2026-2027 Faculty Research Grants

Gerardo Romo-Cardenas (Engineering). 

Quantitative Evaluation of Disinfection Efficacy of Commercial UV‑C Light Sources on Biological Samples.

The goal of this research is to quantitatively assess the disinfection efficacy of off‑the‑shelf 254 nm UV‑C light sources by evaluating their ability to inactivate selected biological samples under controlled exposure conditions. This includes characterizing irradiance output, determining required exposure doses, and analyzing how factors such as distance, exposure time, and lamp variability affect microbial reduction performance. By conducting controlled laboratory experiments, the project will generate calibration curves that map UV-C dose to sanitization efficacy. These curves will serve as a foundational tool for designing optimized UV-C protocols tailored to biomedical and clinical environments. The research will involve to design and develop UV-C fixtures capable of delivering consistent and measurable radiation, preparing standardized biological sample cultures, and evaluating microbial viability post-exposure. The outcomes are expected to provide actionable insights into the dose-response behavior under UV-C treatment, enabling the development of safe, effective, and reproducible sanitization procedures. Ultimately, this work  will contribute to the broader application of UV-C technology in healthcare settings, offering a non-chemical alternative for disinfection that is both scalable and accessible, particularly in resource-limited environments.