Universities tapped in drive to step up COVID-19 testing

Financial Times 28 March 2020

University scientists in the United Kingdom are being urged by the National Health Service (NHS) to volunteer in overstretched coronavirus testing facilities which are coming under strain as they try to meet surging demand, write Nathalie Thomas, Camilla Hodgson and Donato Paolo Mancini for the Financial Times.

Britain’s slow uptake of testing has been criticised by public health experts, who say aggressive contact tracing and large-scale testing have helped countries such as South Korea and Taiwan tame the epidemic, lessening the burden on national health services.

Scientists at universities, including in London, Reading and Birmingham, with a background in molecular biology have been asked to sign up by their local NHS Trusts for shifts at their nearest testing facility, according to people familiar with the matter. In Birmingham, more than 60 staff from the city’s university have volunteered for local Public Health England and NHS labs.
Full report on the FT site

Receive email updates from UWN

Global newsletters    Africa newsletters    Other
    (other includes related events and webinars)

Data will be processed according to our standard terms & conditions.

Research focuses on production of jet fuel from halophytes

UAE University staff

With an eye to developing a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions, researchers at the United Arab Emirates University have been focusing on the production of jet fuel from sustainable resources such as halophytes, which are salt-tolerant plants that could be cultivated on a wider scale in the region’s coastal areas.

The value of being human: How teachers can work alongside AI

Michael Milligan

Artificial intelligence is now a part of our evolution in technology and teachers need to be encouraged to find ways to bring AI into the classroom and have students use it in a way that is beneficial to them in the long term.

Ground-breaking research on seawater biodesalination

UAE University staff

As water scarcity reaches critical levels globally, a research team at the United Arab Emirates University seeks to revolutionise seawater desalination practices, offering a path to mitigate water scarcity while championing environmental preservation.