Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh city researchers make COVID-19 prevention, control products

Out of 2,000 projects from 79
countries, one on producing protein from Ecoli bacteria in laboratories by a
student team from the University of Science won sponsorship from the Agence
Universitaire de La Francophonie – a society of universities offering training
in the French language.

Firstly, they collaborated with a
company in the bio-technology industry to carry out the project under Dr.
Nguyen Thuy Vy, head of the genetics department at the university’s biology and
bio-technology faculty. The research was prompted by the fact that asymptomatic
COVID patients and those with mild symptoms were believed to be a hurdle to
control the pandemic in the community.

To detect infection, many countries
use antibody tests. The advantages of this method are that it is fast, easy to
deploy on a large scale and has great accuracy. However, Viet Nam does not have
suppliers of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral protein antigens, making it difficult for
companies to seek for manufacturing antibody testing kits. Dr Nguyen Thuy Vy
said: “We use a technology to
produce protein from Ecoli bacteria at low cost. Around the world, most
proteins are produced from animal tissue.” Vy and two students, Le Tran Dang
Khoi and Vo Ho My Phuc began the research in early June with sponsorship from
AUF and they created products within three months.

“The project does not only contribute
to COVID-19 prevention but also inspires other students to take up research.
The product is useful for COVID-19 tests with fast, accurate results and
affordable prices.” 

The VNUHCM’s National Key Laboratory
of Digital Control and System Engineering (DCSELab) collaborated with the
Centre of Science and Technology Development for Youth to make a mobile
disinfection chamber.  With sensors
detecting and automatically spraying once a person steps in, signal lights, and
a 360-degree fog mist sprayer, the chamber uses anolyte solution and
ultraviolet, ozone and heat disinfection technologies to help disinfect the
whole body. The chamber has been used at several hospitals in the city since
the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

DCSELab’s scientists also made an
automatic chamber for disinfection and obtaining samples from patients without
making contact. The chamber disinfects automatically before the next person
enters for giving samples. Though ultraviolet disinfection technology is used,
the UV rays do not directly touch peoples’ bodies and so are not harmful to
health officials or patients. Moreover, the high-efficiency particulate air
filter technology combines with UV to completely kill viruses and bacteria
remaining in the air after being sucked out of the chamber.

The other COVID-19 product by DCSELab
is a simple ventilator working on the principle of automatically squeezing and
releasing Ambu bag to deliver air into a patient’s lungs. The product is being
finalized after many revisions and consultancy from specialists at Cho Ray
Hospital and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Another VNUHCM’s member university,
the University of Technology, has innovated dozens of useful and convenient
products to serve the community in terms of COVID-19 prevention and
containment.

Scientists at the Bach Khoa Research
Centre for Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Technology have also
made a mobile disinfection system with air filters to ensure clean air is
discharged in the environment. The technology has been transferred to companies
for commercialisation and mass production. 

A research team at the University of
Technology’s material technology faculty has made masks that could be used by
healthcare workers for continuous hours.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Dai Phu, the
faculty dean, said when COVID-19 broke out, one urgent issue was a shortage of
medical equipment. Healthcare workers faced a high risk of infection because of
working for many hours in an environment without negative pressure chamber. It
was very important for them to use preventive clothes, goggles and masks to
prevent the risk of contracting the virus, and his team made these masks with a
bacteria and air filter membrane to avoid infection, Phu said.

The air supplied through the mask is
sufficient for many hours for healthcare workers. This mask mitigated some of
the shortcomings in existing ones during the pandemic period. In addition, the
material used in these masks is environment-friendly polymer. The medical
workers at Trung Vuong Hospital are using them.

Lecturers at the University of
Technology’s mechanical engineering faculty made an automatic machine for sewing
masks from anti-bacterial clothing. Besides, the university’s lecturers and
students made goggles that keep out aerosols from patients using 3D printing
technology and sanitizers.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mai Thanh Phong, the
university’s president, said by focusing on products for COVID-19 prevention
and control, students, lecturers and researchers at the university hope to
contribute their abilities and efforts to the country’s combat against the
pandemic.