Last year in May, a team of researchers comprising a PhD and three post-doctoral research fellows and led by professor Rinti Banerjee from IIT-Bombay developed a coating technology called Duraprot (durable+protection) that can render the coronavirus inactive. The technology is being used to make masks and PPEs.
Duraprot is a natural and biodegradable material (bio-nano polymers) that breaks down the virus and then inactivates it. The mask is coated by dipping the fabric directly into an emulsion or solution. To test the efficacy of the coating, surrogate samples of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were tested in the laboratory.
“When we tested the Duraprot coating against coronavirus samples from Kasturba Hospital, there was a breakdown of the envelope inactivating the coronavirus,” Banerjee told Hindustan Times.
Project masks business set to exceed garments by June 21 Next time you shop womenswear at Lifestyle, Aditya Birla Pantaloons, Big Bazaar and the like, chances are it would have been cut and stitched by a woman-strong team at Meemansa s Mumbai or Anand manufacturing units. Engaged in the manufacturing, trading and outsourcing of ready-made garments, apparels and accessories, the lockdowns triggered by the ongoing pandemic saw them diversify into face masks and plans are now afoot to launch their own products and even step into exports by January 2021.
Manish Kothari, one of the founders of Meemansa, talks about the mask business, the company s continuous support towards various social initiatives and women-centric self-help groups.