UC Berkeley bioengineering professor Amy Herr is part of a multi-university research consortium, N95Decon, providing a scientific consensus on existing and emerging decontamination methods of N95 masks. The consortium is assessing existing research, designing new systems and — importantly — actively debunking misinformation, with the goal of providing health care staff with scientifically proven ways to more safely reuse the masks.

The consortium is focusing on three primary sterilization methods: UV-C light, heat and humidity, and hydrogen peroxide vapor. Fact sheets on those methods are now available on the consortium’s website. Herr is head of the research team evaluating the efficacy of UV-C, a shortwave, ultraviolet light that breaks apart the DNA of pathogens.