Dr. Aaron Best, genetics professor and chair of the biology department at Hope College discusses the college's COVID-19 testing strategy that enables detection of SARSCoV-2 genetic material (RNA) in campus wastewater.

Developed and led by a team of Hope biologists and chemists, the college’s strategy focuses on wastewater coming from residence halls, cottages and apartments, which are divided into nine residential zones across campus. Each zone is tested daily, with results being returned to the testing team within 24 hours. This allows for real-time monitoring of viral levels on campus and may allow the college to distinguish which residential zones have residents with active cases of the virus.

During the 2020 fall semester, Hope College was awarded approximately $700,000 for equipment and funding from Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) as part of the state’s effort to establish a standardized and coordinated network of monitoring systems to provide an early-warning system for the presence of the virus. Read more: [ Ссылка ]

Learn more about our COVID-19 wastewater testing program: [ Ссылка ]

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