With the world scuffling with the modern-day Covid-19 outbreak, a new venture at MIT seeks to increase revolutionary options to combat this and future pandemics.
The Pandemic Response CoLab is a joint undertaking with the aid of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence (CCI), MIT Media Lab’s Community Biotechnology Initiative, and founding member MilliporeSigma, the lifestyles science enterprise of Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany. The Pandemic Response CoLab is an open, on-line collaboration platform that invitations anyone, from persons to groups, from communities to businesses, to advance actionable options for challenges introduced by means of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“A international assignment like the pandemic necessitates international solutions,” says David Kong, director of the MIT Media Lab’s Community Biotechnology Initiative and co-founder of the CoLab platform. “We are excited to make use of the Pandemic Response CoLab to channel the creativity and innovation of various communities all round the world towards addressing the myriad challenges we face springing up from the pandemic.”
Submissions to the challenges are evaluated by using chosen experts; the most influential, revolutionary options chosen through the judges are referred to as the Judges Choice and have the chance to acquire sponsor-donated incentives. Additionally, platform customers vote on a favourite answer and the thought with the easiest votes is named the Community Choice.
The platform these days introduced the winners of the Pandemic Response CoLab world “Re-imagining face coverings and PPE challenge.” This undertaking was once judged via 5 specialists growing new technologies, designs, and adoption techniques for face masks and PPE: Yuly Fuentes, task supervisor for fiber applied sciences and lookup marketing consultant to MIT Innovation Initiative; Erin Robertson, trend scientist and winner of Project Runway season 15; Kinjaz, Los Angeles-based dance crew; David Beattie, head of bioprocessing lookup and improvement at MilliporeSigma; and Paul Leu, director of Laboratory for Advanced Materials at Pittsburgh.
“Maintaining today’s masks and PPE functionalities whilst growing their wearability and innovative sourcing is the most scientifically sound approach to forestall viral transmission and enlarge adoption,” says MilliporeSigma decide Beattie. “We seem ahead to supporting cross the finalists’ thoughts ahead to probably come to be the subsequent pandemic response solutions.”
The Judges Choice winners are:
Sourcing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from single-use plastic waste in African landfills to manufacture medical-grade gowns, an notion developed via Katelynn Salmon and Moses Zeidan. The main contributor to plastic waste in African landfills is single-use consuming bottles made of PET. The strength, chemical stability, and fluid resistance that make the polymer a famous preference for beverage groups additionally make it a trendy fabric for the manufacturing of medical-grade gowns. Using the waste in this way no longer solely offers the cloth a 2nd use, however additionally can decrease the value of gown-making.
A “smart” masks that integrates temperature sensors and a filter air flow system, The Social Mask used to be contributed by way of Burzo Ciprian. This kind of face masks pairs with a cellular system utility to test the wearer’s proximity to different customers and decide the opportunity of viral infection. With an emphasis on a modern, light-weight appear and feel, the face masks would be made of substances like polycarbonate or polypropylene to accommodate hypersensitive reactions whilst retaining functionality.
Sustainable, light-weight substances to seriously change face masks into versatile but practical scarf-like accessories, contributed through Monica Berger. This face mask, referred to as Maskarf, would comprise biosensors, eco-friendly fabric, a detachable charcoal filter, nostril bridge wire, and adjustable straps to enhance fit, make the masks simpler to put on whilst a character is exercising, and stability performance with trend considerations.
The most famous Community Choice, with 314 votes, is:
Fashionable, customizable face masks that are reusable and washable. This notion was once developed by means of Aditi Chadha as phase of a sustainability initiative. Face masks would come in extraordinary patterns and sizes, and ought to even be adjusted for humans with listening to disabilities or men and women carrying turbans. The manufacturing unit for these face masks is placed in India and helps the nearby neighborhood by means of education and offering a sustainable supply of livelihood to girl tailors and artisans.
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