​Two Michigan State Labs Ready to Monitor COVID-19 in Wastewater Thanks to Funding

Two Michigan State University labs will receive nearly $6 million for projects to conduct COVID-19 wastewater surveillance and testing. The funding is part of a $49 million grant supporting 19 local projects from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to continue wastewater surveillance in areas statewide. Joan Rose’s Water Quality and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory and Irene Xagoraraki’s Environmental Virology Laboratory each received funding. Rose’s lab will serve as the lead laboratory, responsible for standardizing lab testing and providing technical assistance. Her lab will receive $3.2 million, while Xagoraraki’s lab will receive $2.7 million. Funding for the project will continue through July 31,