Page 14 - Covid19_Apr_30

Antiviral nanocoatings to be upscaled for making triple layer
medical masks & N-95 respirator to combat COVID-19
As part of Nano Mission Programme, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has approved support for upscaling antiviral nanocoatings developed by Professor Ashwini Kumar Agrawal of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for use as appropriate material for producing anti-COVID-19 triple layer medical masks and N-95 respirator in large quantities.
Silver is known to have strong antimicrobial property against bacteria, viruses, fungus, and so on. Professor Agrawal developed N9 blue nanosilver at SMITA Research Lab, IIT Delhi, under the nanomission project, and will be carrying out the upscaling work in association with two industrial partners Resil Chemicals Pvt Ltd. Bengaluru and Nanoclean Global Pvt Ltd., New Delhi.
Resil Chemicals will provide N9 blue nanosilver. Nanoclean Global will provide facemasks and PPE materials for the application of nanocoating and will help in the design and fabrication of samples at their facilities.
Website link:
https://dst.gov.in/antiviral-nano-coatings-be-upscaled-making-triple-layer-medical-masks-n-95-respirator-com- bat-covid
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute develops magnetic nanoparticle- based RNA extraction kit for PCR and LAMP tests for COVID-19
Chitra Magna, an innovative RNA extraction kit, has been developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an institution of national importance under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, as an innovative technology for isolating RNA from swabs for COVID-19 tests.
SARS-COV-2, the causative virus of COVID-19 pandemic, is an RNA virus - a long single- stranded polymeric substance present in all living cells that carries the genetic information of the organism necessary for life. One of the critical steps in detecting this virus is by confirming the presence of the RNA of the virus in the sample taken from the throat or nose.The sample collected is transported under specified conditions in a viral transport medium to the testing laboratory.
Website link:
https://dst.gov.in/sree-chitra-tirunal-institute-develops-magnetic-nanoparticle-based-rna-extrac- tion-kit-pcr-and-lamp
DST-supported start-up offers a digital platform to monitor ground level situations by integrating with drones for COVID-19
FlytBase, an enterprise incubated at the Bhau Institute’s Incubation Centre, Government College of Engineering, Pune, Technology Business Incubator (TBI), under a Department of Science & Technology’s (DST) NIDHI TBI Scheme is offering a digital platform that can monitor ground level situations by integrating with drones.
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