Mason researchers develop saliva test for COVID-19 antibodies

by John Hollis

In April 2020, Mason announced that a multidisciplinary team of Mason scientists developed a saliva-based test to detect antibodies to COVID-19. Now, researchers are using that test to continue testing capabilities on Mason’s campuses. The effort, led by Mason faculty including Lance Liotta, Alessandra Luchini, and Emanuel Petricoin, is part of a comprehensive program to better track and control the virus on campus.

Designed to analyze large numbers of test samples, the saliva test with the acquired Fluidigm system helped Mason increase testing capacity from 1,000 tests per week to 10,000, according to Lance Liotta, co-director and co-founder of Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, who leads the Mason-based CAP CLIA laboratory in which the COVID testing takes place.

Understanding air flow and the spread COVID-19

Rainald Löhner, the director of Mason’s Center for Computational Fluid Dynamics, is an expert in the dispersion of contaminants and focused heavily this past year on ways air flow affects the spread of COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, Löhner warned hospitals treating COVID-19 patients that their ventilation systems could inadvertently spread the virus and put medical personnel at greater risk. Later, his work influenced the way courtrooms set up their spaces when returning to in-person legal proceedings and shed light on the risks involved in air travel based on the air circulation within planes.

Birds respond to a half-century soundscape reversion during the COVID-19 shutdown

By Tracy Mason

Actions taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic conspicuously reduced motor vehicle traffic, potentially alleviating auditory pressures on animals that rely on sound for survival and reproduction. David Luther, an ecologist and assistant professor of biology at Mason collaborated with Elizabeth Derryberry, and teams of fellow ecologists at the University of Tennessee and California Polytechnic State University, to evaluate if and how songbirds might respond in the newly emptied acoustic space that resulted from fewer people on the road.

Investigating COVID-19 therapies

by Elizabeth Grisham

Could an over-the-counter health “shot” help fight COVID-19? Mason researchers think it just might. Cell and Bioscience highlighted research led by School of Systems Biology Professor Yuntao Wu and Associate Professor Ramin Hakami, in which they examined the potential anti-coronavirus activities of an over-the-counter drink called Respiratory Detox Shot (RDS). Bioengineer.org and the International Business Times referenced the RDS remedy, which contains nine herbal ingredients traditionally used in Eastern medicine to manage lung diseases.

COVID-19: Mason Impact

by Tracy Mason

Think back to the early days of this pandemic: trying to understand what the SARS-CoV-2 virus was, how it spread, and how to keep safe--literally how to survive. We went into isolation, turning homes into offices and classrooms, at times separating from our family, friends, and community.

Brave healthcare workers identified symptoms and treated those infected. Our Math Maker Lab and Forensic Science teams created and distributed personal protective equipment, face shields, and masks to local first responders. We became Patriots Helping Patriots, stocked the Patriot Pantry to feed the hungry, even making meals for those working around the clock to save lives. And eight of our Enlisted to Medical Degree Prep Program (EMDP2) students graduated early to serve on COVID-19 medical military front lines.

The university utilized the 2020 spring break to scope and coordinate a massive ‘Pivot,’ shifting more than 5,200 classes to a virtual or hybrid learning format; tasking faculty and staff to revamp syllabi, develop new processes and methods to virtually deliver the curriculum, whatever it took to deliver the content to our science community.

With the cry of “MaskONMason” and CDC and Mason safety protocols in place, our faculty, staff, and students worked together to safely return to campus.

In December 2020, a group of students surveyed almost 300 students and faculty to explore the teaching choices of the faculty during the pandemic and shared the results.

Did we get it all right? Sometimes, yes. And sometimes, no. We will continue to encourage our faculty, staff, and students to bravely try new methods of teaching, learning, and research, to grow from the feedback and evolve our programs as our science community looks to establish our new normal.