Life Sciences Testing Center

1 million coronavirus tests

Running seven days a week, 24 hours a day, Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center has crossed an important milestone by processing its millionth nasal swab test for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that cause COVID-19. “The most significant thing that testing has allowed us to do is operate safely,” said Jared Auclair, who leads the facility.

• by Peter Ramjug   April 28, 2021

Northeastern’s COVID-19 test lab now processes pool tests for K-12 schools

Thanks to a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center now processes COVID-19 pool test samples for K-12 schools.

• by Eva Botkin-Kowacki   April 1, 2021

The Northeastern University budget, explained

The extent to which institutions weathered the storm will matter greatly when it comes time to refocus and rebuild, and for Northeastern, the financial outlook is “very strong,” says Tom Nedell, senior vice president for finance and treasurer for the university. News@Northeastern sat down with Nedell to discuss Northeastern’s current budget, and projections for next year.

• by Molly Callahan   February 22, 2021

Northeastern to offer household COVID-19 testing for faculty and staff

Faculty and staff at Northeastern’s Boston campus will soon be able to utilize the university’s COVID-19 testing program for members of their households. Employees can purchase take-home pool testing kits to be analyzed at the university’s Life Sciences Testing Center.

• by Molly Callahan   February 16, 2021

Record number of undergraduate students apply to Northeastern for fall 2021

Northeastern University received more than 75,000 undergraduate applications for the 2021-22 academic year—a record number that university officials attribute to a range of factors, including its leadership in experiential learning, a strengthening global brand, and a successful reopening of the university during the pandemic.

• by Molly Callahan   February 3, 2021

Northeastern University begins COVID-19 vaccinations

On January 5, Northeastern received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to administer to Phase One individuals including healthcare workers, first responders, and police.

• by Emily Arntsen and Peter Ramjug   January 5, 2021

Inside the lab that tests Northeastern for the coronavirus

Troy Ganz, a general supervisor at Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center, explains what it’s like to be inside the lab that sustains a large-scale operation to test everyone working and living on the Boston campus for the coronavirus.

• by Matthew Modoono and Roberto Molar Candanosa   October 28, 2020

In the trenches at Northeastern’s coronavirus testing center by day, hitting the books at night

By the time that Eduardo Sanchez heads to work in the morning, he’s already been up for hours, reading and preparing for the discussions, quizzes, and tests he takes as part of a master’s program in biotechnology at Northeastern. He won’t touch that classwork until after 11 at night, after he ends his shift as one of the scientists who ensures Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center runs like a well-oiled machine to process thousands of coronavirus tests on a daily basis.

• by Roberto Molar Candanosa   October 22, 2020

Here’s how Northeastern will test students who show symptoms of COVID-19

In order to promote the safety of the Northeastern community, the university has created a separate testing facility on Huntington Avenue for students who exhibit symptoms of the illness. The Huntington Testing Center is where all symptomatic students—including those on co-op—will be tested, upon referral by a medical professional.

• by Molly Callahan   September 2, 2020

What it’s like to run a lab that churns out thousands of coronavirus test results per day

Thousands of coronavirus swabs from Northeastern’s Boston campus end up in the Life Sciences Testing Center. Jared Auclair, an associate teaching professor of biotechnology, is at the helm. “All of my efforts are turned towards maintaining quality while scaling up our effort,” he says. “If we’re not going to produce quality results, there’s no point.”

• by Roberto Molar Candanosa   August 28, 2020