The award recognizes an antifungal composition developed by CSIC research staff to eliminate mold from affected surfaces, a technology applied in homes damaged by the DANA floods in October 2024.
Ana Rosa Ballester, a researcher from the Physiology, Pathology, and Postharvest Biotechnology group at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), has received the 5th BASF-ICIQ Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the best patent category. The award, with a prize of 2,500 euros, was granted to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) for the development of an antifungal composition for cleaning and removing mold from surfaces, in which Ballester is part of the inventor team along with Félix Antonio López Gómez, Eloy Asensio de Lucas, and Ana María Guerrero Bustos.
The technology, developed through collaboration between IATA-CSIC, the National Center for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC), and the Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Science (IETcc-CSIC), emerged from the need to find effective solutions for treating homes and garages affected by the floods from the DANA in October 2024 in the province of Valencia. The accumulated humidity after the floods favored the proliferation of mold on walls, ceilings, and floors, with consequent effects on building preservation and the health of inhabitants.
The formulation combines a specific mixture of alcohols with an antimicrobial compound, allowing the elimination of mold from treated surfaces while maintaining its antifungal effect for at least 30 days. Its application via spraying facilitates the treatment of walls, ceilings, and floors, and its components allow for a simpler and more economical manufacturing solution compared to other commercial alternatives. Furthermore, it avoids the use of metallic nanoparticles found in other formulations.
A solution developed in response to an emergency. The composition's effectiveness was evaluated both on surfaces of homes and garages affected by the DANA and in trials against fifteen species of filamentous fungi isolated from these spaces. Among the studied genera are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, and Cladosporium, some of which can degrade construction materials and cause health problems, such as respiratory allergies and infections.
Results showed high antifungal activity. The formulation completely inhibited spore formation when used undiluted and significantly reduced fungal growth even at low concentrations. It also inhibited mycelial growth by over 80% in 14 out of the 15 species studied. In applications on surfaces affected by humidity, the treatment successfully removed mold stains and prevented their reappearance during the follow-up period.
IATA-CSIC's participation was particularly relevant in characterizing the fungi present in affected homes and evaluating the formulation's antifungal activity. This work reflects the value of collaboration across different knowledge areas to develop scientific responses to specific problems and translate their results into potentially applicable solutions.
The award was presented on November 9th during the ceremony of the 5th BASF-ICIQ Awards for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, organized by the Catalan Institute for Chemical Research (ICIQ) and BASF. These awards recognize initiatives that stand out for their scientific excellence, innovative capacity, and potential to transform knowledge into applications with impact on industry and society.
In this fifth edition, Jordi Hernández Contreras from the University of Valencia was also recognized with the award for best doctoral thesis, and the company Hevea3D received an award in the entrepreneurship category.
