A Protlab Collaborative Project

The combination of factors that evolve into viral outbreaks is a problem yet to be fully understood to enable prediction, prevention or management with the WHO reporting that there is no conclusive direct contact evidence for the 'possible pathways of emergence' of the Covid-19 outbreak.                

Protlab, an award-winning Biofilm Profiling company intends to align with the WHO investigation of fomite transmission through the identification and mathematical sequencing of active ingredients colonising biofilms that act as carriers/reservoirs of diseases on fomite surfaces. The data will program sensors (globally distributed) to detect indigenous pathogens and for advanced plasma technology to safely clean the air in enclosed spaces such as aircraft globally and LMIC mini-buses, preventing epidemics from becoming pandemics. 

The data gathered will include biomedical as well as indigenous zoonotic, human and environmental factors for AI to be taught to predict outbreaks and mutations, providing evidence for strategic health and environmental planning.

The fundamental problems that Protlab is addressing are:

• the lack of proven sources of infection related to the initial transmission
• no clear understanding of the mechanisms that evolve mutations/variants
• uncoordinated multi-disciplinary research
• not enough focus on surface/fomite transmission
• no available tools on the ground in high-risk areas to quickly assess risk
• no safe (for human contact) air and surface cleaning systems on the market

Globalization and the enclosed spaces that we inhabit enables rapid transmission and virus evolution through surface biofilm colonisation that remains viable for days. ‘Biofilm infections are estimated to be responsible for up to 80% of all infections in humans and animals, posing a major health challenge’ (Microbiology Society, 2019).

Brown University researchers collated data on disease outbreaks between 1980 and 2013 identifying a 400% constantly increasing rise, comprising 217 different diseases and 44 million cases occurring in 219 nations.

Man has had a dramatic effect on the biosphere, through deforestation, habitat destruction, global warming, and over-population leading to unnatural proximity with and between wildlife (including insects). 

The scale of the problems is global and without identifying all the elements that combine to cause outbreaks and how to limit transmission, the problem will just escalate.

Our solution is a very considered integrated approach for year one, to:

• Collate and review relevant multi-disciplinary research.
• Establish a biofilm profiling laboratory sampling and analysing indigenous organisms from potential outbreak/over-spill areas, (in collaboration with the EcoHealth Alliance and NGOs),  identifying communication codes between high-risk viruses and their biochemical target groups for all current disease threats. 
• Create a database of identified active pathogenic components and formulate algorithms from genomic equations for local scientists.
• Develop CASPER (Clean Air Pathogen Removal Intelligent Sensor Equipment) systems using cold atmospheric plasma technology (partnered with Terraplasma Medical) eradicating virulent pathogens from enclosed spaces.
• Program cutting edge terahertz imaging - quantum optical sensors, identifying and mapping nano-scale topographies of pathogen biofilms to interface with CASPER.
• Teach AI systems to predict outbreaks/over-spill threats, activating a ‘live traffic light’ early warning system analysing data gathered from quantum sensor arrays, indigenous algorithm reporting & environmental factors.
• Share all data with the WHO Virus Evolution Working Group in an open-source cloud application for analytic collaborations with a full library of collated research (partnered with the National Biofilm Innovation Centre).
• CASPER profits to fund sensors for LMICs and ongoing outbreak research. 

The target audiences are several including:

The Academic World and Professionals in the Field - providing a platform of current research and show findings and a moderated article upload facility with a discussion and Q&A forum. This will connect, share expertise, challenge with considered appeals and encourage an applied approach. Academics need to be more engaged with providing practical as opposed to theoretical solutions.

The WHO - they are the primary global force of advice, of supposed coordinated research and publications, the latest of which was a global study of origins of SARS-CoV-2. This 120 page study report on in-depth research of categories of transmission. 

WHO global study of origins

We have responded to this with the following NBIC endorsed editorial:

Editorial response to the WHO report on virus transmission

High-risk LMIC Communities - through the identification of indigenous pathogens and mutagens, especially of zoonotic origin that affect many peoples. This will enable sources of infection to be identified and where vector breeding grounds are leading to either eradication and the creation of health education programs to be implemented.

Government Public Health and Policy Makers - to be informed of potential outbreaks and to provide impartial protocols and action plans by the PRO-ACT team neutralising misinformation, political gain, and vested interests.

Health Services - to offer the sharing of data from both disease analytics as well as from patients

The Business Community - in providing the CASPER solution to reduce risk of infection and subsequent sickness levels. 

and finally, but most importantly, the Global Public -  people can only make informed decisions by understanding an issue through applied logic and information imparted on a non-technical level. Being told what to do without enough information builds doubt and resentment and fuels misinformation. We have written a summary to explain the issues in an accessible form.

'Over the last century, there has been a steady increase in the number and effects of infectious diseases on the human race. Many of these pathogens (to humans) are specific to animal species that nature never intended humans to come into contact with. In addition, man has accelerated a dramatic change in the biosphere, through deforestation, destruction of habitats, global warming, and over-population that has led to unnatural proximity with and between wildlife (including insects).

Biodiversity is essential for nature to manage and balance the ecosystem and man has disrupted it, nowhere more evident than in the environments that we live in. Our homes prevent nature’s natural forces from exerting a balance, enabling dangerous organisms to gather in safety, merge with other organisms, breed, multiply whilst being protected through what is called surface biofilm colonisation. In simple terms, biofilms are filmy substances that form on every kind of surface, especially visible on waste food and water, however, hidden to the eye, the same process happens microscopically with microorganisms like virus droplets falling onto a surface and merging with an existing group of organisms. They interact, forming a protective layer that extends the viability of the virus by days and becomes highly resistant to deactivating and even anti-biotics. Meanwhile the colonies of organisms start to blend and some become highly virulent, rather like mixing chemicals becoming volatile. These biofilms can be detached through touch, however, they eventually get too big in their tiny world and naturally expel now more infectious viruses back into the air for us to breathe in.

This is a more scientific explanation of biofilm.

We also wear clothes and carry items that carry biofilm which although resilient to deactivation can easily be detached through contact. The emphasis on the use of masks only highlights the air-borne transmission stage and although washing hands also helps enormously, it leaves millions of hidden dangers of biofilm on surfaces. Potentially, biofilm once ingested can remain active and even mutate within the human body and be passed on, which would explain some genetic transmission.

We are now seeing man suffering from so-called ‘progress’ and need to redress the balance if at all possible. Putting man first and destroying all the wildlife is not the answer, neither is waiting for further ‘forced’ mutations of nature to become pandemics and responding, however well.

We need to understand these cocktails of unintended ingredients to identify what is out of place in the biosphere and to recognise that transmission is more than hand and mouth, that travel is a free ride for these viruses, and that the comfort of our own home is also home comfort as a breeding ground for pathogens.

By identifying these ‘ingredients’, we can see what does not fit and what reacts with what and where they come from. This requires sampling both of air and surface in areas identified as the source as well as where the infection has spread to as the genome will adhere to other (foreign to it) ‘ingredients’ forming a slightly different cocktail (mutation/variant).

We are able to establish how these infections come to be and the influence that man has had, which can be reversed through education and action. We can also predict through AI (artificial intelligence) analysis of all factors, where potential cocktails might be mixed and hopefully prevent many from becoming dangerous.

New technology can provide safe systems to deep clean air and surfaces in indoor spaces. Air travel and public transport have had a considerable effect on the spread of the Covid-19 virus and this technology fitted to transport vehicles will massively reduce the ability of future infections from spreading.

Understanding nature and man’s influence can help us to respect nature and help to protect us from future pandemics'.

Progress of the solution and different aspects will be continually updated on all major social media platforms with open online seminars and discussion groups.

The Protlab solution is an integrated synthesis of the challenge’s dimensions.

Inter-disciplinary research and biofilm profiling data will program sensors distributed to equip last-mile primary healthcare providers with the necessary tools to sample indigenous pathogens.

Algorithms will provide the knowledge to detect disease outbreaks quickly and respond to them effectively.

Data gathered with social/environmental factors will enable AI to produce an evidential early warning predictive system detecting future disease outbreaks.

On-going sampling/monitoring will strengthen disease surveillance providing evidence for strategic health/environmental planning, negating misinformation, educating, and inspiring.

CASPER systems will reduce air and fomite transmission, slowing or even halting spread.

The Protlab solution was conceptualised as an interdisciplinary synthesis of biofilm profiling/infectious disease research, mathematical modeling, new technology, and sophisticated software with an integrated approach of collaboration. We have established partnerships/collaborations with both specialist academic and commercial expertise in every aspect of our project, but need further assistance to realise the potential.

Protlab GPL Ltd is an award-winning MedTech company, most recently including:

• 2020 - Bioanalytical Testing Specialists of the Year — GHP International Life Science
• 2021 - Biotechnology Awards – Leading Specialists in Biofilm Profiling

As such we are experts in understanding the significance of biofilms acting as disease reservoirs in fomite transmission. Protllab developed a Mobile UV-C Clinical Room Sterilizer in 2019 for the Eire ambulance service - effective but not suitable in contact situations. The pandemic exercised us to explore the potential of ‘next generation’ plasma cleansing systems and how sensors/data analytics could be used to benefit people globally.

Our approach is different as we intend a fusion of different disciplines to achieve an applied solution. Applied research interpreting biological data, integrated with mathematical modelling to formulate sampling parameters in algorithmic form will enable global understanding and be innovative in breaking down language barriers.

Our research model will also apply a spill-over platform of time-lapse profiling to understand changes of biofilm from non-infectious to infectious. Protlab will use the data applying social and environmental factors to teach AI to identify, monitor, evaluate and respond to predict threats of virulent disease formation and spread. This plenary approach is also at the front line of software applications. In addition, Protlab will break the academic tradition and create an open-source library of knowledge, sharing live findings and not being protective by actively seeking constructive responses from a multi-disciplinary network of professionals.

CASPER will be an innovative integrated system using sophisticated drone-mounted quantum sensors, analysing, identifying, and categorising contaminant types, mapping levels and locations, and interfacing with a cold atmospheric plasma base module to eradicate air-borne and static pathogens. Plasma technology is used in both the food and clinical setting and this is a ‘next-generation' application of existing technology.

We intend to energise minds globally to unravel the complex equations that drive the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and counter threats of outbreaks. We are liaising with NBIC and their 60 academic institutions to fund Ph.D. researchers based on our findings.

We are currently in the concept stage, researching and planning. We have established a number of collaborative relationships with an expected 12-month timeline to distribute sensors activated with the researched data to the 42 countries that GIDEON has identified as being potentially high-risk sources for infectious disease outbreaks.

CASPER systems developed for indoor spaces are also expected to be ready for market in 12 months and a marketing strategy has been written with an initial target of contracting with the NHS in the UK for supplying the 9,400 GP and 12,000 Dental surgeries in line with the policy to protect front-line workers, but also targeting high-risk patients. Potentially this affects 300 million GP and 22 million dental visits in the UK alone.

Integrated systems for aircraft are planned for year two with lobbying done for standards to be regulated.  85% of the world’s commercial fleet is manufactured by 5 global companies, representing 1,250 new commercial aircraft being delivered in 2018 out of 26,935 global fleet flying to 41,700 airports globally and 4.5 billion passenger journeys. It is easy to see how epidemics can become pandemics with such globalization.

Within 5 years, we would expect for the income stream to enable free portable versions of CASPER to be made available to the thousands of mini-buses in LMICs and for the data gathered and shared to enable strategies to be put in place to identify sources, predict outbreaks, and to limit spread to millions of people globally.

Within the research and analysis framework we will monitor the artificial biofilm environment to divide snapshots into very small frozen subunits designed to measure using systematic methods, aperiodic change in the biofilm and their ‘residents’ within the virulent colonies (bacteria, richettsiae, viruses, mycotic disease pathogens etc).

We intend to establish native indicators aligned to biofilm profiling parameters in order to measure changes observed in sampling done by professionals at sources of identified and potential outbreaks. 

Where the specific infectious disease has been profiled and indigenous organisms identified and a program implemented to locate the source and educate the population, then both local NGO data on global surveillance will be compared over a period of time.

Where CASPER is used, the sensors will provide data of pathogen type and concentration before and after cleansing. Similarly, cultures taken from risk area samples will be compared to past data and time-stamped to give a graphic indication of change over time.

Protlab project staff:

Full-time   - 4

Part-time  - 3

Partnerships - 5 organisations

Committed Affiliations - 14 individuals

Academic Collaborations -  7 currently, 100+ potentially.

The Protlab team has been carefully chosen to represent specialists in all key areas. 

The Project Lead, Dr. Walter Battistutti -  Senior Lecturer in Applied Theoretical Pathology; Veterinary Surgeon; Published Bio-scientist; Pioneer of Award-winning Biofilm Research.

The Resource Lead & Co-ordinator, Nicholas Stephenson - 30 years Senior Health Executive; CEO of a Patient and Resource Management Company; Healthcare Business Creation Consultant.

All following specialists are leaders in their specific fields and are committed to furthering science to the benefit of the greater good. They have all agreed on roles to develop the component stages of the Protlab proposal and CASPER project. They believe in our vision and are excited to further their own research, see a positive and applied integration of their particular skills for no personal financial gain.

The Public Health lead, Prof Sonya Vogl 

The Data Systems lead, David Hall 

The Institutional Lead, Dr. Mark Richardson

The Social Media and Marketing Lead, Vishal Patel

The Sensor & Interface Lead, Amit Singh

The Quantum Optics Lead, Dr. Giovanni Barontini 

The Terabotic Sensor Lead, Prof E. MacPherson

The Plasma Leads, Prof. Gregor Morfill/Jens Kirsch 

The AI Leads, Reluca/Julian Paraian 

The Precision Engineering Lead, Stuart Edney

There are several other academic contacts that will be providing data and advice on specific areas, such as Prof Kelly Frazer, Director of Genomic Medicine in the US, and Prof Ron Behrens of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London. We also have collaborations with a number of research establishments to share and enhance our project.

The Protlab ethos is to embrace diversity through integrating the skills of specialists in many disciplines to form a visionary community that empowers the sum of the parts to create services/products that can make a real difference. We believe in the openness necessary for the sharing of knowledge and to collaborate with and partner positive and forward-thinking people, regardless of culture or background. 

We care deeply about the environment and especially respecting nature and trying to restore a balance in the ecosystem. Our optimism drives us to establish a highly effective and profitable business, developing products benefiting health and for the profits from the developed world to fund the free distribution of our services/products to those less fortunate in LMICs and to enable ongoing research, fuelling programs of securing a healthy balance in nature for both humans and animals alike. 

The ethos of the Health Security and Pandemics Challenge perfectly aligns with our own. We use applied research to develop innovative concepts and are developing strong and like-minded collaborations in specialist areas and have started to plan for a ‘next generation' of plasma cleansing for indoor spaces using bespoke algorithms applied to research data in order to identify and negate threats but the pandemic prevented us from generating funds to progress. The Health Security and Pandemics Challenge offers funded opportunities to open doors and attain goals.

The human race has a tendency to be complacent and it is only when disaster strikes that serious action is taken. This pandemic has acted as a catalyst for the Health Security and Pandemics Challenge to change thinking for the long term, break down barriers, and engender collaboration across all sectors. The Challenge provides us with a fresh altruistic impetus to enable like-minded thinkers to connect, pool resources, and for Protlab to have the confidence to achieve our solution goals, through the inspiration and guidance of the MIT-backed Network.

Protlab has the expertise to connect, analyse and enhance relevant research, to resource manage through collaborations and vision to implement data-driven applications and analytics to identify threats and respond to man’s detrimental influence on disease transmission. We can only achieve this with influential support and funding.

It would be very blinkered to assume that we have all the expertise needed in any of the areas. Similarly, with our research program to review multi-disciplinary, we accept that there are experts in every area that we can learn from, that can enrich the data we are collating. The MIT-backed Network gives us an opportunity to test our strategy, question any potential barriers, and achieve the optimum level of efficiency in all areas.

Human Capital - Our project might attract interested partners wishing to work with us and MIT might consider the post-doc/Ph.D. post.

Business Model - There will undoubtedly be solvers who have global strategy experience.

Financial - It is always difficult and expensive to find the perfect match for the intended business structure and model.

Legal or Regulatory Matters - This is definitely a specialist area and lobbying for regulatory standards would be of great interest.

Public Relations - There can never be too many inspired and original thinkers in this digital age.

Monitoring and Evaluation - MIT undoubtedly has more expertise than Protlab in this area.

Product/Service Distribution - Scalability, international marketing, even manufacturing contacts would be invaluable.

Technology - With all new ideas, there is always someone else with similar or who has innovative suggestions, we would like to meet them.

We are committed to openness and always willing to learn.

We would very much like to create an interdisciplinary group within MIT, encompassing the different disciplines within our solution. The Broad Institute, in particular, has been researching key areas. 

All of the faculties and departments below have relevance to our project and pooling inspiration from such diverse sources would shape an incredibly powerful vehicle to achieve something very meaningful (apologies to the ones missed off the list).

• School of Architecture and Planning
  • Urban Studies and Planning
• School of Engineering
  • Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Biological Engineering
  • Data, Systems, and Society
  • Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  • Medical Engineering and Science
• School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
  • Economics
  • Global Languages
  • Science, Technology, and Society
• Sloan School of Management
  • Management
• School of Science
  • Biology
  • Brain and Cognitive Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
• MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

The potential of collaborative applications to the likes of the Bezos Climate Change Fund is very powerful and the relevant academic and commercial connections of MIT, especially Stateside, would be of considerable interest.

In addition, to attain optimum success, potential partnerships would include:

• Google – to help propagate the PHIL database, using search scripts to identify specialties, sub-specialties, and interests, automatically generating web content. PHIL is a knowledge-based service engaging doctors globally supporting doctors in high-risk areas, generally LMICs. Doctors have a ‘need’ to attain the highest of standards and be informed.
• An organisation such as the Brunswick Group to engage with political and social stakeholders as well as liaise on regulatory issues.

The Protlab collaborative project identifies active ingredients of disease reservoirs in the form of biofilms as well as proteins and genes, both animal and human, that could potentially colonise, merge and mutate. This data is gathered from multi-disciplinary research and enhanced by ongoing indigenous sampling from high-risk, infectious disease outbreak areas using cutting-edge terahertz imaging in quantum optical sensors. These sensors are an integral part of CASPER (Clean Air and Surface Pathogen Eradication Robot) systems being developed but can be used independently, indoors or outdoors. The data is used to formulate algorithms of potentially harmful equations enabling front-line professionals to be equipped with the tools to gather data without laboratory facilities and to interpret and risk assess from mathematical equations, transcending language barriers

All this data is analysed by an AI data centre which factors in geospatial, climate, social and environmental factors to predict the likelihood of a disease outbreak and/or potential variants forming through the mutation of microorganisms and nanoparticles merging with a base infectious organism.

This data and the ability to have a plenary view of risk factors can also assist in interpreting the effects of both climate change and man's actions on the biosphere. Strategic planning can be put into place to prevent rather than to respond to disasters benefiting all communities, but especially in vulnerable populations due to harsh living conditions, subsistence farming and deforestation, lack of education and wealth, famine and lack of clean water, proximity to wildlife and insect breeding grounds amongst many factors.