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Materials Science in the time of Coronavirus

Annela M. Seddon

Before 2020, phrases such as “social distancing” and “lock down” were not part of our normal vocabulary; however, it seems now that they are at the core of every conversation. We scientists naturally look to see where we might be best placed to help as we start to piece together what this new normal means for us.

Tackling a problem of the magnitude of a global pandemic cannot be undertaken by a single discipline. At this point, while we are still in the early stages of this crisis, where emergency medical care and reducing pressure on health services are the priority, we look to our clinicians, epidemiologists, and experts in the biomedical sciences for frontline solutions. , We must think more broadly about the role of materials science.

Traditionally, when we think about “viral infection” our thoughts first turn to vaccines. After all, these have been arguably one of the most successful public health interventions in human history, rendering what were once fatal or seriously debilitating diseases a thing of the past thanks to a simple course of inoculations. They will always remain the heavy artillery in our fight against viruses; however, in the situation we face at present, a vaccine against COVID-19 remains some way into the future.

What then of antiviral agents? Over the last 50 years, more than 90 drugs have been approved as antivirals, yet these target only nine human infectious diseases. It is tempting to think that the development of new antiviral agents is beyond the scope of what we traditionally call materials science, ...

Adapted from: Journal of Materials Science. Materials Science in the time of Coronavirus. Available at: <http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10853-020-04694-4> [Accessed 21st May 2020].