Corona and polio viruses are sensitive to short pulses of W-band gyrotron radiation

Lukasz S. Kaczmarczyk, Katherine S. Marsay, Sergey Shevchenko, Moritz Pilossof, Nehora Levi, Moshe Einat, Matan Oren, Gabi Gerlitz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has raised the need of versatile means for virus decontamination. Millimeter waves are used in biochemical research in dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP/NMR) spectroscopy. However, their efficiency in object decontamination for viruses has not been tested yet. Here we report the high efficiency of 95 GHz waves in killing both coronavirus 229E and poliovirus. An exposure of 2 s to 95 GHz waves reduced the titer of these viruses by 99.98% and 99.375%, respectively, and formed holes in the envelope of 229E virions as detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The ability of 95 GHz waves to reduce the coronavirus titer to a range of limited infective dose of SARS-CoV-2 for humans and animal models along with precise focusing capabilities for these waves suggest 95 GHz waves as an effective way to decontaminate objects.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3967-3972
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Chemistry Letters
Volume19
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2021

Keywords

  • 95 GHz waves
  • Coronavirus
  • Disinfection
  • Gyrotron
  • Sterilization
  • Viral inactivation

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