UNC Charlotte Bioinformatics Professor Mentioned in NY Times for COVID-19 Wastewater Testing

Dr. Cynthia Gibas, UNC Charlotte professor, Mentioned in NY Times article for COVID-19 wastewater testing.

Looking to Reopen, Colleges Become Labs for Coronavirus Tests and Tracking Apps

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is waiting for the delivery of technology that will automatically dip into sewage for samples at roughly 20 residence halls. The university has delayed in-person classes until Oct. 1, with students returning to campus in late September. In the meantime, a campus research scientist is jury-rigging hand pumps to allow manual sewage checks from the pipes in the basement of each residence hall. ““He’s one of those guys who can build cars in his own garage,” said Cynthia Gibas, professor of bioinformatics and genomics at UNC Charlotte, where she has participated in the school’s reopening process. “It is important we get in and get the samples,” Dr. Gibas said. “It is not something we do routinely. We’re kind of building this for a special occasion.”

Read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/colleges-coronavirus-research.html