€1bn initiative hopes its materials can fight pandemics
The EU’s Graphene Flagship, a €1 billion, 10-year research and innovation programme focused on materials made from ultra-thin sheets of carbon atoms, has set up a multidisciplinary working group to explore how graphene could be used to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a blog post on 2 June, the initiative, which is increasingly focused on applied research, said it would “make use of all its collective and accumulated knowledge of graphene and related materials to fight the current pandemic—and those that may come in the future”.
For example, the post said the group will look at how to design materials to either adhere to or repel viruses, and how to design coated surfaces better able to withstand repeated cleaning cycles.