(March 31, 2014) Researchers at the Division of Nanotechnology and Functional
Materials, Uppsala University have developed a paper filter, which can remove
virus particles with an efficiency matching that of the best industrial virus
filters. The paper filter consists of 100 percent high purity cellulose
nanofibers, directly derived from nature.
The research was carried out in collaboration with
virologists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences/Swedish
National Veterinary Institute and is published in the Advanced Healthcare
Materials journal.
Virus particles are very peculiar objects- tiny (about thousand times thinner than a human hair) yet mighty. Viruses can only replicate in living cells but once the cells become infected the viruses can turn out to be extremely pathogenic. Viruses can actively cause diseases on their own or even transform healthy cells to malignant tumors.