The project has developed a new antiviral concept based on strengthening the natural mucus secreted by the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract, which has the function of protecting our airways from threatening substances. “Human mucous needs an upgrade,” says Lauster. “As time goes by, we are increasingly likely to be confronted with pathogens crossing over from animals. We need to stay ahead in the evolutionary game so that we are adequately armed against threatening, fast-mutating viruses.”

The project aims at creating biomimetic structures that increase the ability of nasal mucous to adsorb viruses. This makes it more difficult for the virus to infect the underlying cells in our respiratory tract. “We then swallow the virus, which is subsequently digested in the stomach,” Lauster explains.

During the first year of funding, Lauster will work together with Christian Hackenberger (FMP, Berlin), to create these biomimetic structures using chemical and biotechnological processes. The resulting products will then be tested in a high-security lab by Christian Sieben (HZI, Braunschweig) to assess their antiviral efficacy against coronaviruses, using a cell-based lung model.

The preliminary research for the grant application submitted to SPRIND received funding under the coronavirus pre-exploration project initiated by the Berlin University Alliance and led by Rainer Haag, and from the “MucPep” project financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and led by Lauster.