Caitlin Howell

The spreading of biological pathogens via aerosolized droplets has been a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the ability to capture and analyze aerosolized pathogens is of critical importance to understanding the potential of reoccurring outbreaks of COVID-19 or other novel biothreats. To address this need, an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Maine and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will engineer a bioinspired technology that facilitates the efficient collection of viruses from bioaerosols. The inspiration for the technology is the carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plant, which has a slippery rim and inner walls that cause insects to fall and become trapped within its digestive fluid. By engineering a composite material comprised of a liquid layer on the surface of a membrane the capture and analysis of pathogenic particles will be facilitated. The team will optimize the membrane system to work with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak, in aerosolized droplets that mimic those released during talking, coughing, and sneezing. This work will fill a critical gap in current methods of monitoring the spread of disease by aiming to manufacture an inexpensive, high-throughput, and widely deployable technology that can be continuously operated at high-risk locations, such as hospitals, elder-care facilities, and travel hubs.