Researchers have succeeded in creating a surface on
nano-sized cellulose crystals that imitates a biological structure. The surface
adsorbs viruses and disables them. The results can prove useful in the
development of antiviral ointments and surfaces, for instance.
There are many viral diseases in the world for which no
pharmaceutical treatment exists. These include, among others, dengue fever,
which is spread by mosquitoes in the tropics, as well as a type of diarrhea,
which is more familiar in Finland and is easily spread by the hands and can be
dangerous especially for small children and the elderly.