The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Delaware State University a $498,372 research grant fund in support of project that will focus on the capabilities of lasers in killing viruses.
The project is a collaboration between DSU’s Division of Physical and Computational Sciences, Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Food Safety Laboratory on campus, along with the Center for Advanced Studies in Photonic Research at the University of Maryland ““ Baltimore County.
The three-year grant will support a project entitled “Investigation of Enhancer Free Photo-generated Singlet Oxygen.” The grant comes through the NSF’s HBCU-UP Program, which is part of the agency’s effort to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities in strengthening its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education as well as its research capacity.
Dr. Aristides Marcano, professor of physics, is the principal investigator of the research grant. He said the project will focus on how lasers kill viruses.
“We know that laser can kill viruses, but we want to look at why it does,” Marcano said.
Delaware State University students will engage with the research work.
