Press Release: Blueprint Biosecurity Announces GlycolISER Award Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blueprint Biosecurity Announces GlycolISER Award Recipients
Nearly $4.5 million awarded to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and applications of glycol vapors as a potential pandemic countermeasure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mar. 19, 2026 – Blueprint Biosecurity, a nonprofit organization working to prevent pandemics and strengthen society’s response to biological threats, today announced the recipients of its Glycol Vapors for Infection Suppression – Efficacy and Safety Research (GlycolISER) program. The program will advance research to evaluate the safety, efficacy and applications of specific glycol vapors, including propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol, as potential pandemic countermeasures.
Glycols are already present in a range of consumer and industrial products, and have been studied intermittently for their potential to suppress airborne pathogen transmission, particularly in 1940s research. Early research in the mid-20th century suggested that certain glycols could inactivate microbes in aerosols, sparking interest in their use for indoor air disinfection. As a pandemic countermeasure, glycol vapors hold promise as a potential emergency mitigation approach, motivating further evaluation of cost, safety, deployability, and impact on pathogen transmission in the built environment, including workplaces, schools, and healthcare facilities. However, despite promising early findings, research on glycols largely tapered off, highlighting the potential to advance the evidence base through modern safety evaluations, efficacy testing, and real-world deployment.
To address these gaps, the GlycolISER program focuses on funding work in five technical research areas designed to evaluate propylene (PG), dipropylene (DPG), and triethylene (TEG) glycols for safe and effective use as a pandemic countermeasure.
These areas include:
- Mechanisms of pathogen inactivation
- Efficacy during emergency deployment
- Interactions of glycol vapors with filtration media
- Human safety, especially in potentially sensitive individuals or populations
- Real-world field observations
Blueprint is awarding approximately $4.5 million in grants across these research areas. Following a competitive review process, seven grantees were selected to pursue research across one or more of these technical areas.
“Being ready to fight the next pandemic means we need to robustly evaluate a wide range of possible interventions,” said Brian Renda, PhD, built environment program director at Blueprint Biosecurity. “Through this program, we’re supporting multidisciplinary research to better understand the potential and limitations of glycol vapors as a tool to reduce airborne disease transmission.”
Results from the GlycolISER program will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with initial findings from select projects expected in late-2026 and mid-2027.
GlycolISER Award Recipients
The following research teams have been awarded GlycolISER grants. Project descriptions have been summarized for clarity.
Technical Area 1 – The Ohio State University – Karen Dannemiller, PhD; Heather Allen, PhD; Andrew May, PhD; Nick Nastasi, PhD
Project overview: Evaluates the inactivation mechanisms of three glycol vapors (propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol) against three pathogen surrogates (MS2 bacteriophage, phi6 bacteriophage, and Escherichia coli bacteria) under controlled laboratory conditions using spectroscopic methods.
Technical Area 1 – University of Bristol – Allen Haddrell, PhD; Robert Alexander, PhD
Project overview: Evaluates the inactivation mechanisms of two glycol vapors (propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol) against two clinically relevant pathogens (influenza virus and Group A Streptococcus), aerosolized in human saliva and microbial growth media, using single-particle laboratory techniques.
Technical Area 2 – University of Nebraska Medical Center and National Strategic Research Institute – Daniel Ackerman, BS; Ashley Ravnholdt, PhD; Joshua Santarpia, PhD; Eric Carnes, PhD
Project overview: Assesses the efficacy of three glycol vapors (propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol) against inactivation of two pathogen surrogates (Bacillus subtilis and MS2 bacteriophage) under laboratory controlled conditions using a purpose built-experimental chamber to control for microbiological and environmental variation. Variables to be evaluated include four different dispersion methods, five indoor relative humidity setpoints, and three different concentrations (sub-saturation, near-saturation, and super-saturation).
Technical Area 2 – Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder, and National Center for Atmospheric Research – Delphine Famer, PhD; Mark Hernandez, PhD; Qing Ye, PhD
Project overview: Evaluates optimal delivery method of three glycol vapors (propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol) using commercially available, cost-effective emergency deployment technologies. The project investigates the potential of glycol vapors to facilitate the formation of unwanted secondary products or particulate matter that degrade air quality within a test office environment and assesses inactivation efficacy against three bacterial and viral cultures (Mycobacterium parafortuitum, Bordetella pertussis, and a vaccine strain of influenza) aerosolized in artificial saliva under controlled laboratory conditions.
Technical Area 3 – University of Miami – Chang-Yu Wu, PhD
Project overview: Evaluates how exposure to three glycol vapors (propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and triethylene glycol), in combination with ASHRAE test dust or polydisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) aerosols , affects six types of air filter media under varying relative humidity conditions, glycol vapor saturation concentrations, and exposure durations. Outcomes include assessing changes in filtration performance, electrostatic charge, airflow resistance, and alterations in fiber morphology to inform filter performance, replacement, and service life following exposure to glycol vapors.
Technical Area 4 – University of Iowa – Jin Pan, PhD; Andrea Adamcakova-Dodd, PhD; Alejandro Comellas, MD; Peter Thorne, PhD; Patrick O’Shaughnessy, PhD; Kai Wang, PhD
Project overview: Examines the human safety of exposure to air disinfection-relevant concentrations of triethylene glycol vapor, with a specific focus on individuals with asthma. The research builds on existing animal inhalation data to undertake an acute human exposure study using triethylene glycol. Metrics to assess reactions to glycol vapors will include changes in lung function, airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, oxidative stress, patient-reported outcomes, and other clinical metrics.
Technical Area 5 – Louise Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and Cleveland VA Medical Research and Education Foundation – Curtis Donskey, MD
Project focus: Assesses the real-world efficacy of glycol vapor as an adjunctive air and surface disinfection approach in healthcare and residential care settings. Using a commercially available TEG-based product, the research examines whether glycol vapors can reduce airborne and surface contamination in patient rooms across hospitals, nursing homes, and residential living facilities with varying ventilation rates, targeting healthcare-associated pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The study also seeks to understand the use of glycol vapors during respiratory virus preparedness training, measuring reductions in air, surface, and personnel contamination using a viral surrogate, as well as in medical procedure rooms to evaluate reductions in bacterial contamination under clinical conditions.
About Blueprint BiosecurityBlueprint Biosecurity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening society’s ability to prepare for and respond to pandemics through evidence-based countermeasures. The organization advances practical, pathogen-agnostic solutions through research, strategic grantmaking, and policy-relevant analysis. Our work spans personal protective equipment, far-UVC, and other pathogen mitigation technologies. For more information on Blueprint Biosecurity, visit Blueprintbiosecurity.org or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, X.
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