The SARS-CoV-2 particle behind the coronavirus pandemic is estimated to measure just 100 nanometres in size;1 a scale so tiny that you could fit 400–1000 SARS-CoV-2 virus particles into the width of a single human hair.2 The fact that something so small and invisible can cause chaos on a global scale poses the question – how do we fight it?
In terms of science, nanotechnology could hold the answer. Nanotechnology refers to any technology that utilises components between 1 and 100 nanometres in size,3 giving us the tools to fight SARS-CoV-2 with something its own size.
The fight against transmission
Normal fabrics are often not effective at stopping the most penetrative respiratory droplets. The gaps between the fibres are larger than the particles within the droplets, allowing them to pass through. However, revolutionary new nanomaterials can catch and remove particles smaller than 100 nanometres, such as common viruses, leading scientists around the world to race to develop the cheapest, lightest, most breathable nanomaterials to replace masks made from normal fibres.4
Furthermore, if these nanomaterials are then coated with photodynamic therapy-activated materials, such as graphene, then the fabrics can not only block the virus, but actively capture it – and thus stop it from being transmitted anywhere else.3,4 These materials could also be used to coat surfaces to have the same antiviral effect, giving them great potential for use as antiviral protection in sterile settings.3
The fight for immunity
The race towards a vaccine against COVID-19 has been described as an ‘extraordinary scientific mobilization’, and although a vaccine is not yet widely available, it seems that nanotechnology has been an important contender in this race too.4 Nanomaterials are instrumental for vaccine delivery, not only because they mimic viral structures and can therefore form part of the vaccine material itself, but also because they can be used to coat vaccine particles to ensure they aren’t broken down by the body prematurely.5 This is a process called ‘encapsulation’, whereby the vaccine material is enclosed in a nanoshell made from lipids. This nanoshell protects the inner vaccine material from breaking down too early while also allowing it to ‘stick to’ specific cells to aid with transporting the vaccine around the body.6 This technique is particularly promising in aiding vaccine success in vulnerable people, such as those with a weakened immune system.7
The fight against lethality
A key contributor to the lethality of COVID-19 is the way in which SARS-CoV-2 attacks the lungs, and consequently limits oxygen uptake in patients.8 To help fight this, a revolutionary nanotechnology called ‘nanosponges’ has been developed by researchers at Boston University and the University of California San Diego. It is hoped that these ‘nanosponges’ could counteract the viral attack by simply ‘soaking up’ the SARS-CoV-2 cells from the lungs and diverting them away.8 Although this particular nanotechnology is still in the early stages, it could hold the key to countering COVID-19’s impact on people’s lungs.
Conclusion
Overall, fighting tiny with tiny is proving to be a revolutionary method in the fight against COVID-19. By offering a worthy adversary to fend off transmission, increase immunity and aid the fight for survival, we really are telling SARS-CoV-2 to go pick on someone its own size.
By Pari Shahabi
