Posted June 6, 2016

 

By Seshadri Ramkumar

 

LUBBOCK, Texas – Scientists at Uppasala University, Sweden, in collaboration with German virologists, have developed cellulose nanofiber sheets to remove viruses from water.

 

Nanocellulose filter paper, termed as “mille-feuille filter,” has a layered structure resembling French pastry mille-feuille and will be able to remove even small-sized viruses. These new structured nanocellulose sheets are affordable filters that not only can remove viruses but also can have long life, according to Uppasala University.

 

Earlier in 2014, the researchers presented filters that can capture large-sized viruses such as influenza.

 

Compared to tea bag kind of cellulose filters, these French pastry-structured filters have pore structures that can filter viruses that are normally resistant to physical and chemical countermeasure processes.

 

The Uppasala team was led by Prof. Albert Mihranyan and collaborated with virologists from Charles River Biopharmaceutical Services, Cologne, Germany.

 

According to Mihranyan, their goal is to develop filter paper that can remove viruses from water as easily as brewing coffee.

 

Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D, FTA (honorary), is a professor at the Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech.