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Every project supported by Gebert Rüf Stiftung is made accessible with a web presentation that informs about the core data of the project. With this public presentation, the foundation publishes the funding results achieved and contributes to the communication of science to society.

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Disigel

Editorial

The project management is responsible for the content of the information provided.

Cooperation

This project, funded by Gebert Rüf Stiftung, is supported by the following project partners: EMPA, Groups «Cells at Surfaces» and «Bacteria at Surfaces»

Project data

  • Project no: GRS-041/20 
  • Amount of funding: CHF 98'500 
  • Approved: 27.04.2020 
  • Duration: 05.2020 - 12.2020 
  • Area of activity:  Clusterförderung, seit 2018

Project management

Project description

Effective hand sanitization is one of the best methods of reducing the spread of pathogens from surface-to-surface or from hand-to-face. However, gloves can protect our hands, but most of them do not have any anti-microbial properties and do not stop the transmission. Existing hand sanitizers can disinfect our hands for one or two minutes, that is, until the alcohol evaporates. Lasting antimicrobial agents exist, but only for metal and glass surfaces.
Disigel is a novel gel-based approach consisting of a polymeric and an antimicrobial agent that from a permanent antibacterial and antiviral layer to protect the skin. The innovative solution enables users to touch infected surfaces without taking the risk of infecting themselves or spreading infections in their environment. The need to wear gloves, change them frequently, wash or disinfect hands after every possible contact, would not be required anymore.
Lumendo has developed over the past years a portfolio of soft-tissue replacing materials with antimicrobial properties or the ability to block bacteria from migrating. In the wake of the current Covid-19 pandemic, we realized the two-fold potential of our technologies to fight epidemics like Sars-CoV-2, but also to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, one of the major health challenges of the next decades.

What is special about the project?

The present project aims at developing such a product, where we exploit our library of compositions and combine them with selected antimicrobial agents. Skin adhesion, stability, usability, antibacterial properties and potential cytotoxic effects will be evaluated. Employing a skin model the long-term biocompatibility of the antimicrobial gel formulations will be studied before selected samples will be tested against Sars-CoV-2.
Upon successful completion, the proposed project will provide a product with the potential to disrupt the global hand sanitizer market by providing healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers an easy and efficient solution to prevent surface-to-surface and hand-to-face transmission of pathogens.

Status/Results

All synthetic goals for developing novel antimicrobial agents were met.
We were successfully able to develop the technology capable of retaining antimicrobial agents. The formulations adhere to skin and remain adhered for several hours.
We observed > 99.9 % reduction of bacteria tested when exposed to all Disigel samples. Even after washing of the sample up to 20 times or soaking in water for two hours, > 99.9 % reduction of bacteria was still observed.

Links

Persons involved in the project

Andreas Schmocker, project leader, CEO & Co-founder of Lumendo
Dr. Aaron Johnson, Head of chemical development
Dr. Mark Bispinhoff, CTO of Lumendo

Project partner
Dr. Markus Rottmar, Group Leader Cells at Surfaces, EMPA
Dr. Qun Ren Zulian, Group leader Bacteria at Surfaces, EMPA

Last update to this project presentation  21.04.2022