The rush to develop vaccines against COVID-19 is the single most important activity in the world at present, and microtechnology is at the forefront. Here we explore how nanotechnology is fighting COVID-19, through the development of a vaccine and other technological innovations.
What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is activity conducted at the smallest scale – we’re talking between 1 and 100 nanometers. There are 1,000,000 nanometers in a millimetre.
The coronavirus is thought to be about 60 – 120 nanometers in size. 400 of these could fit onto the width of a hair.
Because the virus and nanoparticles operate at a similar size, nanotechnology is well suited to the task of countering the virus.
Nanobots
Nanotechnology robots – or nanobots – are molecules with a unique property which enables them to be programmed to carry out a specific task. One of the growth areas for nanobots is medicine, and particularly immunology.
“Nanomaterials are ideal for delivery of antigens, serving as adjuvant platforms, and mimicking viral structures. The first candidates launched into clinical trials are based on novel nanotechnologies and are poised to make an impact”, said Professor Steinmetz from San Diego’s Center for Nano ImmunoEngineering.
Safe COVID-19 Vaccines
As of June, globally there were 157 vaccines at various stages of development, with 12 in clinical trials. As with all vaccines, there carries a degree of risk. Nanobots represent a risk-free and effective strategy for the development of immunization solutions due to the ability to highly target their activity against the virus cells.
Other Nanotechnology applications
Robots have been deployed in a number of ways to combat the pandemic, as identified in our blog here. Nanotechnology in particular is being used in wider applications than just immunology:
- Decontaminating surfaces, with antimicrobial activity, or the slow release of disinfectants
- Developing PPE equipment manufactured from materials that are more comfortable, resistant and safer for the user
- Virus detection and disease diagnosis, providing an efficient and cost-effective tool for testing kits.
“The world of nanotechnology is truly awe inspiring and the people involved in its deployment against Coronavirus deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. It may however be yet another example of how robotics go unnoticed”, says Liz Reid, MD of RNR Robot Solutions.
