CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- The School of Biological Sciences at ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois University has joined a statewide effort to fill the gap in COVID-19 testing supplies.
In a request from the state asking universities for help manufacturing much-needed items, SIU determined it could quickly set up production of viral transport medium, a fluid to preserve sample swabs as they wait for testing.
"We are now contracted to make 40,000 vials within four weeks," said Scott Hamilton-Brehm, assistant professor in microbiology. In his lab designated to discover new microbes, a small-scale assembly line has taken over. "And we are in the process right now, we're filtering, sterilizing the solution, behind you is the actual assembly of putting (the Medium) into vials, and we're going to put labels on it -- then our director is going to personally drive it up to Springfield and make the delivery to the Illinois Department of Health."
Hamilton-Brehm says the solution itself is not difficult to manufacture, but its role is critical to keep the virus' genetic information accessible.
"It is the transport solution used that when a sample is taken from a patient, they take a swab from the nose, they stick in this stuff, they cap it and seal it; it has to keep the virus viable so it can be tested," said Hamilton-Brehm, adding that with the backlog in testing, samples may sit in the solution for up to a week.
Second-year graduate student Erik Velkme is taking part in the production and said it "feels good to help."
"We know that testing is a critical part of trying to solve this right now," said Velkme. "So if we can provide a necessity for the test, the viral transfer medium, I feel like we're really contributing to figuring out how wide-spread (COVID-19) is."
While the lab is currently taken over with producing COVID testing solution, Hamilton-Brehm said, the work discovering new microbes will continue when their services are no longer needed.
"Of these new organisms that we can discover, maybe there's new antibiotics, new pathways, new things like -- we're not done, anyone who thinks that we should stop funding for discovery, they're wrong, and the virus is a good example of it," said Hamilton-Brehm.
The team completed their first 100 vials Tuesday and they are ramping up production to make up to 3,000 vials a day by next week. SIU's contribution of the viral transfer medium is expected to equal nearly 30% of the solution Illinois intends to use in its battle against COVID-19.
