passed through the distorted optical system, the machine analyzes the 3D location of the object being examined. To date, this technology has been used for 3D imaging of one or a few cells at a time, and connecting it to the cytometry instrument renders it capable of mapping flowing cells. This connection, which is in itself an enormous technological challenge, accounts for the successful sampling at an extremely high throughput―thousands of cells per minute.
The scientists expect that this technological achievement will lead to important scientific developments and applications in the fields of biological and biotechnological research, medical diagnostics, and the development of new medical treatments.
Asst. Prof. Yoav Shechtman and Dr. Lucien Weiss are both supported by the Mortimer B. Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program.
Dr. Onit Alalouf, Dr. Sarah Goldberg, and Ph.D. students Yael Shalev Ezra, Boris Ferdman, and Omer Adir also took part in this research.
For the full article inNature Nanotechnologyclick here
Creating an Open and Safe Campus. Monitoring the sewage system for COVID-19 residue to track the spread of the virus, Prof. Eran Friedler, Civil and Environmental Engineering*
Using AI to evaluate a patient’s condition, Profs. Shie Mannor, Uri Shalit, Joachim Behar, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Biomedical Engineering
Genetic changes in COVID-19 patients over time as a tool for predicting disease progression, Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund, Biology
Using AI to evaluate a patient’s condition, Profs. Shie Mannor, Uri Shalit, Joachim Behar, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Biomedical Engineering
Identifying and quantifying RNA using nanopores, Prof. Amit Meller, Biomedical Engineering
Sensor for rapid COVID-19 diagnosis using CRISPR technology, Prof. Daniel Ramez, Biomedical Engineering
Even during the coronavirus crisis, Professor Erez Hasman’s research group at Technion is emitting a ray of innovation. The researchers have invented a groundbreaking technology that combines nano-optics and magnetics for identifying nanometric non-uniformity in electronic and photonic chips
Applying a magnetic field on a disordered nanometric structure. The measurement is carried out on a nanometric scale using the photonic spin Hall effect―measuring the photons’ split spins scattered from the structure using ‘weak measurement’. The spinning tops (blue and red) present the spin up and spin down of the photons. (Credit: *Ella Maru Studio)
The research group of Professor Erez Hasman, head of Technion’s nano-optics laboratory, recently published a pioneering paper in Nature Nanotechnology. The research was led by Dr. Bo Wang in collaboration with Dr. Kexiu Rong, Dr. Elhanan Maguid, and Dr. Vladimir Kleiner.
Electronic chip technology, nano-mechanics, and nano-photonics deal with components on the nanometric scale, requiring extremely precise quality control of the chip production process. An inaccuracy of more than a few nanometers will cause the chip to malfunction. In the micro-nanoelectronics field, chip quality is tested using an electron-beam microscope, where the chip is placed in a deep vacuum chamber. This is an extremely long and complicated process that precludes extensive production control. Quality control using optics overcomes this problem since the measurement is carried out without vacuum and is rapid; however, because of the light’s wavelength, it is not sufficiently precise.
The solution devised by Prof. Hasman’s research group is based on intensive scientific research in fields that combine the interaction of light and materials with magnetic fields. Electronic chips consist of nanometric components that must be very precise and uniform (they cannot differ by more than 1-5 nanometers) in a cycle that is smaller than a wavelength of visible light. Therefore, if the chip is illuminated, the light reflected or transmitted from it will make it impossible to measure the nanometric dispersal ― a critical parameter for the chip’s functioning.
This scientific breakthrough combines operating a magnetic field in an optical microscope and illuminating with polarized light on ferromagnetic meta-atoms displaying nanoscale disorders. This splits the light beam angle as such that the light is reflected as two beams with opposite circular polarizations (in scientific language, circular polarization is called ‘photonic spin’―photon being a light particle). The split angle is tiny and therefore the researchers use a technique known as “weak measurement” that Prof. Yakir Aharonov of Tel Aviv University suggested for quantum measurements.
In addition, this discovery opens the doors to new possibilities for measuring extremely small disorders in magnetic fields and in magnetism of various materials, as well as researching various fluctuation phenomena in quantum mechanics and other areas.
According to Prof. Hasman, “Publishing the research in this prestigious journal shows that even during difficult times, such as the current coronavirus crisis, Technion continues to publish groundbreaking articles in leading scientific journals. Our research group includes scientists from a variety of disciplines, including physics, materials, and engineering, studying fundamental science and applied research that leads to numerous applications in the high-tech industry. This interdisciplinary research leads to growing numbers of successes that have an impact on scientific advancement and on the development of important and diverse technological applications.”
The research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation, the Israel Ministry of Science, Technology and Space, the United States−Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and, in part, by Technion via an Aly Kaufman Fellowship. The fabrication was performed at the Micro-Nano Fabrication & Printing Unit (MNF&PU), Technion. The lab’s website is hasman.technion.ac.il
