UV chip kills bacteria and preserves food
A collaboration between academia and industry has led to the development of a UV chip that eliminates microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.
The chip, developed by scientists from the LUMINOUS! Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Sweden’s PureFize Technologies, has been integrated into a commercially available product that preserves the freshness of food stored in containers.
“Our chip is a significant breakthrough in health and safety as it has the potential to eradicate harmful food spoilage microorganisms as well as reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19,” said senior research fellow Dr Vijay Kumar Sharma of NTU’s School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and LUMINOUS!
Unlike conventional UV lamps, the chip does not require mercury and is a few centimetres in size. The chip can also operate at full intensity in small, confined spaces without the need for cooling.
Environmentally friendly UVC alternative to mercury lamps
According to NTU Singapore, the most effective UV light for inactivating microorganisms is short wave UV (UVC), as it damages DNA and kills microorganisms.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Experts speculate over cause of Iberian power outages
The EU and UK will be moving towards using Grid Forming inverters with Energy Storage that has an inherent ability to act as a source of Infinite...