BENGALURU: Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru have developed a one-step curable (able to dry) anti-microbial coating which when sprayed onto surfaces such as cotton, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, has the potential to contain the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 , which causes Covid-19 They are now ready for testing the technology, which has already shown positive lab results when tested against the influenza virus. The technology has been developed by Prof Jayanta Haldar’s group — including Sreyan Ghosh and Riya Mukherjee — at JNCASR.Notably, in 2015, two novel compounds or drug candidates for Ebola developed by Haldar and two other students of his were shortlisted among 20 globally by the Public Health England (PHE), while in 2019, JNCASR ranked seventh among the top 10 scientific institutions listed by Nature, the world’s leading scientific publication .Elaborating on the novel coating technology, a paper on which is pending publication with a peer-reviewed journal, the scientists said that microbial attachment and subsequent colonization onto surfaces lead to the spread of deadly community-acquired and hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections.“Significantly, our coating showed antiviral activity against the notorious influenza virus with 100% disablement within 30 minutes upon contact. The coated surfaces also worked against various drug-resistance bacteria and fungi pathogens such as methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and fluconazole resistant C. albicans spp,” Haldar told TOI.He added that the compound is soluble in water as well organic solvents and that the solution of this compound can be easily coated in an easy, one-step manner similar to painting or spraying permanently immobilizing the molecule on the surface upon UV radiation.“The significance of this approach was the easy coating procedure, which eliminates the limitations of requiring expert personnel, sophisticated machinery. The cotton substrates coated with the compound showed complete disabling bacteria exhibiting almost 99.999%. The coating also works against pathogens such as MRSA in 30-45 minutes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an antimicrobial coating, which could disable all of bacteria, fungi and influenza virus,” he said.The coating showed complete disablement of influenza virus, which is an enveloped virus upon contact. “In the wake of the current threatening scenario of SARS-CoV-2 infections, we anticipate that our coating may work against this strain of virus, which is also an enveloped virus like the influenza virus. Therefore, this needs to be tested. If found active, we can fabricate coated masks, gowns, face shields and other protective tools that doctors, nurses, patients used and save the lives of many,” he said.