Share Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are conducting experiments with an antimicrobial surface coating designed to fight the spread of bacteria and viruses, including the Earth-bound SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic. Developed by Boeing [NYSE: BA] and The University of Queensland (UQ), the joint research project was tested aboard Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator last year as part of the company’s Confident Travel Initiative. “While testing continues on orbit and on Earth, we’re encouraged by the preliminary results of the antimicrobial chemical compound,” said Mike Delaney, Boeing’s chief aerospace safety officer. “There is the potential for broad-based applicability for a surface coating like this when used in conjunction with other measures to prevent disease transmission.”