Blueprint Biosecurity is seeking proposals across four technical areas to investigate the safety of far-UVC exposure on human skin
Expression of Interest Deadline
October 9, 2026
All technical areas in this group share this deadline. Submit to safe-uvc@blueprintbiosecurity.org by 11:59 PM ET.
Far-UVC, which is typically emitted at 222 nm, is a promising tool for reducing concentrations of infectious airborne pathogens in occupied indoor spaces. When ventilation and filtration alone cannot achieve the desired levels of infectious aerosol reduction, far-UVC may serve as a complementary air treatment technology.
Research to date has demonstrated its ability to inactivate a wide range of pathogens, while its limited penetration into the outermost layers of the skin and eyes suggest it may be suitable for use in occupied indoor spaces. However, additional research is needed to better understand the safety of continuous exposure in the built environment.
Research indicates that far-UVC is absorbed primarily in the outermost layers of the skin and penetrates less deeply than UVA or UVB, which may reduce its potential for harm. Studies have found limited evidence of short-term skin damage from filtered 222 nm far-UVC, even at doses above current exposure limits. However, important questions remain for people with wound or disrupted skin, different skin types, or those taking photosensitizing medications.
We invite Expressions of Interest (EOI) from groups to investigate the following Skin Safety Technical Areas:
We welcome submissions from teams with expertise in dermatology, photodermatology, toxicology, occupational health, photobiology, dosimetry, and related fields, no matter your level of prior experience with far-UVC.
For applicants interested in advancing this work but without prior experience in far-UVC, we will make reasonable efforts to arrange relevant expert support if they are selected for an award.
The skin’s stratum corneum absorbs most far-UVC before it reaches living cells, but its thickness and barrier function can vary with age. For instance, infants aged 3–24 months have a stratum corneum approximately 20–30% thinner than adults (Stamatas et al. 2023). In comparison, older adults can also experience changes in skin thickness, composition, and barrier integrity (Lee et al. 2021). These differences could affect how much far-UVC reaches viable cells and how the skin responds to exposure.
While direct infant studies are not feasible for ethical and practical reasons, age-related questions could instead be addressed through computational modeling, ex vivo studies on older-adult skin, and appropriate animal proxies. Additional research is needed to determine whether age-related differences in skin structure and barrier function meaningfully alter the response to far-UVC exposure.
Expected funds available for entire Technical Area: $600,000
Melanin provides UV photoprotection by absorbing broadband UV and scavenging free radicals. Studies examining melanin’s role in protecting against far-UVC have reached varying conclusions. However, these differences may be due in part to variation in the wavelengths, model systems, and endpoints evaluated.
Ex vivo human skin showed lower DNA damage in darker-skinned donors at 222 nm, while reconstructed human epidermis models at 233 nm showed higher UV-mediated free radicals in tanned skin. These differences make direct comparison difficult, as noted in Görlitz et al. (2024). The findings may reflect methodological differences rather than genuinely opposing roles for melanin. Additional research is needed to clarify and validate these findings.
For this reason, a single well-designed in vivo study at a consistent wavelength with a common endpoint panel may resolve this question and inform defensible safety guidance applicable across the diverse populations that may be exposed to far-UVC.
Expected funds available for entire Technical Area: $750,000
Photosensitizing drugs, including tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, common NSAIDs, hydrochlorothiazide, and others, are widely prescribed and taken daily by tens of millions of people. However, whether these medications alter the skin’s response to far-UVC has not been adequately studied.
Recent evidence suggests people with photosensitivity disorders who are in treatment may not be impacted by far-UVC. In a study by Christou et al. (2025), researchers tested 83 individuals with photosensitivity disorders, including 46 with confirmed heightened sensitivity to longer UV wavelengths and some participants who were up to 120× more sensitive than healthy volunteers. They found no visible skin reactions at the ICNIRP exposure limit. This is consistent with the biophysical expectation that far-UVC is absorbed in the outermost skin layers before reaching the deeper tissues where these disorders manifest.
However, Christou et al. did not address medication-induced photosensitivity, which is mechanistically distinct. Rather than reflecting a deeper-tissue defect, drug-induced photosensitivity typically involves photoactivation of the drug or its metabolites at or near the skin surface. This is the exact depth zone where far-UVC is hypothesized to be absorbed (Hofmann et al. 2021). These findings indicate that additional research is needed to determine whether commonly used photosensitizing medications alter the skin’s response to far-UVC at deployment-relevant doses.
Expected funds available for entire Technical Area: $600,000
When the stratum corneum is disrupted by wounds, burns, surgical sites, or skin conditions, nucleated cells may be exposed at the skin surface. Hospital settings, where far-UVC deployment may be valuable, are often places where patients with disrupted skin barriers seek care.
Early evidence is in this area is encouraging. Emerging evidence indicates that wound fluid is protein-rich and likely absorbs far-UVC in the same way as intact skin does. Furthermore, far-UVC is already being explored clinically for its germicidal benefit on wound surfaces (Narita et al. 2018, Busch et al. 2023).
While initial findings are promising, additional research is needed to better understand far-UVC’s germicidal benefits, tissue exposure, and implications for clinical guidance.
Expected funds available for entire Technical Area: $750,000
Applicants interested in this work are required to submit an EOI summarizing their proposed approach. We encourage applicants to propose creative, rigorous methods for achieving the study objectives and to clearly explain how their approach will generate decision-relevant results. We prefer proposals that can reasonably achieve their stated deliverables within 24 months or less. Technical Area 1, which involves a multi-year human exposure study, is an explicit exception, as a longer timeline is inherent to the work.
All EOI submissions should be emailed to safe-uvc@blueprintbiosecurity.org.
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the stated deadline.
Format and length:
Whether or not you use the provided template, your Expression of Interest must include:
Following the review of EOIs, selected applicants will receive a Notice of Recommendation and be invited to submit a Full Proposal within three weeks of notification.
A Full Proposal will consist of a technical section and a cost section. Templates and additional guidance will be provided to selected applicants.
Please email all administrative, technical, and contractual questions to safe-uvc@blueprintbiosecurity.org. Questions about this program that are not sent to this email may not be replied to. All questions must be in English, and must include the name, email address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
When we determine that a response would be helpful to all parties interested in the RFP, we may post the question and answer in a public FAQ on our website. Questions may be paraphrased as needed to protect applicant information.