Blueprint for a Pop-up SARS-CoV-2 Testing Lab

Jennifer A. Doudna

The IGI is working to develop relationships with multiple health care providers, and each partnership requires development of a workflow that works for both parties. For instance, since we developed an LDT under the Tang Center license, we have worked closely together with Tang Center clinicians and clinical laboratory to establish how specimen collection and processing occurs for their student population. Separately, the City of Berkeley Public Health Department has established a partnership with LifeLong Medical Care to requisition tests and collect specimens for first responders (e.g. firefighters) and the homeless. The IGI is partnering with LifeLong and receiving samples from these individuals as well. One challenge has been to design sample collection kits and clinician protocols for both groups, such that specimens arriving at the IGI from different sources can be accessioned and tested together. Integrating CLIA-grade best practices into all steps of the testing pipeline was an additional challenge: it is the responsibility of the IGI to ensure that resulting is accurate, and this requires building redundancy into the pipeline and checks at multiple steps.