Recent advances in materials science: a reinforced approach toward challenges against COVID-19

Abstract

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals and scientists have encountered an unprecedented trouble to make the latest technological solutions to work. Despite of abundant tools available as well as initiated for diagnosis and treatment, researchers in the healthcare systems were in backfoot to provide concrete answers to the demanding challenge of SARS-CoV-2. It has incited global collaborative efforts in every field from economic, social, and political to dedicated science to confront the growing demand toward solution to this outbreak. Field of materials science has been in the frontline to the current scenario to provide major diagnostic tools, antiviral materials, safety materials, and various therapeutic means such as, antiviral drug design, drug delivery, and vaccination. In the present article, we emphasized the role of materials science to the development of PPE kits such as protecting suits, gloves, and masks as well as disinfection of the surfaces/surroundings. In addition, contribution of materials science towards manufacturing diagnostic devices such as microfluidics, immunosensors as well as biomaterials with a point of care analysis has also been discussed. Further, the efficacy of nanoparticles and scaffolds for antiviral drug delivery and micro-physiological systems as well as materials derived from human tissues for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices have been elaborated towards therapeutic applications.