During 2013, LaamScience, Inc. ceased business operations. The firm had been developing anti-bacterial and anti-viral coatings - offering N95 respirator masks, surgical flat masks, disposable cleaning wipes, and floor wax. LaamScience had been focused on the commercialization of a durable surface treatment that, when subjected to any kind of light inactivates many viruses and kills most bacteria. Invented at North Carolina State University College of Textiles, the product does not require customized formulations for broad spectrum antimicrobial effectiveness. LaamScience' vision was improvement of public health by incorporating novel antiviral and antibacterial coatings into everyday products. The firm's durable surface treatment - when subjected to light, kills or inactivates most viruses and bacteria. Light sources could be incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, and even light-emitting diodes. The effort was to develop specialized coatings cthat could be applied to a wide variety of products: coatings using safe, biocompatible materials that can be attached to woven and nonwoven, natural and synthetic fabrics and surfaces (nylon, cotton, polyester etc.). Initial product applications included N95 masks, surgical masks, and disposable cleaning wipes. The antimicrobial coating technology is an adaptation of photodynamic therapy that is already used in treating HIV infections and various cancers. Surfaces such as hospital privacy curtains, air filters, upholstery, rugs, and linens can harbor billions of active microorganisms. Since the Serqet technology is effective against many viruses and most bacteria, it can help reduce the numbers of infectious microbes on most surfaces. Serqet holds proprietary technology for coatings that produce a safe, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent (singlet oxygen) when exposed to visible light. The light activated coating is catalytic in nature and the singlet oxygen is continuously produced as long as the surface is exposed to light. Light momentarily elevates the coatings to a higher energy state. The coating transfers this energy to oxygen which forms singlet oxygen, which has a lifetime of a few microseconds. The coating is regenerative and the self-decontaminating surface continues to kill infectious viruses and bacteria as long as it is exposed to a light source.
