Capture pathogens. Physically remove them.
PCT is a technology from Aquila Bioscience that captures viruses, bacteria, fungi, spores and biotoxins and removes them, rather than killing them with chemicals.
How it works, in three steps
- 1
A pathogen approaches a human cell and looks for a sugar to bind to.
- 2
PCT presents a decoy target, so the pathogen binds to the product instead of the person.
- 3
The captured pathogen leaves with the wipe, dressing or filter — with no chemical action.
Borrowed from the body's own defences
Tears, mucus and milk use sugar structures — glycans — to trap microbes. PCT applies the same recognition principle to a manufacturable material, choosing the sugar for the target pathogen.
Read the glycobiologyFollow one pathogen through capture
Step through the four stages of the PCT mechanism. Use the buttons, or the arrow keys when the explorer has focus.
1/4 Recognition
Pathogens infect by binding to carbohydrates on the surface of human cells. PCT presents engineered glycan structures selected for the target pathogen, so the pathogen recognises the product as a binding site.
2/4 Multivalent binding
The engineered glycan–protein surface forms multiple simultaneous bonds with the pathogen. Many weak, selective interactions add up to a strong overall hold.
3/4 Immobilisation
Because binding is multivalent, the capture holds: rinsing, wiping or airflow does not release the pathogen from the material.
4/4 Removal
The captured pathogen leaves with the wipe, dressing or filter. Nothing is chemically attacked, so there is nothing for the pathogen to adapt to.
Conceptual visualization — not a literal molecular model.
Mode of action, side by side
Traditional antimicrobials
- Attack and kill organisms chemically
- Leave debris behind
- Chemical pressure that pathogens can adapt to
Pathogen Capture Technology
- Captures and removes organisms physically
- Pathogen leaves with the product
- Nothing is chemically attacked, so resistance is not created
Built into the formats you already make
Aquila supplies the ingredient and technical support; partners make the final product. PCT is usually added at an existing process step.
- Wipes
- Gels and serums
- Sprays
- Rinses and washes
- Coatings and paints
- Filters
- Dressings
- Medical devices such as swabs
Where the confidence comes from
- 14+ years
- of R&D that began at the University of Galway, before the 2012 spin-out
- 30+ pathogens
- evaluated through independent laboratory testing
- Human skin explant study
- conducted in France
- Patents
- including WO 2020/240027 A1
Research programme
- GlycobiologyThe protein–carbohydrate science underneath every Aquila technology
- Pathogen capture and removalMaterials that trap biothreat agents, pathogens and toxins
- Glyco-informaticsResearch area
- Pathogen and bioparticle filtrationResearch area
- Diagnostic biosensors and forensicsGlyco-enhanced sampling membranes
- Space travel pathogen protectionESA-funded work, 2025–2026
Bring PCT into your product or programme.
Tell us your target pathogen, your product format or your field challenge. Thirty minutes with the science team is enough to know whether PCT is the right fit before you commit to anything.