The current demand for disinfectant wipes and cleaning products has grown drastically since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and now more than ever hospitals, businesses, and public spaces are held to higher cleaning standards. Bleach, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide have been found to kill COVID-19 on surfaces, however, their major downside is that they lack the ability to keep surfaces clean for extended periods of time and thus require constant re-application.
This is not the case for startup BioSafe Defenses’ conjugated polyelectrolytes, which continue to kill viruses and bacteria for as long as 24-hours, even after an applied surface has dried. The startup is developing consumer products from an extensive portfolio of proprietary, new class of polymers and oligomers with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-biofilm characteristics developed at the University of New Mexico. The company licenses the technology portfolio from UNM Rainforest Innovations (formerly STC.UNM). Independent tests have shown that BioSafe’s light-activated antimicrobials can kill bacteria for long durations and have also been demonstrated to kill COVID-19 in vitro (in solution). More tests are currently underway to measure their effectiveness on hard surfaces.
Biosafe is currently working to launch an industrial grade disposable, antimicrobial wipe created specifically for healthcare environments. It is highly effective in eradicating elusive bacteria, fungi and viruses and preventing the regrowth of deadly biofilms. Some of the benefits of BioSafe’s new class of antimicrobials is that they are strongly attracted to microbial adhesion, are highly effective against robust microbes, do broad spectrum damage to microbes’ cells so that they cannot develop high drug resistance, and can be measured on surfaces in real time to gauge their effectiveness.
See also, “Biosafe’s COVID-19 Killer is Confirmed in Live Lab Trials,” on the Biosafe Defenses Website at https://biosafedefenses.com/newsroom/.
About BioSafe Defenses
BioSafe Defenses, LLC is the exclusive owner of conjugated polyelectrolyte technology. Its light-activated, antimicrobial compounds deal broad-spectrum damage against viruses, bacteria, biofilms, yeasts, and fungi, even after applied surfaces have dried. BioSafe is a leader in the commercialization of this new class of antimicrobials and currently holds 13 already-issued patents on the compounds. For more information, visit https://biosafedefenses.com/.
About UNM Rainforest Innovations
UNM Rainforest Innovations (formerly STC.UNM) is the technology-transfer and economic-development organization for the University of New Mexico (UNM). We protect and commercialize technologies developed at UNM by filing patents and copyrights and transferring them to the marketplace. We connect the business community (companies, entrepreneurs and investors) to these UNM technologies for licensing opportunities and the creation of start-up companies. UNM Rainforest Innovations’ vision is to play a vital role in New Mexico’s economic development and to be a leader in technology commercialization.