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Tech company teams up with university to create longer lasting disinfectant for COVID-19

Tech company teams up with university to create longer lasting disinfectant for COVID-19
UCF TO COME UP WITH A NEW DISINFECTANT. GAIL: ALL IT TOOK WAS A TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR THIS RESEARCHER CHRISTINA DRY. >> I WAS IN A LOCAL GROCERY STORE, AND I SAW AN EMPLOYEE SPRAY A DISINFECTANT ON A DOOR HANDLE BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY WIPE IT OFF. MY REACTION WAS, HE DIDN鈥橳 DISINFECTANT. GAIL: SHE ADDS IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO LEAVE A SURFACE WET. IN APRIL, SHE REACHED OUT TO HER DOCTORAL ADVISOR DURING HER UCF VIROLOGIST. THEY CAME UP WITH A RAPID ACTING, LONGER-LASTING COVID-19 DISINFECTED. >> IT鈥橲 A NANO PARTICLE, AND IT HAS BEEN USED FOR CANCER THERAPY. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE ANTIBACTERIAL IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. GAIL: ONCE APPLIED, THE DISINFECTED SPRAY CREATES A TEMPORARY FILL. >> BECAUSE IT IS SYNTHETIC, IT IS NOT A CHEMICAL THAT DRIES UP AND RUNS OFF. IT CAN CONTINUE TO DISINFECT OVER AND OVER. GAIL: ARE THERE ANY HAZARDS TO CHILDREN, MY PETS? >> THE BASE FORMULATION OUTSIDE OF T SPRAY, CHEMICALS THAT ARE USED IN OTHER EPA-APPROVED PRODUCTS. GAIL: THE DISINFECTANT IS STILL A LONG PROCESS. >> CREATING A ROBOTIC FINGER TO SEE HOW MANY SURFACES CAN BE TOUCHED. GAIL: THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RECENTLY AWARDED $256,000 GRANTS TO THE TEAM TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT. >> I AM HOPING THAT IN ABOUT A YEARS TIME FRAME WE WILL HAVE GONE THROUGH THE REGISTRATION PROCESS AND GET THINGS MANUFACTURED
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Updated: 6:14 AM CDT Sep 12, 2020
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Tech company teams up with university to create longer lasting disinfectant for COVID-19
WESH logo
Updated: 6:14 AM CDT Sep 12, 2020
Editorial Standards 鈸�
An Orlando technology company is working with the University of Central Florida to come up with a new disinfectant against the coronavirus. "I was in a local grocery store and I saw an employee spray a disinfectant on a door handle then immediately wipe it off. My first reaction was like oh my goodness, he didn't disinfect it,鈥� Christina Drake said.She says it's just not practical or safe in a public place to leave a surface wet for a couple of minutes to actually disinfect it. In April, Drake, who owns the Orlando-based Kismet Technologies, reached out to her doctoral advisor during her graduate studies at UCF and a UCF virologist.The trio came up with what they call a rapid-acting, longer lasting COVID-19 disinfectant.Once applied to a hard surface, their disinfectant spray creates a temporary film."And what's nice about the particle, it's synthetic because it's a particle, it's not a chemical that dries up and runs off, it can continue to disinfect over and over again,鈥� Drake said.Drake said there are no harsh chemicals and everything in it is safe to use and has been used in other EPA-approved products for disinfectants.The disinfectant, which can also be used for other viruses, is still a work in process. "We're creating a robotic finger basically to see how many times the surface can be touched, what happens, how stable is the film,鈥� Drake said. The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $256,000 grant to the team to advance the project. "I'm hoping that in about a year's time frame, we'll have gone through the registration process and be getting things manufactured to put out,鈥� Drake said.

An Orlando technology company is working with the University of Central Florida to come up with a new disinfectant against the coronavirus.

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"I was in a local grocery store and I saw an employee spray a disinfectant on a door handle then immediately wipe it off. My first reaction was like oh my goodness, he didn't disinfect it,鈥� Christina Drake said.

She says it's just not practical or safe in a public place to leave a surface wet for a couple of minutes to actually disinfect it.

In April, Drake, who owns the Orlando-based Kismet Technologies, reached out to her doctoral advisor during her graduate studies at UCF and a UCF virologist.

The trio came up with what they call a rapid-acting, longer lasting COVID-19 disinfectant.

Once applied to a hard surface, their disinfectant spray creates a temporary film.

"And what's nice about the particle, it's synthetic because it's a particle, it's not a chemical that dries up and runs off, it can continue to disinfect over and over again,鈥� Drake said.

Drake said there are no harsh chemicals and everything in it is safe to use and has been used in other EPA-approved products for disinfectants.

The disinfectant, which can also be used for other viruses, is still a work in process.

"We're creating a robotic finger basically to see how many times the surface can be touched, what happens, how stable is the film,鈥� Drake said.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $256,000 grant to the team to advance the project.

"I'm hoping that in about a year's time frame, we'll have gone through the registration process and be getting things manufactured to put out,鈥� Drake said.