Protective face mask filter capable of inactivating SARS-CoV-2, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis

  1. Miguel Martí
  2. Alberto Tuñón-Molina
  3. Finn Lillelund Aachmann
  4. Yukiko Muramoto
  5. Takeshi Noda
  6. Kazuo Takayama
  7. Ángel Serrano-Aroca

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Abstract

Face masks have globally been accepted to be an effective protective tool to prevent bacterial and viral transmission, especially against indoor aerosol transmission. However, commercial face masks contain filters that are made of materials that are not capable of inactivating neither SARS-CoV-2 nor multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals can infect other people even if they wear them because some viable viral or bacterial loads can escape from the masks. Furthermore, viral or bacterial contact transmission can occur after touching the mask, which constitutes an increasing source of contaminated biological waste. Additionally, bacterial pathogens contribute to the SARS-CoV-2 mediated pneumonia disease complex and their resistance to antibiotics in pneumonia treatment is increasing at an alarming rate. In this regard, herein, we report the development of a novel protective non-woven face mask filter fabricated with a biofunctional coating of benzalkonium chloride that is capable of inactivating SARS-CoV-2 in one minute of contact, and the life-threatening methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Nonetheless, despite the results obtained, further studies are needed to ensure the safety and correct use of this technology for the mass production and commercialization of this broad-spectrum antimicrobial face mask filter. Our novel protective non-woven face mask filter would be useful for many health care workers and researchers working in this urgent and challenging field.

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  1. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.11.24.396028: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board Statementnot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Cell Line Authenticationnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Experimental Models: Cell Lines
    SentencesResources
    The virus was plaque-purified and propagated in Vero cells.
    Vero
    suggested: CLS Cat# 605372/p622_VERO, RRID:CVCL_0059)
    Dilutions were placed onto the TMPRSS2/Vero cells in triplicate and incubated at 37°C for 96 hours.
    TMPRSS2/Vero
    suggested: None
    Experimental Models: Organisms/Strains
    SentencesResources
    Briefly, TMPRSS2/Vero cells47 (JCRB1818, JCRB Cell Bank), cultured with the Minimum Essential Media (MEM, Sigma-Aldrich) supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 1% penicillin/streptomycin, were seeded into 96-well plates (Thermo Fisher Scientific).
    TMPRSS2/Vero cells47 ( JCRB1818
    suggested: None
    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    The spectra were recorded, processed and analysed using TopSpin 3.7 software (Bruker BioSpin). 2.3.
    TopSpin
    suggested: (TopSpin, RRID:SCR_014227)
    These diameters were measured by image software analysis (Image J).
    Image J
    suggested: (ImageJ, RRID:SCR_003070)
    Statistical analysis: The statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA followed by Tukey’s posthoc test (*p > 0.05, ***p > 0.001) on GraphPad Prism 6 software.
    GraphPad Prism
    suggested: (GraphPad Prism, RRID:SCR_002798)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We found bar graphs of continuous data. We recommend replacing bar graphs with more informative graphics, as many different datasets can lead to the same bar graph. The actual data may suggest different conclusions from the summary statistics. For more information, please see Weissgerber et al (2015).

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  2. Version published to 10.1101/2020.11.24.396028v1 on bioRxiv