Universities in Nottingham have united and taken action to aid safe coronavirus testing procedures.
They have achieved this by providing the Government with the largest donation of equipment from any university in the country.
This action is a part of a pioneering collaboration between the universities to āchange the lives of local people for the betterā, their statement says.
Their latest contribution consists of Category 2 Cell Culture Cabinets that will provide a highly controlled environment to prevent scientists from contracting the virus.
The equipment was collected by the British Armed Forces from the two universities, and distributed in 7.5 tonne trucks to be transported.
The 27 safety cabinets come after a Ā£1m worth requisition for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), allowing the number of tests for the presence of COVID-19 to be increased by 20,000 a day.
The Category 2 Cell Culture Cabinets, 16 of which have come from the Biodiscovery Institute at the University of Nottingham and 11 from Nottingham Trent University, are used in microbiology, pharmaceutical and cancer research laboratories.
They have open fronts and a vertical air flow, so outside air is run through a filter before it gets inside.
There is also a filter to clean air from inside before it goes outside the cabinet.
Professor Chris Denning, Director of the BioDiscovery Institute at the University of Nottingham, said: āRight now our researchers and physicians are on the front line in the effort to understand COVID-19 and to treat the patients who have become ill with it.
“We are also helping the local and national efforts to test who is infected with COVID-19.
The equipment we have provided so far will maximise testing to tens of thousands a day.
“However, the Government needs to get more testing kits,” he added.
“If they achieve that, the only missing bit will be people and we have plenty of volunteers too, if called upon.ā
Both universities said they were committed to supporting communities, local partners and the nation in many different ways.
Professor Nigel Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation, at Nottingham Trent University, said: āWe are glad to be able assist the national response to COVID-19 through the provision of further equipment following the Prime Ministerās call for assistance.Ā
āThis builds on our recent commitment to supply machines used by our researchers which can enable more tests for coronavirus and we are again working with our friends at the University of Nottingham in order to provide this important support.ā
By Olimpia Zagnat
Feature image credit: Nottingham Trent University