US-developed bodysuit could help in fight against malaria

While insecticide-treated nets are commonly used to drive away mosquitoes, the Cornell prototype garment can be worn throughout the day to provide extra protection and does not dissipate easily like skin-based repellents.

By binding insecticide and fabric at the nanolevel using metal organic framework molecules — which are clustered crystalline compounds — the mesh fabric can reportedly be loaded with up to three times more insecticide than normal fibrous nets, which usually wear off after about six months.

In a statement, Frederick Ochanda, postdoctoral associate in Cornell’s Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design, said: ‘The bond on our fabric is very difficult to break. The nets in use now are dipped in a solution and are not bonded in this way, so their effectiveness doesn’t last very long.’

The garment, fashioned by Matilda Ceesay, a Cornell apparel design undergraduate, debuted on the runway at the Cornell Fashion Collective spring fashion show on 28 April on the Cornell campus.