The University of Gdańsk signed two license agreements with NANOSCI sp. z o.o company – entity established to commercialize inventions developed by the research team led by prof. dr hab. inż. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska from the Department of Environmental Technology of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Uiversity of Gdańsk. NANOSCI will use the license to develop air purifying devices for air-conditioning systems to remove airborne pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. The company aims to make public transport and workplaces safe for users and employees.

Both inventions have pending trademark applications filed with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland. The commercial use of the inventions, methods of manufacturing photocatalytic layers, is covered by the granted licenses. Licenses granting will enable the innovative, novel air purification technologies using photocatalytic process to reach the market.

- The application of air purifying devices in air conditioning systems will enable removing airborne pathogenic microorganisms – both bacteria and viruses – thus improving safety of public transport. Similar devices may be applied at office spaces to improve workplace safety – says Adam Kądziela, the CEO of the company.

In the beginning, NANOSCI implemented the project in cooperation with Solaris company, one of the leading European manufacturers of buses and trolley buses, within the scope of the INDUSTRYLAB II acceleration (business model development) at the Industrial Innovation Accelerator, organized by DGA S.A. Poznań, titled ‘Fotokatalityczny oczyszczacz powietrza do zastosowania w kabinach pojazdów’ (Photocatalytic car cabin air purifier).

- Photocatalytic air purification enables the simultaneous degradation of VOCs, inorganic compounds like ammonia or hydrogen sulfide, with, more significantly, inactivation of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi). Adapting and applying the photocatalytic air purification module in bus’s air conditioning system should protect a driver and passengers alike from the pathogenic microorganisms exposure, which is crucial at the time of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. – explains prof. dr hab. Adriana Zaleska-Medynska from the Department of Environmental Technology of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Gdańsk.

Translation: Adam Myzyk