Projects

Water scarcity is one of the most important global challenges today. It is worsened by the increasing number and diversity of waterborne pollutants, including pathogenic viruses. Among these, human enteric viruses such as norovirus, hepatitis A virus (HAV), and rotavirus are particularly concerning, as they cause millions of infections every year. Therefore, their successful inactivation is crucial, as is the development and improvement of technologies for water decontamination.

The ERC perspective P-to-M project supports the original ERC project, which aims to understand the mechanisms of virus inactivation in water with SuperPlasma—an innovative and environmentally friendly water decontamination technology that combines supercavitation and plasma. It seeks to fill critical gaps in our understanding of how plasma-based systems inactivate viruses in water. The results could drive improvements not only in plasma technologies but also in other advanced water treatment methods that rely on strong oxidants, such as advanced oxidation processes. Ultimately, this would enable more efficient water purification and improve access to clean water.

0The P-to-M project will help bring this knowledge together by targeting two main objectives, which will be achieved through two work packages. The first objective focuses on evaluating mechanism of inactivation, specifically elucidating the role of reactive plasma particles (RRPs) in the inactivation of bacteriophage MS2, a widely used enteric virus surrogate, in water with SuperPlasma technology. This will involve quantifying the production of RRPs during treatment and evaluating their effects on virus inactivation. These insights will reveal which components are most crucial for virus inactivation with SuperPlasma technology.

The second objective targets HAV, a clinically relevant pathogen that continues to cause significant disease globally despite the existence of a vaccine. The project will establish HAV infectivity systems in the laboratory—an important contribution to virology infrastructure in Slovenia—and search for the most optimal treatment parameters for HAV inactivation. This will provide essential information on the applicability of the technology for real-world pathogens.

Together, the results will advance scientific understanding in virus inactivation and plasma-based disinfection, while also reinforcing the basis for a strong ERC Starting Grant application.