By Tim Stephens | October 19, 2020
The UCSC Molecular Diagnostic Lab will be honored as a 2020 Group Winner in the Be the Difference Awards sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Volunteer Center. The lab’s work to provide local testing for coronavirus infections will be recognized during the Be the Difference Awards Watch Party Celebration on Wednesday, October 21, at 12 noon.
UCSC scientists began planning in March to establish a diagnostic testing lab on campus to serve the needs of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 1, the UCSC Molecular Diagnostic Lab began doing coronavirus tests for the UCSC Student Health Center and other local medical providers. The effort was led by Jeremy Sanford, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental (MCD) biology, Michael Stone, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Olena Vaske, assistant professor of MCD biology.