Delaware State University News January 22, 2021 University’s Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory launched With the financial backing of New Castle County, Delaware State University has launched its Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at its Wilmington location on Kirkwood Highway. Over the next month, the Diagnostic Laboratory will enable the University to eliminate sending its COVID-19 test samples to an analysis facility in California, thereby saving time and money. The University’s facility will also change the testing of students, faculty and staff from the nasal swab test to an equally accurate saliva test. Saliva test tubes will hold samples that will be analyzed for COVID-19 at the Diagnostic Laboratory. “We found that people were uncomfortable with the nasal swabs,” said Dr. Derrick Scott, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, who is overseeing the Diagnostic Laboratory. “It is also easier and cheaper for the University and the lab because it eliminates a RNA extraction step, which is expensive and time consuming.” Dr. Scott said the Diagnostic Laboratory began earlier this month with a pilot phase by analyzing the saliva tests from members of a few Hornet athletic teams. From that group – which totaled about 200 tests a week – the analysis work has gone smoothly, he said, and even better news, to date there have been no COVID-19 positive results. The Diagnostic Laboratory will soon expand its work to include all of the University’s student-athletes and coaches; and sometime in February, the facility will begin processing samples from the entire population of students and faculty who are on campus regularly. By the spring, it is expected that the Diagnostic Laboratory will begin analyzing tests from New Castle County residents. “New Castle benefits from this because they are using outside sources and are paying a premium to get their test done for their constituents,” Dr. Scott said. “They were looking for a quicker and more accurate testing and the University was looking for a way to support their population, making it a win-win situation for New Castle County and Delaware State University.” The funding for the Diagnostic Laboratory came from federal Care Act allocated to New Castle County, which announced the partnership with Del State in November. The DSU Wilmington location is the home of the University's Diagnostic Laboratory. The University’s Wilmington location on Kirkwood Highway is a former U.S. Army Reserve building that the federal government awarded to Del State in 2013. The DSU Wilmington location currently offers master’s degree programs in Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Work and Sport Administration. Even with its academic activities, a significant portion of the 49,000 sq. foot building was open for other uses. That space availability provided the opportunity to establish the Diagnostic Laboratory within that structure. Dr. Michelle Fisher, Director of University Health Services, said in addition to providing a more affordable testing system, the establishment of the Diagnostic Laboratory enables results within 24 hours – making possible quicker identification of individuals who test positive, which in turn will lead to more immediate contact tracing. “I am excited that Delaware State University is able to provide such testing services,” Dr. Fisher said. Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs – Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/