We have built a large interdisciplinary research team to study the
safety and efficacy of ultraviolet light to prevent the spread of airborne bacteria and
viruses. Our collaboration includes physicists, astronomers, virologists, biologists,
photochemists, radiation safety experts, and optics researchers from NHS Ninewells, the Universities of
St Andrews, Dundee, Leeds, York, Heriot Watt University, Columbia University in New York,
University of Saskatchewan in Canada,
and local companies Fluid Gravity Engineering in St Andrews and Ten Bio in Dundee.
This page contains links to our recent research papers, conference talks, and
publicity.
A summary of our position on germicidal ultraviolet light devices is provided in
this report
from October 2020 that we prepared for the UK and Scottish Governments.
Talks
Far-UVC for the inactivation of airborne pathogens,
Ewan Eadie, July 2022
World Health Organization Webinar on Disinfection using Ultraviolet Radiation,
Ed Nardell, Kenny Wood, Ewan Eadie, December 2021,
Passcode to view webinar recording: 0@wQtVC$
Skin safety and efficacy of filtered far ultraviolet C for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation,
Ewan Eadie, July 2021
Tackling the coronavirus: on surfaces and in the air, Catherine Adamson, May 2021
Safety and Efficacy of Filtered Far-UVC Devices, Kenny Wood, March 2021
St Andrews Virtual Colloquium,
David Brenner, February 2021
Far-UVC for Virus Inactivation, Ewan Eadie, November 2020
Can light stop the coronavirus, David Brenner, July 2020
Research Papers
Potential harm to the skin from unfiltered krypton-chloride "Far-UVC" lamps,
even below an occupational exposure limit,
O'Mahoney, P., Wood, K., Ibbotson, S.H., Eadie, E,. 2022
Far-UVC efficiently inactivates an airborne pathogen in a room-sized chamber,
Eadie et al. 2022
Turn up the lights, leave them on, and shine them all around - numerical simulations
point the way to more efficient use of Far-UVC lights for the inactivation of airborne coronavirus,
Wood et al. 2022
Computer Modeling Indicates Dramatically Less DNA Damage from Far-UVC Krypton Chloride Lamps (222 nm) than from Daylight,
Eadie et al. 2021
Extreme Exposure to Filtered Far-UVC: A Case Study, Eadie et al. 2021
Minimal, superficial DNA damage in human skin from filtered far-ultraviolet-C (UV-C),
Hickerson et al. 2021
Far-UVC light (222 nm) efficiently and safely inactivates airborne human coronaviruses,
Buonanno et al. 2020
Further evidence that far-UVC for disinfection is unlikely to cause erythema or
pre-mutagenic DNA lesions in skin, Barnard, et al. 2020
Publicity
Disinfecting the air with far-ultraviolet light, Nature, October 2022
How to fight Covid with light, September 2022
New anti-viral light could make indoor settings Covid-safe, Kingdom FM radio interview, 24 March 2022
New anti-viral light could make indoor settings Covid-safe, University of St Andrews, March 2022
Is UVC lighting the way to a COVID-free future?,
Rachel Black, Pint of Science, May 2021
Trailblazing use of light to kill viruses given UK government support,
University of St Andrews, March 2021
Ultraviolet C (UVC) to combat Covid-19,
Paul O'Mahoney, The Naked Scientists, March 2021
Is UVC lighting the way to a COVID-19 free future?,
Rachel Black, St Andrews University, Physics and Astronomy Student Magazine, February 2021
Ultraviolet light has bright future in fight against Covid-19,
University of St Andrews, May 2020
Funding:
We are grateful for funding support from the following:
Innovations & Partnerships at NHS Test and Trace
University of St Andrews from the Scottish Funding Council
UK Research and Innovation
Science and Technology Funding Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Please send any questions to
Kenny Wood
Mobile: 07913 162062