--- title: Record-breaking $9.4M Crypto Gift to Fund Study of Air Disinfection to Prevent Future Pandemics date: 2022-11-01T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/record-breaking-9-4m-crypto-gift-to-fund-study-of-air-disinfection-to-prevent-future-pandemics" section: Articles --- # Record-breaking $9.4M Crypto Gift to Fund Study of Air Disinfection to Prevent Future Pandemics *November 1, 2022* — by [Kelly Blake](/author/kelly-blake) > Funding Will Pave Way for Widespread Indoor Deployment of Germicidal UV Disinfection *Shutterstock 1678636204 1920x1080 1 — A new gift to the university will fund a research program designed to overcome barriers to using germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) lights to prevent infections. The study is led by Professor Don Milton, (below, seated, center,) and is being carried out by members of the School of Public Health's PHAB Lab, which gathers for a group picture beneath one of the GUV fixtures.* A $9.4 million gift to the University of Maryland will help fund a daring research initiative aimed at creating the next great public health revolution: innovative and affordable systems that provide clean, safe indoor air and prevent the spread of respiratory infections. [Ethereum](https://ethereum.org/en/) co-founder [Vitalik Buterin](https://vitalik.ca/)’s cryptocurrency gift from his Balvi Filantropic Fund—the largest of its kind to UMD and among the largest crypto donations ever given to a U.S. university—will support the School of Public Health’s research into germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) led by the [Public Health AeroBiology Laboratory (PHAB Lab)](https://sph.umd.edu/research-impact/laboratories-projects-and-programs/public-health-aerobiology-virology-and-exhaled-biomarker-laboratory-phab-lab). Operating with the flip of a switch, the GUV systems could one day be an indispensable and ubiquitous measure to eliminate COVID-19, influenza and other highly contagious pathogens from the air more quickly and effectively than ventilation and filtration alone. The project is led by Professor Donald K. Milton, M.D., PHAB Lab director and a leading expert in how respiratory viruses are passed between people. His research has provided some of the key evidence that viruses like influenza and SARS-CoV-2 persist in indoor air as tiny particles known as aerosols; the new funding could help further his efforts to demonstrate their centrality in respiratory disease transmission. *Don Milton and PHAB Lab* **Sidebar note:** **Giving Through Cryptocurrency** The Balvi Filantropic Fund’s gift to UMD is the largest the University of Maryland has received since accepting cryptocurrencies. UMD partners with the Giving Block to accept cryptocurrency donations, a tax-efficient way to support the university. For more information, contact Tiffanie Purvis in the Office of Gift Planning at or 301.405.4630. **Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research) **Tags:** [Philanthropy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/philanthropy), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research) **Units:** [School of Public Health](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-public-health)