As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from Purdue University are trying to leverage their strengths in environmental engineering, chemistry, and health sciences to help diagnose and treat people who are infected with COVID-19.
Researchers from the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) are working with other scientists from Purdue University to develop diagnostic technologies that can help with treating the COVID-19 virus. There are several technologies under development, including:
- Inexpensive rapid-detection systems for diagnosis in the field
- Vaccines and other drugs that can treat COVID-19
- Decontamination technologies that can sterilize surfaces, water, and air
According to OTC vice president Brooke Beier, “We are expediting the review and processing components of our pipeline to move these inventions from Purdue to a world in need. We are intensely seeking industry partners to help us accomplish this mission."
Thomas Sors, assistant director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (the group leading the COVID-19 task force at Purdue), says, “I think it is important to note that Purdue investigators are not only thinking about today during this pandemic, but we are pragmatically providing long-term solutions for tomorrow so that we are better prepared for these types of challenges in the future. I'm impressed by the way our scientists and experts are responding swiftly to pivot their focus on this current outbreak. Many of them have already been developing solutions in related areas that can now be re-tooled and directly applied to COVID-19."