BRISBANE, Australia, February 15, 2021 / PRNewswire / – Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are conducting experiments with a non-chemical surface coating designed to fight the spread of bacteria and viruses, including the SARS- virus. CoV-2 on Earth is responsible for the conventional COVID-19. pandemic.
Developed by Boeing [NYSE: BA] and The University of Queensland (UQ), the joint research project was piloted aboard Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator last year as part of the company’s Confident Travel Initiative.
“As experiments continue on orbit and on Earth, we are encouraged by the initial decisions of the non-chemical chemical,” he said. Mike Delaney, Boeing ‘s chief aerospace safety officer. “There is potential for widespread suitability for such a surface coating when used in combination with other measures to prevent the spread of disease.”
The ISS test tests two sets of identical items, including a plane seat buckle, clothing from aircraft seats and seat belts, and parts of a weapon and tray board. One set received the antimicrobial surface coating, the other did not. ISS team members rub both sets of materials every few days to move microbes naturally onto human skin; no microbe samples were sent to the station for this test. Later this year, the test materials will be returned to Earth for analysis at Boeing’s lab to measure the effectiveness of the surface coating in a space environment.
“After years of development, it is very exciting to see our research in space,” said the Professor Michael Monteiro from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology UQ. “The main purpose of our antimicrobial coating was to help protect space missions. Following the usual pandemic, we changed the brand’s formula to target the COVID-19 virus if it is present. We look forward to continuing to test regimen and work to gain regulatory approval. “
A non-chemical surface coating in a spaceship could help ensure the health of the crew and protect the spacecraft’s systems from bacteria – and ultimately it could help by preventing interspecific pollution from Earth-based microbes or other microbes.
Boeing was selected by NASA as the ISS’s main contractor in 1993. Since then, Boeing has provided round-the-clock engineering support – maintaining the station at the highest performance levels through dynamic missions and ensuring that the full value of the unique research laboratory will be available to NASA, its international partners and private companies for years to come.
Since 2003, Boeing and The University of Queensland has collaborated on a broad package of joint research and development projects. In 2017, the BrisbaneBoeing-based Boeing Research & Technology engineers moved to the university in a first-of-its-kind partnership for the company Asia-Pacific area.
UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) has been a leader for multidisciplinary research to address global problems. The AIBN has over 400 researchers across a wide range of scientific disciplines.
Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and a leading provider of commercial aircraft, defense systems, space and security, and global services. As a major U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, delivering for its customers and investing in its people and future growth.
Contact:
David Sidman
Boeing communications
Office phone: +61 2 9086 3300
Mobile: +61 466 528 657
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Bronwyn Adams
The University of Queensland
Mobile: +61 405 661 856
[email protected]
SOURCE Boeing
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