Improved Recovery of Captured Airborne Bacteria and Viruses with Liquid-Coated Air Filters.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of the detection of airborne pathogens. Here, we present composite air filters featuring a bioinspired liquid coating that facilitates the removal of captured aerosolized bacteria and viruses for further analysis. We tested three types of air filters: commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is well known for creating stable liquid coatings, commercial high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are widely used, and in-house-manufactured cellulose nanofiber mats (CNFMs), which are made from sustainable materials. All filters were coated with omniphobic fluorinated liquid to maximize the release of pathogens. We found that coating both the PTFE and HEPA filters with liquid improved the rate at which Escherichia coli

SUBMITTER: Regan DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10028737 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature