We appear to be living in an age of deadly
pathogens that are more infectious than anything science has encountered in
generations. When faced with such a pandemic, people will react in a variety of
ways to deal with it. Most will agree with state guidelines to quarantine
themselves and wash their hands often, use liquid sanitizers and wear masks covering
the nose and mouth. Although some will rebel at such restrictive measures, if
they are responsible citizens they will comply, if only to protect others. Meanwhile,
in the scientific community there are industrious specialists in the field who
are confronting the war on germs with innovative products and services. One of
the soldiers in that war is Dr. Emily Hunt, a faculty member and researcher at
West Texas A&M University.
Dr. Hunt
joined the College of Engineering in 2005. She received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.
degrees in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University in 2001, 2002 and
2005, respectively. In 2009, Dr. Hunt developed an idea
to protect soldiers and civilians from biological weapons of mass destruction
such as anthrax. She was awarded funding from the National Science Foundation
and the United States Department of Defense to pursue antimicrobial research.
She performed the basic science necessary to transform the idea into a working
prototype which was subsequently adopted by the US Department of Defense for
use in military breathing masks. A research team was then formed to leverage
this expertise in the field of antimicrobials to create simple, safe, and
effective solutions that protect people and assets from the dangers of
microbial contamination.
Their latest innovation is Copper Clean
Antimicrobial Surface Patches, which is being supplied to businesses and
institutions throughout the world to protect high-touch surfaces from harmful
pathogens. Dr. Hunt, President of Copper Clean, granted a remote interview from
her Canyon, Texas office to explain how the patches work. For more info about
the company: www.copperclean.com
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