Pitt researchers create material to minimize effects of chemical, biological weapons

Pitt researchers have created a material that can neutralize some effects of chemical and… Pitt researchers have created a material that can neutralize some effects of chemical and biological weapons.

Researchers created the material out of polymers, or long strains of molecules, in a study published last month.

“This mesh could be developed into sponges, coatings or liquid sprays, and it could be used internally or as a wound dressing that is capable of killing bacteria, viruses and spores,” Richard Koepsel said in a news release.

Koepsel, a co-author of the study, is also a professor in the UPMC Department of Surgery.

For example, the polymer can be used like a bandage.

“You would wrap yourself in it, use a little water and it would help [neutralize] what you’ve already come in contact with,” he said.

The material is thin and stretchy, similar to a latex glove, he said.

Researchers also think it could be placed in hazmat suits or in air filters or masks to provide an extra layer of protection for soldiers and emergency responders. They’ve also thought about using the material to help clean up areas that need to be sanitized after attacks. Koepsel said he thinks manufacturers could place the material in a sponge and use it to wipe surfaces.

He said the material won’t work for all chemical or biological weapon attacks.

“If the concentration is high enough, you can’t really do much,” he said.

Duquesne professor John Sawicki said that the development comes at a good time.

“Given the recent surge in pandemic threats and the international notice of highly destructive, contagious illnesses, a new, flexible chemical and biological [weapon] resistant material would be very useful,” said Sawicki, who teaches counter-terrorism.

Koepsel said the next step is to find someone to manufacture the material.

The material is expensive — Koepsel didn’t know the price range because it would depend upon the industry and the company making it — but can be quickly produced, he said.

He predicted that the military and emergency response services would be the largest consumers of the material if it makes it to the market, whereas the bandages could be sold to private citizens if the areas they live in are attacked by chemical or biological weapons.

The polymers are flexible enough that they can attach to similar polymers found in chemical and biological weapons, allowing the material to neutralize the substances in the weapons. The neutralizing material acts much like an ointment does on an injury.

Koepsel has been researching anti-microbial materials for 10 to 15 years. The McGowan Institute received a grant from the state, which gave his lab $75,000 to $100,000 to work on his research over a three-year period. The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a program that is part of Pitt and UPMC, uses tissue engineering and other techniques to repair damaged or diseased tissues and organs.