They were forced to send students home for the rest of the Spring semester, cancel sports seasons and pull the plug on graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but colleges and universities across the US aren’t exactly closed—many campus labs are helping in the fight against coronavirus by making hand sanitizers in their shuttered labs.
Here’s a look at schools across the country that are producing products and distributing them where needed in their local communities.
University of Maryland: Professors from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering are making hand sanitizer—a.k.a. “Terpsanitizer”—using a recipe from the FDA website that features isopropyl alcohol, aloe vera gel and essential oil for fragrance. Products have been distributed to local fire fighters and will be given to other first responders, community members and UMD staff and students.
University of Arizona: Researchers at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are making hand sanitizer for health care workers in Southern Arizona hospitals.
University of Illinois: The system’s Urbana-Champaign Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory is making hand sanitizers at industrial scale. In addition, UIC (University of Illinois-Chicago) and Urbana-Champaign campuses are collaborating in the design and fabrication of personal protective equipment (PPE) and are considering innovative ways to sterilize gently used PPE for safe re-use to address shortfalls.
Saginaw Valley State University: This public university in University Center, MI will produce 300 gallons of hand sanitizer by partnering with a local distillery.
“SVSU has long-established partnerships in the community,” said Matthew Kline, manager of the SVSU Independent Testing Laboratory where the sanitizer will be produced. “As we face this public health crisis together, our university is proud to join with the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance and our regional economic development leaders to protect our brave health care professionals across the state.”
University of Iowa: University of Iowa Pharmaceuticals (UIP), described as a service division within the University of Iowa’s College of Pharmacy, is also producing hand sanitizer which will be used at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
University of Michigan: Students at the school’s College of Pharmacy are working with Michigan Medicine to compound hand sanitizer that contains isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerol and sterile water.
State University of New York:The state-wide university system’s Stony Brook University Department of Chemistry is making hand sanitizer for use by Stony Brook University Hospital and the Long Island State Veterans Home.
Tennessee State University:The College of Agriculture has been making hand sanitizer for campus police and residents at a nearby assisted living facility
University of Wisconsin: UW Health in Madison and the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy are reportedly producing 300 12oz bottles of hand sanitizer a day.
University of Rhode Island: URI’s Pharmaceutical Development Institute is producing hand sanitizer in its labs in the College of Pharmacy. Rhody Blue and Rhody Clear hand sanitizers, both of which contain 75% isopropyl alcohol, are being produced and bottled in the labs in Avedisian Hall at URI’s Kingston campus. Rhody Blue gel sanitizer will be distributed throughout the URI campus while the clear formulation is being sent to Rhode Island’s Department of Corrections in half-gallon bottles. URI Health Services is partnering in the effort.
University of Maine: A lab at the school made hand sanitizer that was donated to the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
Oregon State University: Earlier this month, OSU’s Department of Chemistry produced products and made them available to the university community.
Wayne State: Chemists, students and pharmacy faculty at this Detroit, MI-based school produced more than 45 gallons of hand sanitizer that were distributed to the Wayne State and Detroit Police Departments.
What about your alma mater? Share news with us (cesposito@rodmanmedia.com) and we will update this story.
