The effectiveness of face masks to limit the spread of aerosols containing viral particles depends on the material’s filtration efficacy and the design’s fit 5, 8. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks, has proven an effective approach to prevent exposure and transmission of infectious pathogens 5, 6, 7. However, further innovations are required to improve virus containment and reduce infection 3, 4. Public health measures, such as physical distancing, ventilation and wearing face masks, have been widely implemented to limit the spread of the virus.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through aerosols and, less commonly, by fomite transmission 1, 2. New hosts may be alternatively infected by fomite transmission, which occurs when a host directly contacts objects or surfaces contaminated with viral particles 1, 2. These airborne viral particles are then inhaled and cause infection in new hosts. Saliva and respiratory droplets containing viral particles are expelled by coughing, sneezing or speaking of an infected host. The transmission of viruses can occur by the airborne spread of aerosols containing viral particles. We anticipate the use of bioengineered protective textiles in PPE, facemasks, ventilation, and furnishings will provide additional protection to the airborne or fomite transmission of viruses. The hybrid peptides could be easily modified to capture and control the spread of other infectious pathogens or for attachment to different materials. The resulting bioengineered cotton captures 114,000 infective virus particles per cm 2 and reduces onwards SARS-CoV-2 infection of cells by 500-fold. The hybrid peptides can be attached to the cellulose fibres in cotton and capture SARS-CoV-2 viral particles with high affinity. We fuse peptides capable of binding the receptor domain of the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 capsid to the cellulose-binding domain from the Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase II protein. Here, we develop textiles with integrated peptide binders that capture viral particles.
However, most PPE provides physical protection that only partially prevents the transmission of viral particles. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks and ventilation are key strategies to control the transmission of respiratory viruses.
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