IMPACTFUL RESEARCH 24
NEUTRALIZING COVID-19 IN TRANSMISSION HOTSPOTS An anti-viral disinfectant produced by a KAUST start-up is used in local airports SWISSPORT “With Wayakit, we have found a local partner that develops biotechnology-based disinfectants that are fast-acting, certified, naturally degradable and can be used in aircraft.” Gerold Tumulka, CEO of Swissport Middle East
LUISA JAVIER PhD student and Co-founder of Wayakit
WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED, AS SCIENTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS, WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. WE ARE PROUD THAT OUR PRODUCT WILL BE USED BY SWISSPORT TO PROTECT TRAVELERS.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a crippling effect across numerous industries, perhaps none more so than airlines. As of August 2020, global air traffic was down 75% year-on-year, bringing various airlines to the brink of collapse. However, steady increases in flight bookings offer a glimmer of hope as airlines try to assuage customers’ concerns about health and safety. Maintaining a virus-free environment is key to this, and researchers at KAUST have developed a powerful, non-toxic and environmentally friendly disinfectant that is already being used in Saudi Arabia’s airports. Luisa Javier and Sandra Medina, both PhD students at KAUST, wanted to contribute their biotechnology skills to the fight against COVID-19. They founded Wayakit, a KAUST-funded start-up, to develop an effective and completely natural anti-viral disinfectant. After months of hard work in KAUST labs, they produced an anti-viral disinfectant that works on any type of surface and eliminates 99.999% of bacteria, common viruses and SARS-CoV-2. Its unique selling point is that while other disinfectants take up to 30 minutes to work, the Wayakit disinfectant guarantees efficacy in just 30 seconds. This short disinfecting time makes it ideal for fast-paced environments such as airports. Wayakit immediately garnered interest from the local aviation industry. The start-up has already partnered with aviation services company Swissport, which will use Wayakit’s innovative disinfecting products on international aircraft and buses at the Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh airports. Javier and Medina are also in the process of certifying their product for different industries and markets. Wayakit is one of 56 start-ups that have received KAUST seed funding since 2011. Its early success not only illustrates the talent that exists at KAUST and in Saudi Arabia, it also shows that the university’s commitment to fostering high-quality and impactful start-ups in the Kingdom is bearing fruit.
