A research team at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) has developed germ-destroying air filters that can inactivate germs using ingredients like polyphenols and polycationic polymers commonly found in green tea. These ‘green’ ingredients rupture the microbes through site-specific binding.

The research led by Prof Suryasarathi Bose and Prof Kaushik Chatterjee was supported by special grants from Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic and SERB-Technology Translation Awards (SERB-TETRA) funds and a patent has been filed on this

Over continuous usage, the existing air filters become a breeding ground for captured germs. The growth of these germs clog the pores of the filter, reducing the life of the filters.

“Resuspension of these germs can infect people in the vicinity. The novel antimicrobial air filters were tested at the NABL Accredited Laboratory and were found to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 (delta variant) with an efficiency of 99.24%. This technology was transferred to AIRTH, a startup that is replacing the existing germ-growing air filters with germ-destroying air filters for commercialization,” said a statement here by the Union Science and Technology Ministry.

As this innovation holds promise to develop antimicrobial filters that can prevent endemics caused by air-borne pathogens, a patent was granted this year. These novel antimicrobial filters in our ACs, central ducts and air purifiers can play a crucial role in our fight against air pollution and mitigate the spread of air-borne pathogens like coronaviruses.