Medical gas plasma can render adenoviruses harmless within a short period of time. This has been demonstrated by a recent laboratory study conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP). The key factor here is that the plasma primarily attacks the outer protein shell of the viruses. No significant changes were found in the genetic material of the viruses. The results, now published in Small, help to better understand the effect of plasma and to further develop possible applications in hygiene and medicine.