Functionalized surfaces with tailored wettability determine Influenza A infectivity

First author of this paper, Dr. Ilaria Mannelli, a member of the Optoelecetonics research group at ICFO led by Prof. Pruneri, explains, "The external envelope of Influenza A virus consists of a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, in which the external part is hydrophilic allowing a good dispersion of the viral particles in aqueous solutions. However, the inner part of the envelope is made of the hydrophobic and oleophilic tails of lipids. Because of this, when a solution of viruses is deposited onto a functionalized surface that is simultaneously hydrophobic and oleophilic, the inner part of the viral envelope strongly interacts with the substrate molecules moving from the viral envelope to the surface. As a consequence, the integrity of the external membrane of Influenza A virus envelope is affected and the infectivity of the virus solution is reduced."

ICFO researchers in collaboration with Corning, Inc, tailored the wetting characteristics of glass surfaces by functionalizing them with coating made of alkyl- and fluoro-silanes as well as by nanostructuring. Furthermore, using a number of experimental and computational methods including real-time fluorescence microscopy carried out at ICFO and molecular dynamics simulations carried out by researchers at UB, researchers were able to study the effects of these functionalized surfaces on the infectivity of Influenza A viruses and introduce design criteria for new surfaces with specific properties that can deactivate Influenza A viruses with high efficiency.

These results give new insights into the role of the wetting properties of functionalized surfaces on their effect on enveloped viruses coming into contact with them. These insights constitute the basis for guiding the design and development of new surfaces with higher antiviral activity that can be important for applications in public and/or sensitive environments such as in hospitals.