(Press-News.org)
Airborne particulate matter represents a silent but pervasive threat to our health, infiltrating our homes, workplaces, and public spaces alike. Air filters are often our primary defense against these microscopic pollutants, which include pollen, dust, and smoke.
However, conventional air filters suffer from a fundamental weakness: they rely on extremely weak adhesive forces (van der Waals interactions) to capture particles. These forces are often insufficient to effectively trap and retain fine particles, leading to poor filtration performance and the release of previously captured pollutants. But what if the answer to these issues was quite literally right under our noses?
In a recent study published in Nature, a research team led by Associate Professor Sanghyuk Wooh from Chung-Ang University has developed an effective bioinspired solution. Dubbed the particle-removing oil-coated (PRO) filter, the proposed air filtration system mimics the way mucus-coated nasal hairs trap particles to achieve remarkable performance. Their findings were published online on June 18, 2025.
The team’s strategy focused on creating a stable, thin liquid layer on filter media. They engineered filter fibers by grafting tiny polymer brushes onto their surfaces, then sprayed them with a non-volatile oil chemically similar to the brushes. This chemical match helps the oil spread evenly, forming a uniform film that adheres tightly. Unlike previous liquid-coated filters, this design prevents pore clogging, so air flows freely.
Extensive experiments showed that the PRO filter dramatically improves particle capture. It achieved a 10–30% increase in filtration efficiency across various particle sizes—from fine dust to large pollen—without significantly increasing the pressure required to push air through. This is due to the strong capillary forces provided by the thin oil layer, which enhance particle adhesion by orders of magnitudes.
The PRO filter also excels under tough conditions. While conventional filters may lose efficiency or release particles when airflow increases or changes direction, the PRO filter holds particles tightly. This prevents air re-contamination and enables unique applications, including fan-free air filtration in places like outdoor smoking areas or subway tunnels by simply harnessing natural airflow. “This is the first instance of suppressed dust redispersion and a multidirectional filtration strategy proposing a zero-energy filtration system that uses natural wind,” highlights Dr. Wooh.
It is also washable and reusable. Its performance is easily restored by reapplying the silicone oil. Its long lifespan reduces plastic waste, making it a more sustainable option.
Real-world field tests conducted in HVAC systems with the help of WISE & YiRop confirmed all these advantages. “The PRO filters showed outstanding performances in real-world HVAC systems compared to conventional filters. Even though more dust was captured by the PRO filter lifespan of the PRO filter was ~two times longer than conventional filter that effectively reduces plastic waste and HVAC operation cost. In addition, it saves ~20 % energy consumption proposing more environmentally friendly and costless air filtration system,” remarks Dr. Wooh.
Overall, the PRO filter represents a significant leap forward in our ability to clean the air we breathe, offering an efficient and environmentally friendly solution to a ubiquitous problem.
***
Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09156-y
About Chung-Ang University
Chung-Ang University is a private comprehensive research university located in Seoul, South Korea. It was started as a kindergarten in 1916 and attained university status in 1953. It is fully accredited by the Ministry of Education of Korea. Chung-Ang University conducts research activities under the slogan of “Justice and Truth” Its new vision for completing 100 years is “The Global Creative Leader” Chung-Ang University offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, which encompass a law school, management program, and medical school; it has 16 undergraduate and graduate schools each. Chung-Ang University’s culture and arts programs are considered the best in Korea
Website: https://neweng.cau.ac.kr/index.do
About Associate Professor Sanghyuk Wooh
Dr. Sanghyuk Wooh studied chemical and biological engineering and received his Ph.D. in 2013 at Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea. He conducted post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, after receiving an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoc Fellowship. In 2017, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chung-Ang University as Assistant Professor, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021. His research focuses on interface and surface engineering, with a particular focus in soft matter, wetting, and adhesion.
Website: https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/cau/researcher-profile?ep=1046
END
Bacterial cell division, a process wherein a single cell divides to form two identical daughter cells, represents one of the most essential biological processes. Understanding the precise mechanism behind this dynamic process can help in the development of targeted ways to inhibit bacterial proliferation.
The process of cell division involves multiple proteins and their complex interactions. FtsZ protein molecules polymerize to form protofibrils that further associate into a ring-like structure called the Z-ring. Z-ring formation is a crucial step in the cell division process, facilitated by multiple FtsZ-associated proteins. ZapA is one such protein, which ...
To manage increasingly complex manufacturing systems, involving material flows across numerous transporters, machines, and storage locations, the semiconductors and display fabrication industries have implemented automated material handling systems (AMHSs). AMHSs typically involve complex manufacturing steps and control logic, and digital twin models have emerged as a promising solution to enhance the visibility, predictability, and responsiveness of production and material handling operation systems. However, digital twins don’t always fully reflect reality, potentially affecting production performance ...
Colon cancer remains a major global health concern, ranking third among the most diagnosed cancers and leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. One critical factor that makes treating colon cancer challenging is the presence of cancer stem cells. Though typically present in small populations, these powerful cells drive tumor growth, resist standard treatments, and often contribute to relapse. They achieve this through their “stemness,” a set of properties that enable these cells to self-renew ...
To the point
Grackles trained to be more flexible were better at foraging afterward: They ate more foods and used more foraging techniques. Investigating their cognitive abilities in the wild shows how flexibility impacts their ability to adapt to human-modified environments.
Behavioral flexibility is not the primary facilitator of a range expansion: Although high levels of flexibility were found in two successful urban bird species, only one is rapidly expanding is range. This suggests that flexibility alone does not ...
Researchers have conducted the world’s biggest ever bird survey, recording 971 different species living in forests and cattle pastures across the South American country of Colombia. This represents almost 10% of the world’s birds.
They combined the results, gathered over a decade, with information on each species’ sensitivity to habitat conversion to find that the biodiversity loss caused by clearing rainforest for cattle pasture is on average 60% worse than previously thought.
Until now, understanding the biodiversity impact of land-use change has generally involved ...
An antibody treatment developed at Stanford Medicine successfully prepared patients for stem cell transplants without toxic busulfan chemotherapy or radiation, a phase 1 clinical trial has shown.
While the researchers tested the protocol on patients with Fanconi anemia, a genetic disease that makes standard stem cell transplant extremely risky, they expect it may also work for patients with other genetic diseases that require stem cell transplants.
“We were able to treat these really fragile patients with a new, ...
By sparking the immune system into action, radiation therapy makes certain tumors that resist immunotherapy susceptible to the treatment, leading to positive outcomes for patients, according to new research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
In the study, published July 22 in Nature Cancer, investigators dove deep into the molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer to pinpoint what happens on ...
ARLINGTON, Va. (July 22, 2025) – Afro-descendant peoples in four Amazon countries show remarkable achievements in environmental stewardship, according to new research from Conservation International, published today in Nature Communications Earth and Environment. The study assessed Afro-descendant lands in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname, finding significantly lower rates of deforestation and larger quantities of both biodiversity and irrecoverable carbon (the carbon that, if lost due to ...
New York, NY [July 22, 2025]—A study by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with colleagues from Rabin Medical Center in Israel and other collaborators, suggests that even the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models can make surprisingly simple mistakes when faced with complex medical ethics scenarios.
The findings, which raise important questions about how and when to rely on large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, in health care settings, were reported in the July 22 online issue of NPJ Digital Medicine [10.1038/s41746-025-01792-y].
The research team was inspired by Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking, Fast and ...
EMBL-EBI scientists and collaborators at Heidelberg University have developed CORNETO, a new computational tool that uses machine learning to gain meaningful insights from complex biological data. CORNETO enables users to extract molecular networks – maps of how genes, proteins, and signalling pathways interact – by combining experimental data from different samples and conditions with prior biological knowledge, such as signalling or metabolic networks. This can help us to better understand the mechanisms that ...
