Kuwait Ministry of Health researchers demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 virus inactivation / destruction using focused sound waves
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SARS-Cov2 Destruction / Inactivation Using High Frequency Ultrasonic Wafes
view moreCredit: Alhasawi et al., Viruses (MDPI), 2026
Kuwait City, Kuwait – A team of researchers from the Ministry of Health in Kuwait has successfully demonstrated the destruction of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles through exposure to high-frequency sound waves, marking a promising advance in non-pharmacological antiviral strategies. The findings were published in the journal Viruses (MDPI), in a study titled “Destruction/Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Using Ultrasound Excitation: A Preliminary Study.”
Unlike most previous work that has documented structural changes under electron microscopy, this research demonstrated a significant reduction in viral load using cycle threshold (Ct) values from PCR assays, indicating a functional inactivation of the virus rather than just morphological disruption.
Higher Ct values in PCR are used to infer significantly lower viral load, offering a measurable endpoint for assessing viral inactivation. While Ct values have limitations as a direct surrogate for infectivity, increases in Ct are interpreted in virology research as indicative of loss of viable viral material.
Speaking about the study’s significance, Dr. Almunther Alhasawi, the principal investigator, and a consultant in Infectious Diseases highlighted that:
“These findings open new horizons in the fight against viral pathogens, particularly as we face the ongoing emergence of novel diseases and increasing resistance to conventional antimicrobial agents. Demonstrating functional viral inactivation through sound wave exposure represents a potentially transformative approach that complements existing therapeutic strategies.”
Co-supervisor Dr. Alshimaa Hassan added that:
“This initial work will be followed by additional studies involving controlled animal models to further assess safety, efficacy, and broader applicability.”
The research was supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), underscoring national commitment to innovative biomedical research.
This early evidence supports the concept that focused acoustic energy might serve as a non-drug antiviral approach, with potential relevance to other enveloped viruses as well as future emerging pathogens.
Journal
Viruses
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Human tissue samples
Article Title
Destruction/Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Using Ultrasound Excitation
Article Publication Date
23-Jan-2026
COI Statement
The authors declare no commercial or financial conflicts of interest. This work was supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), which had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or decision to publish.
Applied Physics researchers explore impact of mathematically structured sound to selectively interact with cells.
Early data suggest this approach could, in the future, be explored as a novel way to more specifically target cancer cells
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Applied Physics Logo
view moreCredit: Applied Physics, PBC
New York, NY — Researchers at AppliedPhysics.org have published an exploratory study in Biosystems examining whether mathematical acoustic signal structure can influence cellular response independent of intensity. The work investigates Bioacoustics Signaling, focusing on quasiperiodic acoustic signals derived from Fibonacci sequences with potential relevance to cancer research. It reports preliminary evidence that cells respond most strongly at different wavelength regimes, suggesting that acoustic selectivity may be achievable through signal design rather than brute-force energy delivery alone.
"Oncology has historically focused almost exclusively on biochemical interventions," said co-author Gianni Martire, CEO of Applied Physics. "We believe oncology now has an opportunity to ask a broader question: when cancer cells differ physically from healthy cells, why aren't we using more physics to target those differences?"
A Structured Alternative
Most acoustic approaches rely on periodic waveforms, such as sine waves, which concentrate energy at a single frequency and its harmonics. By contrast, Bioacoustics Signaling uses quasiperiodic signals that deterministically distribute energy across multiple frequency bands. Mathematical analysis shows that Fibonacci-based signals exhibit fractal-like spectral properties, with an estimated pointwise dimension of approximately 1.7, a value also observed in branching systems optimized for efficient transport and diffusion-limited growth, including retinal microvasculature, lightning-like electrical discharge patterns, and airway trees.
“As Buckminster Fuller often argued, nature solves complex problems not by force, but by geodesic efficiency," said Gianni Martire.
Both signal types elicited cellular responses at resonant frequencies, but Fibonacci-based excitation produced more spatially distributed and heterogeneous patterns.
"Cells are mechanical systems with internal organization," said co-author Geraldine Hamilton. "Structured signals may interact with that organization in ways that simple periodic signals do not."
Size, Mechanics, and Resonance
Researchers examined three unicellular model systems across different size ranges:
1. Chlorella vulgaris (2–5 μm): response at 380 Hz
2. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5–10 μm): response at 127 Hz
3. Haematococcus pluvialis (10–30 μm): response at 94 Hz
Analysis revealed a strong correlation between cell size and optimal acoustic wavelength (R² = 0.8819), with the remaining variance reflecting differences in mechanical stiffness and internal structure.
"From a physics perspective, cells are not passive," said co-author Jack Tuszynski, a physicist at the University of Alberta. "Their size, stiffness, and internal architecture determine how they interact with external forces. These results suggest that acoustic response is governed by physical properties, opening the door to thinking about selectivity in mechanical rather than purely chemical terms."
This distinction matters for cancer biology, where cancer cells differ from healthy cells in size, stiffness, cytoskeletal organization, and mechanical impedance.
Precision Over Force
The approach differs fundamentally from histotripsy, a clinically validated ultrasound technique using high-intensity cavitation. Bioacoustics Signaling explores whether low-intensity, mathematically structured acoustic fields can preferentially interact with cells based on physical characteristics, emphasizing precision and selectivity.
"This is not brute-force ultrasound," said co-author Edward Rietman. "Life is not held together by force, but by tensegrity, a balance of tension and integrity that gives structure its meaning. We are exploring whether mathematically structured signals can couple to cellular tensegrity with precision, interacting where needed while minimizing unintended effects."
Future Applications
Sample sizes were modest, and model organisms differ substantially from mammalian and cancer cells. Results are presented as exploratory and offer opportunities for further investigation at the intersection of cancer cell biology and physics. Future work will expand the range of cell types, incorporate direct stiffness measurements, increase statistical power, and test selectivity in biologically relevant systems. Translation to more complex microphysiological systems, such as organoids and organs-on-chips, and in vivo animal studies, will be critical to determine the possible future applications in oncology. Applied Physics encourages independent replication and extension of this research by academic and medical institutions.
Publication: Rietman, E., Tuszynski, J.A., Hamilton, G.A., & Martire, G. "Exploring Potential Size-Dependent Effects of Fibonacci-Based Acoustic Binary Strings on Cells as Measured by Cell Death and Cell Aggregation Patterns." Biosystems (2026).Media Contact: Press@AppliedPhysics.org
Journal
Biosystems
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Cells
Article Title
Exploring potential size-dependent effects of Fibonacci-based acoustic binary strings on cells as measured by cell death and cell aggregation patterns
Article Publication Date
25-Jan-2026
COI Statement
Rietman E, Tuszynski JA, Hamilton GA, Martire G. Exploring potential size-dependent effects of Fibonacci-based acoustic binary strings on cells as measured by cell death and cell aggregation patterns. BioSystems. Available online 25 January 2026; article 105689. doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2025.105689.
How does Long COVID develop? New piece of the puzzle found
Big data study finds link to molecular cell state of immune cells
After infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, up to ten percent of those affected in Germany develop Long COVID. The symptoms associated with it, such as fatigue, concentration problems, respiratory issues, or neurological problems, can last for months or years. Furthermore, the clinical picture can differ from person to person. “Long COVID is an extremely complex disease with various manifestations,” says Prof. Yang Li, head of the “Computational Biology for Individualised Medicine” department and director of CiiM. “How and to what extent Long COVID develops is still largely unknown. Figuratively speaking, we are unfortunately only looking at an extremely incomplete puzzle.”
The research team led by study director Yang Li, together with the teams of Prof. Thomas Illig (MHH) and Prof. Jie Sun (University of Virginia, USA), as well as other cooperation partners, set out to find further pieces of the puzzle that could help uncover the disease-causing mechanisms behind Long COVID. To this end, the researchers took a closer look at immune cells from patients with Long COVID in their study. The samples came from MHH's central biobank. "We examined the cells using a so-called single-cell multiomics approach. This allowed us to record the molecules’ status within a cell and gain insights into its cellular relationships," explains Dr Saumya Kumar, CiiM scientist and first author of the study. The researchers also determined the content of pro-inflammatory messenger substances, known as cytokines, in blood plasma. “The central and innovative approach of our study is to classify patient data according to the severity of the original COVID-19 disease,” says Yang Li. “This approach allowed us to capture the associated molecular differences in immune response across patients. Only in this way, clear molecular characteristics underlying the chronic symptoms of Long COVID could be identified.”
How does the molecular setting in immune cells change over the course of Long COVID? Are there clear molecular markers associated with the severity of fatigue or respiratory symptoms? Researchers investigated these and other questions in their big data study. And what then came into focus for the researchers from this extensive treasure trove of data was a specific molecular state of so-called CD14+ monocytes. These immune cells belong to the white blood cells and are an important part of the immune defense. “With the help of single-cell analysis, we were able to zoom in on these cells. This revealed that monocytes with a specific molecular state (i.e. molecular profile), which we called “LC-Mo”, were particularly prevalent in Long COVID patients who had previously experienced mild to moderate COVID-19 disease,” says Saumya Kumar. “In addition, LC-Mo correlated with the severity of fatigue and respiratory symptoms and was associated with elevated cytokine levels in blood plasma, which are an indicator of inflammatory processes in the body.”
With LC-Mo, the researchers have thus found an important new piece of the puzzle. “Its exact place in the pathogenesis of Long COVID has yet to be determined, but it offers exciting starting points for further studies, for example, with regard to genetic risk factors or individualised medicine,” says Yang Li. "If we can gain a better understanding of the background to the development of Long COVID, it will also help us to better understand the development of possible late or long-term consequences of other infectious diseases."
The research was funded by an ERC Starting Grant (ModVaccine), the COVID-19 Research Network of Lower Saxony (COFONI) and the Lower Saxony Centre for AI & Causal Methods in Medicine (CAIMed), both with funds from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK), as well as the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Text: Nicole Silbermann
Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine:
The CiiM is a joint venture of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School (MHH) and is the first research institute explicitly dedicated to develop personalized medicine for infections. The departments and groups of the CiiM are working towards the vision of treating infectious patients in an adapted and optimized way according to the specific needs and requirements of each individual. To achieve this, CiiM is dedicated to researching individual characteristics and their impact on susceptibility to infection or treatment success with available therapies. https://www.ciim-hannover.de/en/
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and its other sites in Germany are engaged in the study of bacterial and viral infections and the body’s defense mechanisms. They have a profound expertise in natural compound research and its exploitation as a valuable source for novel anti-infectives. As member of the Helmholtz Association and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) the HZI performs translational research laying the ground for the development of new treatments and vaccines against infectious diseases. https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
Journal
Nature Immunology
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
Human tissue samples
Article Title
A distinct monocyte transcriptional state links systemic immune dysregulation to pulmonary impairment in long COVID
Article Publication Date
24-Jan-2026
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