On Oct. 26, 2020, Membrion announced it was pioneering a mask spray that binds COVID-19 molecules on the surface of a cloth mask. The molecular coating prevents the virus particle from being inhaled into the lungs, where it can infect the wearer, or exhaled into the environment, where it can infect others.

The experts behind the spray have backgrounds in chemical engineering and brought their knowledge of filtration systems to the masks.

“Right now, while cloth masks are somewhat effective at limiting the spread of the virus — if the wearer is infected — they do absolutely nothing to protect the wearer from inhaling COVID-19 virus molecules,” said Membrion Founder and CEO Greg Newbloom. “Our molecular coating not only prevents virus molecules from being inhaled, but it also blocks them from being exhaled in the environment.”

The company has even received a $1.75 million grant from the National Science Foundation to accelerate the development of the molecular coating. While pricing for the final product has not been finalized, but the company expects it to cost approximately $1 per dose which lasts 24 hours.

Membrion hoped to receive regulatory approvals for the spray by the end of November, and tentatively plans to start production by January 2021.