Rihards Ruska, a researcher at the University of Latvia’s Institute of Solid State Physics, and a fellow student have developed a spray-on antimicrobial coating that stays on surfaces and protects them for a long time, unlike alcohol-based disinfectants, which evaporate. The idea came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when repeatedly disinfecting the same surfaces seemed wasteful.
The coating uses copper and silver, known for their antimicrobial properties, in a formulation that is safe for people who touch the surfaces, and it also fights mould. It contains a luminescent component: under suitable lighting, users can see whether the coating is still present or has worn off. It builds on the team’s earlier coatings, improved within the BioPhoT biomedical and photonics innovation platform.
Hospitals and cleaning-product distributors in Latvia and Lithuania have expressed interest, and a patent application has been filed. The next goal is to turn the technology into a product manufactured in Latvia for hospitals, laboratories, schools and homes with mould problems.
