3/23/2020 Email From GMS Associate Provost (to Faculty)
To: GMS Faculty
From: Deborah Stearns-Kurosawa, PhD, GMS Associate Provost and Associate Dean ad interim
Date: March 23, 2020
RE: Urgent Request for COVID-19 Testing Reagents/Supplies
Scientists and students in the CReM, BU/BMC Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Department and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have worked collaboratively to get testing for COVID-19 online at the hospital. The swabs with patient samples are placed in transport media for delivery to the hospital lab for testing. Some supplies to make the transport media are in short supply or have delayed delivery dates due to supply problems with vendors. To meet demand, a team of BU faculty and students are assisting with making transport media and are asking for donations of new, unopened reagents/supplies:
- Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS) + Ca + Mg, 500 ml (with or without phenol)
- Amphotericin B, 250 mg/mL (also called Fungizone)
- Gentamicin sulfate, 50 mg/mL
- Fetal bovine serum, heat inactivated
- 15 mL conical tubes, sterile, capped (orange or blue is OK), in styrofoam rack
- 25 mL volumetric pipettes, sterile, individually wrapped
You can be reimbursed by filling out the form at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rtbXmohHUDaSD-hl3z75BCk7XC7TpClLXEbFtG_KWfE/edit?usp=sharing For questions, please contact Dr. Sarah Mazzilli (mazzilli@bu.edu) or Dr. Stearns-Kurosawa (dstearns@bu.edu)
Where: Please drop off supplies just outside the Evans building, 6th floor elevator [from med school instructional L building lobby, make a hard right at security desk, through double doors & down hall to Evans elevator on the right]. There will be several carts on the 6th floor outside the elevator, including containers with dry ice for frozen reagents. If you are not on campus but wish to donate, please fill out the form above and we will arrange for pick-up.
On behalf of BMC, BUSM and our community, your contributions are gratefully appreciated.
With best regards,
Debbie
Deborah Stearns-Kurosawa, PhD
GMS Associate Provost ad interim
Graduate Medical Sciences
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