Betting on Out-of-the-Box Ideas to Fight COVID-19

Professor Marcelle Machluf is using trickery to try to trap the coronavirus, and Professor Ezri Tarazi has created an air shield to protect health care workers. These maverick professors from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology talk about their innovative work in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Prof. Machluf achieved acclaim by modifying mesenchymal stem cells into so-called NanoGhosts that deliver drugs directly to cancerous tumors, killing them from within. At the time scientific journals thought her research, which showed the NanoGhosts reduced tumor size by 85%, was too good to be true. Today, she is adapting that successful technology to create decoy NanoGhosts that attract and entrap the coronavirus, making for a less severe infection.

Prof. Tarazi is a renowned industrial designer who used a 3D printer to create the world’s first artificial coral reefs to restore the ocean’s ecosystem. He also designed a device that improves the efficacy of masks worn by medical staff on the frontline of the pandemic. Inspired by biological warfare masks of the Israel Defense Forces, the invention covers the head and blows air onto the face to shield the doctor from the surrounding area, which might carry infectious aerosol droplets. It even helps with overheating and fogging.

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