{"634235":{"#nid":"634235","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Marine Biologist Helping Create COVID-19 Test Kits","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/samantha-mascuch\u0022\u003ESamantha Mascuch\u003C\/a\u003E, is a postdoctoral scholar at Georgia Tech. She\u0026#39;s a marine biologist with a focus in marine natural products, who flies planes in her free time and isn\u0026#39;t afraid of a challenge. During the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia, Mascuch and fellow Georgia Tech scientists are producing Coronavirus test kit ingredients.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGo behind the scenes with Mascuch to learn how the test works, and how Georgia Tech biologists and chemists are helping create it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWatch the video: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/0Juo4fcKnt4\u0022\u003EMeet the Georgia Tech Marine Biologist Producing COVID-19 Test Kit Ingredients\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EVideo Transcript:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch: \u0026ldquo;As you can see, it\u0026rsquo;s pretty empty in here. Normally we have a lot of people working, but not now.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch leads test kit formulation efforts to increase the supply of ingredients needed for COVID-19 tests.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch: \u0026ldquo;So, in order to test for this virus, what happens is, you give a sample, they swab your nose, and then we take it, we extract the viral RNA from that sample. Even though it\u0026rsquo;s RNA, what we really want to measure is DNA.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe group plans to deliver thousands of tests in the coming weeks \u0026ndash; and they\u0026rsquo;re building better test kits for the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch: \u0026ldquo;We actually mix the extracted RNA that we get from the sample with the testing kit reagents and then we put it in this qPCR machine.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EViral RNA is converted into DNA, then amplified through RT-PCR: Reverse Transcription- Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnzymes used in PCR are purified using automated equipment to ensure accurate test results.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPurified, concentrated enzymes are then placed in containers, ready to be used in virus test kits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch: \u0026ldquo;First we turn that RNA into DNA, then we make a bunch of copies of that DNA, and that\u0026rsquo;s how we can tell if you actually have this virus.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe effort is part of a statewide initiative to tap academic laboratories across Georgia to help with COVID-19 testing.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMascuch: \u0026ldquo;It really gives me a sense of pride and agency to be able to do something to help. And, let\u0026rsquo;s face it, quarantine gets old.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESamantha Mascuch is creating ingredients for Coronavirus test kits. Learn how the test works, and how a team of Georgia Tech biologists and chemists are making the kits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Samantha Mascuch is creating ingredients for Coronavirus test kits. Learn how the test works, and how a team of Georgia Tech biologists and chemists are making the kits."}],"uid":"35185","created_gmt":"2020-04-09 18:19:53","changed_gmt":"2020-04-20 22:41:21","author":"kpietkiewicz3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"634432":{"id":"634432","type":"image","title":"Samantha Mascuch","body":null,"created":"1586987511","gmt_created":"2020-04-15 21:51:51","changed":"1586987511","gmt_changed":"2020-04-15 21:51:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241433","name":"Sam Mascuch Reagents web2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sam%20Mascuch%20Reagents%20web2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sam%20Mascuch%20Reagents%20web2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1563276,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sam%20Mascuch%20Reagents%20web2.jpg?itok=huYWhKIb"}},"634431":{"id":"634431","type":"image","title":"Samantha Mascuch","body":null,"created":"1586987484","gmt_created":"2020-04-15 21:51:24","changed":"1586987484","gmt_changed":"2020-04-15 21:51:24","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241432","name":"Mascuch.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Mascuch.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Mascuch.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":555144,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Mascuch.jpg?itok=g4CALR6n"}}},"media_ids":["634432","634431"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/helpingstories.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech: Responding to COVID-19"},{"url":"http:\/\/devwp.kubanek.biology.gatech.edu\/samantha-mascuch\/","title":"Julia Kubanek Lab: People"},{"url":"http:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/seaweed-and-sea-slugs-rely-toxic-bacteria-defend-against-predators","title":"Seaweed and sea slugs rely on toxic bacteria to defend against predators"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}