ACBS-made hand sanitizer helps supply local hospitals

April 16, 2020
Researchers in the School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences scaled down their work on bacterial infectious diseases to focus on the community's immediate need amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  This included helping the hospital workers on the forefront with needed items to keep them safe – masks, gowns and hand sanitizers.  Organized by ACBS faculty members, professor Gayatri Vedantam and associate professor VK Viswanathan, the project included research scientist Jennifer Roxas; research specialists Shylaja Ramamurthy and Rachel Claus-Walker; graduate students Anusha Harishankar, Farhan Anwar and Shobitha Jillela; and undergraduate researchers Alison Williams and Kayley Manuel.

To prepare the hand sanitizer, they followed World Health Organization recommended guidelines, using ingredients available in their respective laboratories.  Their colleagues Arun Dhar, Sadhana Ravishankar, Kerry Cooper, Michael Riggs, Deborah Schaefer, Zelieann Craig, Connie Carter, and Jennifer Teske quickly jumped in to support the effort by providing gallons of chemicals.  With Patricia Stock donating hundreds of new, travel-size bottles and assisting with collecting chemicals and PPE.

In response to an urgent call for donations to the Navajo Nation, which has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, the project was able to provide a donation of non-perishable food items to accompany the sanitizer delivery with colleagues Dan Engeljohn and Jennifer Roxas acquiring and donating many of the food items.

"Our faculty's dedication to ensuring the resilience and health of our communities, people, environment and economies is exemplary," said Shane Burgess, UArizona vice president of agriculture, life and veterinary sciences and Cooperative Extension. "Vedantam and Viswanathan have shown selfless commitment addressing an urgent need as we all work to 'flatten the curve' during this crisis."

 

As of April 14, 2020 the hand sanitizer project has prepared approximately 500 liters and dispensed over 1,500 bottles and sprays!

 

Personal-use and spray bottles have been donated to:

  • Carondelet Marana Hospital
  • Banner - University Medical Center
  • Northwest Hospital, Tucson
  • The Navajo Area Indian Health Service (NAIHS)
  • The Tohono O’odham Community Health Services
  • The El Rio Community Health Centers
  • University of Arizona Campus Health
  • Desert Pediatrics, Tucson
  • Circle the City, Maricopa County
  • Hopi Tribe, Hotevilla Village
  • The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
  • Eloy Dairy

The “Bend the Curve Hand Sanitizer Project” was awarded a $10,000 CALES COVID19 Pilot Projects grant funded through the UArizona College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences in late April 2020. The grant will allow further development and distribution of hand sanitizer.

Link to UA News Article

https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/uarizona-research-labs-produce-hand-sanitizer-area-health-care-workers

Contacts
V.K. Viswanathan
vkv@email.arizona.edu
520-626-7687